This degree program allows students to study multiple fields such as data science, math computing, and business analytics. In addition to the gaining the ability to blend data interference, algorithmic development, and technology to solve analytically complex problems you’ll train in one of three specialized application domains including cyber intelligence, digital humanities, or political science. Our multidisciplinary program design allows for customization to fit the student's interests and professional goals.
Contact
Debbi Furr- Assistant Professor of Instruction / Applied Data Science UGAR
Assistant Professor of Instruction / Applied Data Science UGAR
Main Campus: GSR 2.104X
Curriculum
The minimum number of semester credit hours for this degree is 120, at least 39 of which must be at the upper-division level.
Students seeking a B.A. degree in the Applied Data Science path of Multidisciplinary Studies must fulfill the university core curriculum requirements.
Students seeking a B.A. degree in the Applied Data Science path of Multidisciplinary Studies must fulfill the following 78 semester credit hours.
- Technology Requirement: CS 1063, CS 1083, CS 1173, DS 4003, DS 4013, IS 1413, IS 1053 (3 semester credit hours)
- Communication Requirement: COM 1043, COM 1053, COM 2113, COM 2343, COM 2733 or ENG 2413 (3hrs)
All candidates for this degree must complete three areas of focus. Courses selected to satisfy each area must be approved by the Multidisciplinary Studies Program Coordinator and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Furthermore, the courses used to satisfy each focus area must be completed with at least a 2.0 grade point average.
All candidates for this degree must complete MDS 2013: Introduction to Multidisciplinary Studies.
All candidates for this degree must complete MDS 4983: Senior Seminar for Multidisciplinary Studies.
All candidates for this degree must complete 27 semester hours of free electives, at least 15 of which must be at the upper-division level.
BA-MDAD Applied Data Science 2024-26 Catalog
FIRST YEAR - FALL
| Course Code | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AIS 1203 or 1233 | Academic Inquiry and Scholarship | 3 |
| WRC 1013 | Freshman Comp I | 3 |
| CORE | Mathematics Core (MAT 1073) | 3 |
| CORE | American History Core | 3 |
| MDS 2013 | Intro to Multidisc Studies | 3 |
| TOTAL | - | 15 |
FIRST YEAR - SPRING
| Course Code | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CORE | American History Core | 3 |
| CORE | Life & Physical Sciences Core | 3 |
| WRC 1023 | Freshman Comp II | 3 |
| ELEC (LD) | Focus Area 2 | 3 |
| Technology Requirement | CS 1063, 1083, 1173, DS 4003, 4013, IS 1413, 1053 | 3 |
| TOTAL | - | 15 |
SECOND YEAR - FALL
| Course Code | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| POL 1013 | Introduction to American Politics | 3 |
| CORE | Life & Physical Sciences Core | 3 |
| ELEC (LD) | Focus Area 2 | 3 |
| ELEC (LD) | Focus Area 3 | 3 |
| COM Requirement | COM 1043,1053,2113, 2343,2733, ENG 2413 | 3 |
| TOTAL | - | 15 |
SECOND YEAR - SPRING
| Course Code | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| POL 1133 or 1213 | Texas Politics and Society | 3 |
| CORE | Lang, Philosophy & Culture | 3 |
| CORE | Creative Arts | 3 |
| ELEC (LD) | Focus Area 1 | 3 |
| ELEC (LD) | Focus Area 2 | 3 |
| TOTAL | - | 15 |
THIRD YEAR - FALL
| Course Code | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CORE | Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| CORE | Component Area Option | 3 |
| DS 4003 | Focus Area 1 | 3 |
| ELEC (UD) | Focus Area 2 | 3 |
| ELEC (LD) | Focus Area 3 | 3 |
| TOTAL | - | 15 |
THIRD YEAR - SPRING
| Course Code | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| DS 4013 | Focus Area 1 | 3 |
| ELEC (UD) | Focus Area 2 | 3 |
| Free Elective | Free Elective Selection | 3 |
| Free Elective | Free Elective Selection | 3 |
| Free Elective | Free Elective Selection | 3 |
| TOTAL | - | 15 |
FOURTH YEAR - FALL
| Course Code | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| DS 4023 | Focus Area 1 | 3 |
| ELEC (UD) | Focus Area 3 | 3 |
| Free Elective | Upper Division Course | 3 |
| Free Elective | Upper Division Course | 3 |
| Free Elective | Upper Division Course | 3 |
| TOTAL | - | 15 |
FOURTH YEAR - SPRING
| Course Code | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| DS 4033 | Focus Area 1 | 3 |
| Free Elective | Upper Division Course | 3 |
| Free Elective | Upper Division Course | 3 |
| Free Elective | Upper Division Course | 3 |
| MDS 4983 | Seminar for Multidisc Studies | 3 |
| TOTAL | - | 15 |
Focus Areas
Focus Area 1: Data Science - 15 hours prescribed (9hrs UD)
| Course Number | Title | Prerequisite C- or better |
|---|---|---|
| DS 3023/DDTI 4023 | Statistical Analysis for Data Science | MAT 1073 or the equivalent |
| DS 4003/DDTI 4003 | Introduction to Data Science | MAT 1073 or the equivalent; students may not enroll without 30 credit hours completed. |
| DS 4013/DDTI 4013 | Programming for Data Science | MAT 1073 or the equivalent |
| DS 4023/DDTI 4023 | Data Organization and Visualization | DS 3023, DS 4003, and DS 4013 or the equivalents. |
| DS 4033/DDTI 4033 | Data Mining and Machine Learning | Completion of or concurrent enrollment in DS 4023. |
Focus Area 2: Math Computing and Business Analytics - 12 hours (6hrs UD)
| Course Number | Title | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| MAT 1073* | Algebra for Scientists and Engineers | Satisfactory performance on a placement examination |
| DDTI 1423 | Data Driven Thinking in the Age of AI | |
| DDTI 4043 | Generative Artificial Intelligence | DS 4033 or DDTI 4033 |
| CS 2113 | Fundamentals for Object-Oriented Programming | CS 1083 |
| CS 2123 | Data Structures | CS 2113 |
| MAT 1093 | Pre-Calculus | MAT 1023, MAT 1053, or MAT 1073, or satisfactory performance on a placement examination |
| MAT 1213 | Calculus I | MAT 1093 or equivalent or satisfactory performance on a placement examination |
| STA 3003 | Statistical Methods and Applications | MAT 1093 or the equivalent |
| STA 4233 | Intro to Prog & Data Manage R | |
| STA 4133 | Intro to Prog & Data Manage SAS | |
| STA 4143^ | Data Mining and Predictive Modeling | STA 4133 or the equivalent |
| STA 3333 | Introduction to Data Science and Analytics | MS 1023 or STA 1053 or STA 1403 or STA 2303 equivalent |
| BAN 1023 | Introduction to Business Statistics | A grade of "C-" or better in MAT 1053, or equivalents |
| BAN 3043^ | Statistical Methods for Business | A grade of "C-" or better in MAT 1053 and BAN 1023, or equivalents |
| BAN 3073^ | Regression Models for Business Analytics | A grade of "C-" or better in BAN 1023 or equivalent |
| BAN 3083^ | Predictive Operational Analytics | |
| BAN 3313^ | Statistical Modeling for Business Analytics | A grade of C- or better in BAN 3083, or approval of the instructor |
| BAN 4373^ | Data Mining for Business Analytics | A grade of "C-" or better in BAN 3073 and BAN 3083, or their equivalents, or approval of the instructor |
| BAN 4383 | Predictive Operational Analytics | |
| BAN 3003^ | Visualization in Business Analytics | |
| BAN 4203^ | Business Analytics Applications | A grade of "C-" or better in BAN 4373 or the equivalent, or approval of the instructor |
^Certificate in Business Analytics
BAN 3003, BAN 3043, BAN 3083, BAN 3073, BAN 3313, BAN 4373 or STA 4143
*MAT 1073 is a core requirement and is a prerequisite for DS and DDTI courses
Focus Area 3 - 12 hours selected from one mini track (6hrs UD)
| Course Number | Title | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Track | ||
| ISC 1003* | Unlocking Cyber | |
| ISC 3413 | Telecommunications & Networking | ISC 1003, or equivalent, with a grade of "C-" or better |
| ISC 3433 | Cyber Crime Investigation Principles | |
| ISC 3513 | Infor Assurance and Security | ISC 3413, or equivalent, with a grade of "C-" or better |
| ISC 3523 | Intrusion Detection & Incident Response | ISC 3033 and ISC 3513, or equivalents, with a grade of "C-" or better |
| ISC 3533 | Cyber Law and Legal System | |
| ISC 3833 | Cyber Operations | ISC 3523, or equivalent, with a grade of "C-" or better |
| ISC 4473 | Cyber Security Policy, Compliance, and Risk Assessment | |
| Political Science Track | ||
| GLA 1013 | U.S. in Global Context | |
| GLA 2103 | Introduction to Intelligence Studies | GLA 1013 or POL 1013 |
| GLA 2203 | Introduction to Security Studies | GLA 1013 or POL 1013 |
| GLA 2603 | Introduction to Global Politics | GLA 1013 or POL 1013 |
| GLA 3213 | Theories of International Relations | GLA 1013 or POL 1013 |
| GLA 3343 | National Security in the Global Context | GLA 1013 or POL 1013 |
| GLA 4213 | The Intelligence Community in World Affairs | GLA 1013 or POL 1013 |
| GLA 4953 | Special Studies in Global Affairs | GLA 1013 |
| GLA 4973 | Senior Seminar | GLA 1013 and POL 2693 |
| POL 3593 | Topics in Latin American Security | POL 1013 or GLA 1013 |
| POL 3763 | Globalization | POL 1013 or GLA 1013 |
| POL 3633 | Political Economy | POL 1013 |
| POL 3483 | International Political Economy | POL 1013 |
| POL 3513 | International Organizations in World Politics | POL 1013 or GLA 1013 |
| POL 3523 | Violence in International Politics | POL 1013 |
| Digital Humanities Track | ||
| IDS 2083 | Learning with Technology | |
| IDS 3003 | STEM in Social Contexts | IDS 2113, WRC 1013, WRC 1023 |
| GES 3314 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | |
| GES 3323 | Spatial Analysis | |
| GES 3334 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | GES 3314 |
| HUM 3173 | Topics in Digital Humanities | |
| HUM 3153 | Humanistic Approaches to STEM | |
| ANT 3803 | Media, Power and Public Culture | ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended |
| COM 3073 | Conduct of Communication Inquiry | COM 3023 |
| COM 2733 | Introduction to Digital Communication | WRC 1013 and WRC 1023 |
| DEM 4013 | Geographic Information Systems for Population Analysis and Policy | |
| PAD 3163 | Quantitative Analysis for Public Administration and Policy | Any 3-semester-credit-hour Mathematics core course |
| MES 3333 | Digital Video Production | WRC 1023 or the equivalent |
| MKT 4253 | Digital Marketing | MKT 3013 |
Archived Focus Areas by Year
Want to learn more about this program?
Contact the Multidisciplinary Studies Department
