About Us
Welcome to the University of Arkansas’ Data Science program!
Your interest in math, science, technology and people have brought you to the right place. Data Science combines the fields of computer science, mathematics, statistics, and information systems with a focus on the generation, organization, modeling, and use of data to make scientific and business decisions.
Our program is a unique collaboration between the Walton College of Business, the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Engineering. The interdisciplinary nature of our program brings together faculty and students from all three colleges in order to enhance your college experience and better prepare you for a career as a data scientist.
Careers in data science are growing at rapid pace as data scientists are impacting the everyday lives of people in many ways, including predicting the effects of climate change, detecting and preventing crime, developing algorithms for self-driving vehiciles, and recommending the most effective treatment for diseases.
As a reminder, we are here to make your experience with the University of Arkansas a great one, regardless of your admissions status. Therefore if you have further questions, please feel free to contact us at datasci@uark.edu.
- The Data Science Team
Program Outline
The Data Science program is a joint degree offered by the College of Engineering, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
Students in our program will complete a rigorous core curriculum in Data Science and specialize in a concentration of their choice.
What does a Data Science major study?
The Data Science Program at the University of Arkansas is unique. Students begin with a core curriculum focused on:
- Computing and programming foundations
- Statistics and probability foundations
- A domain-specific concentration
- The multidisciplinary environment of Data Science
What can I do with a degree in Data Science?
Nearly every field has a need for professionals who make sense of huge sets of data. Students will be prepared for a successful career in data science with a key set of capabilities, including:
- An ability to use information systems, statistics, and computer science principles and apply state-of-the-art technologies for data representation, data retrieval, data manipulation, data storage, data governance, data security, machine learning, computational analytics, and data analysis and visualization;
- An ability to adapt analytics concepts to interpret and communicate findings and implications to senior decision makers;
- An ability to develop descriptive, predictive and prescriptive mathematical and statistical models to provide abstractions of complex systems and organizational problems and to apply computational methods to draw conclusions supported by data;
- An ability to use foundational knowledge and apply critical thinking skills to problem identification, problem solving, decision making, visualization, and an awareness of societal and ethical impacts;
- An ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and transfer findings from one knowledge domain to another; and,
- An ability to communicate in written, verbal, technical, and non-technical forms.
Why should I major in Data Science?
Data scientists make an impact. Whether it’s analyzing health data to improve patient outcomes, helping businesses make smarter decisions, or supporting critical research needs, the ability to analyze huge data sets is a skillset that can change lives for the better in Arkansas and around the world.
As technology advances, companies, governments, researchers and nonprofits are gathering more data than ever before. The question now has become how to best use that data to make smarter decisions.
With a B.S. in Data Science, students will participate in a rigorous, innovative, multi-disciplinary learning experience and will graduate equipped to face some of the world’s biggest challenges.
Domain Concentrations
After completing the core curriculum, students move into a domain of their choice. This setup is unique to the University of Arkansas – it is the only known program in the nation to offer coursework among three different colleges: The College of Engineering, the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
Concentrations Include:
- Accounting Analytics
- Bioinformatics
- Biomedical and Healthcare Informatics
- Business Data Analytics
- Computational Analytics
- Data Science Statistics
- Geospatial Data Analytics
- Operations Analytics
- Social Data Analytics
- Supply Chain Analytics
