Data science comprises the science of planning for, acquisition, management, analysis of, and inference from data. The aim of the data science program is to teach computational and statistical thinking, mathematical and statistical foundations, model building and assessment, algorithms and software foundation, data curation and knowledge transference.

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• Admission requirements - new Memorial students
• Your first year
• Admission to the major - current Memorial students
• Sample courses
• Career opportunities

Data science at Memorial

We employ undergraduate students in the Math Help Centre and to mark course assignments. Some of our students qualify for summer research employment funded by the National Science and Engineering Research Council.

We offer major program leading to a bachelor of science (B.Sc.) and bachelor of arts (BA) in data science. The department is currently exploring joint major programs with other departments.

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Admission requirements

New Memorial students

Applications are considered on a rolling basis. You are encouraged to apply by:

You may apply for admission into the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences by indicating bachelor of science or bachelor of arts, respectively, as your program choice on the undergraduate application for admission.

Direct entry into the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences from high school is subject to meeting the general admission requirements for Memorial University, including appropriate courses in mathematics and a laboratory science for bachelor of science. Applicants without a laboratory science subject should apply for bachelor of arts.

Important to know: You cannot choose Mathematics, Statistics or Data Science as your major at the time of application. Admission into the major requires the completion of university level courses. Follow the information listed below under your first year and admission to the major for further details.

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Your first year

Considering a Data Science major? You can complete the major as part of a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science program. Choose the appropriate degree below and have a look at the courses you need to complete before applying to the major.

Bachelor of arts students

1. Both LS courses must be in the same language. If your first language is not English and you do not meet the standards for entry into regular first-year English courses you may use English 1020 and 1021 to fulfill this requirement. Such students are permitted to complete up to an additional six credit hours in English CRW courses at the 1000 level in order to fulfill the CRW requirement.
   
   
2. Selection of a mathematics course depends on your background and ability. You should refer to the math criteria chart prior to selecting your first-semester course. If you are completing Mathematics 1090/1000, you will be required to complete Mathematics 1001 as well.
   
   
3. If you pass the CPT, you may take Mathematics 1001 in your first semester and 2000 and/or 2050 in your second semester.
   
   
4. You are required to complete six credit hours in CRW courses, including at least three credit hours in English. Students attending Grenfell Campus will normally complete English 1000/1001 in their first year.

Bachelor of science students

1. Students who do Mathematics 1090 in FALL should do Math 1001 in Spring or the next fall term.
   
   
2. If you pass the CPT, you may take Mathematics 1001 in your first semester and 2000 and/or 2050 in your second semester.
   
   
3. Computer Science 1000 or 1002 is recommended.
   
   
4. You are required to complete six credit hours in CRW courses, including at least three credit hours in English. Students attending Grenfell Campus will normally complete English 1000/1001 in their first year.
   
   
5. Data science majors are strongly encouraged to do Statistics 2550 in their first year.

Further assistance

For assistance with course selection, contact the Academic Advising Centre.

For additional program information, visit the Department of Mathematics and Statistics or contact Tara Stuckless.

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Admission to the major

Current Memorial students

In order to declare a Mathematics or Statistics major, you must complete 15 credit hours (5 courses).

BA and iBA students: You are strongly recommended to complete the BA core degree requirements in your first year of study.

B.Sc. students: You must complete the following core degree requirements (it is recommended that you complete these  requirements in your first year of study):

• six credit hours in critical reading and writing (CRW) courses, including at least three credit hours in English
• six credit hours in mathematics
• six credit hours in courses from each of two sciences other than mathematics

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Sample courses

STAT 2530 - Statistical Data Analytics
STAT 3486 - Statistical Learning
STAT 4486 - Neural Networks and Deep Learning

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Career opportunities

A bachelor of science degree, with a major in data science, prepares students for a variety of careers including:

• data scientist
• data analyst
• data modeler
• business intelligence analyst
• machine learning engineer
• risk analyst
• statistician

Note: some of these careers may call for supplementary education or preparation in the form of graduate studies, experiential learning or professional courses and exams.

Harvard Business Review in 2022 reported that “By 2019, postings for data scientists on Indeed had risen by 256%, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts data science will see more growth than almost any other field between now and 2029. The sought-after job is generally paid quite well; the median salary for an experienced data scientist in California is approaching $200,000.”

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