Graduate Certificate in Data Science Foundations

The graduate certificate program in Data Science Foundations teaches students the foundations of data science from a computing perspective. This degree is designed for students with a wide range of backgrounds who have no formal computer science education but have strong math and science skills.

Students who complete this certificate will be able to pursue professional careers in data science. They will be eligible to be considered for admission to the following MSc programs in data science: Applied Data Science, Communications Data Science, Spatial Data Science, Healthcare Data Science, Public Policy Data Science, and Environmental Data Science.

Students will first learn the basics of data science, including data processing, algorithms, parallel computing, statistical methods, and machine learning. They will also learn how to write basic data processing programs in Python. These introductory classes will prepare them to tackle the complexity of real-world problems to build scalable data systems. Through class projects and homework, students will create a portfolio of their work to demonstrate their skills to potential employers.

This graduate certificate is offered through the USC Viterbi Admissions & Student Engagement (VASE) office. Prospective students can refer to the VASE website for more information about the program.

The most up to date description of the program is in the USC Catalogue. Course descriptions are available here.

Total Units: 12

Core Courses (12 Units):

DSCI 510 Principles of Programming for Data Science (4 Units)
DSCI 549 Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science (4 Units)
DSCI 550 Data Science at Scale (4 Units)

Notes:

Students will need to complete the three required courses with no possibility of substitutions or waivers.
Requirements for graduation, course offerings, course availability, track offerings, and any other degree requirements are subject to change. Students should consult with an academic advisor prior to registering for any classes.
A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students who complete the certificate will be eligible to be considered for admission to the following MS programs in data science: Applied Data Science, Communications Data Science, Spatial Data Science, Healthcare Data Science, Public Policy Data Science, and Environmental Data Science.

All information contained here is summarized from the USC Catalogue and is considered non-official. For all rules, regulations, procedures, and outlines, please see the current academic year USC Catalogue. The USC Catalogue supersedes all other publications.

Current students follow degree requirements in effect for the academic year they began their studies at USC. If you are a current student, please refer to your STARS report or the appropriate USC Catalogue for your year. Students seeking to advance their catalogue year to follow updated curricula may contact their department advisor.

Published on July 6th, 2021

Last updated on June 15th, 2022