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Data Analytics and Society

Undergraduate

Data analytics and society offers an explicit focus on social and historical context, emphasizing critical literacies for data analysis and ethical decision-making.

Program Overview

This Nexus focuses on acquiring concrete skills and data and visual literacies in hands-on research application. As a Nexus student, you will link courses in data analysis across disciplines to engage with fundamental data literacies for citizenship, in particular visual, communicative and interpretive capabilities in social context. The Nexus in Data Analytics and Society can enhance a range of different majors by adding a concentration in social research and will help you represent your applied analytical skills in problem solving and data analysis.

Courses and Requirements

Requirements for the Nexus

A minimum of 18 credits:

Four 4-credit courses, of which:16
one must be in statistics at the 200 level or higher, from the list of courses approved for this Nexus
one must be in computer science at the 200 level or higher, from the list of courses approved for this Nexus
one must be in an application area (e.g., biology, economics, English, psychology, sociology) at the 200 level or higher, from the list of courses approved for this Nexus
one is an elective course that demonstrates an interest in data science and that may be taken at the 100 level and must be taken before the internship
Note: at least one of these four courses must be an approved 300-level capstone course that goes into depth in statistics, computer science, or a data science application area. Appropriate courses include: COMSC-335, ECON-320, SOCI-316NT, STAT-340 or STAT-344
A substantive internship
COLL-211Reflecting Back: Connecting Internship and Research to Your Liberal Arts Education2
A presentation at LEAP Symposium

Additional Specifications

  • In one of the four courses for this Nexus, students must work intimately with data to explore, visualize, contextualize, and present conclusions.
  • Students who entered the College before fall 2020 may choose to complete the precursor Nexus in Data Science.

  • Nexus students will develop a brief proposal outlining their specific area of focus including a course outline. Students will schedule an advising meeting with a track chair to get approval and complete a  to be returned to the Nexus Program office.

  • The sequence of a Nexus is part of what makes it unique:

    • In preparation for the summer internship or research, students complete courses chosen in consultation with the track chair. If seeking funding through LYNK UAF, students will additionally complete orientation and advising, and online training.

    • COLL-211 is taken after the internship or research project and culminates in a presentation at LEAP Symposium.

Courses Counting toward the Nexus

Courses other than those listed below may count toward the Nexus. Students should consult the Nexus track chair for consideration of courses not on the list.

Astronomy
ASTR-226Cosmology4
ASTR-228Astrophysics I: Stars and Galaxies4
Biological Sciences
BIOL-223Ecology4
BIOL-234Biostatistics4
Computer Science
COMSC-100Computing and the Digital World4
COMSC-106Fundamentals of Applied Computing4
COMSC-133DVData Visualization: Design and Perception4
COMSC-205Data Structures4
COMSC-235Applications of Machine Learning4
COMSC-311Theory of Computation4
COMSC-312Algorithms4
COMSC-334Artificial Intelligence4
COMSC-335Machine Learning4
COMSC-341NLTopics: 'Natural Language Processing'4
COMSC-343Programming Language Design and Implementation4
Economics
ECON-220Introduction to Econometrics4
ECON-320Econometrics4
Environmental Studies
ENVST-200Environmental Science4
Geography
GEOG-205Mapping and Spatial Analysis4
GEOG-210GIS for the Social Sciences and Humanities4
Mathematics
MATH-211Linear Algebra4
MATH-301Real Analysis4
MATH-339PTTopics in Applied Mathematics: 'Optimization'4
MATH-342Probability4
Politics
POLIT-200Research Methods4
POLIT-387ECAdvanced Topics in Politics: 'U.S. Elections'4
Psychology
PSYCH-201Statistics4
PSYCH-204Research Methods in Psychology4
PSYCH-219GRTopics in Social Psychology: 'Behavior Research in Intergroup Psychology'4
PSYCH-310QRLaboratory in Social Psychology: 'Qualitative Research in Psychology'4
PSYCH-330RDLab in Developmental Psychology: 'Laboratory in Romantic Development: Observational Coding Methodology'4
Sociology
SOCI-225Social Science Research and Data Analysis4
SOCI-316AGSpecial Topics in Sociology: 'Society of Algorithms'4
SOCI-316STSpecial Topics in Sociology: 'Storytelling Sociology: Data for the People'4
Statistics
STAT-242Intermediate Statistics4
STAT-331Design of Experiments4
STAT-340Applied Regression Methods4
STAT-343Mathematical Statistics4
STAT-344TMSeminar in Statistics and Scientific Research: 'Time Series Analysis'4

Contact Us

The Nexus Program

The Nexus Program allows students to create an individual program of study combined with an internship experience in one of nine pre-professional tracks. College 211 and the annual LEAP symposium are components of the Nexus program.

Katie Walker

Katie Walker

  • Coordinator, Nexus Program

Next Steps

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