Overview
The Data Science Program at Gallaudet University provides a supportive and nurturing environment for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students to study and develop the necessary skills for successful careers in various fields where data science is highly valued, such as in finance, healthcare, industries, or to pursue graduate studies. In addition to core mathematics, statistics, and programming skills, students work on hands-on projects and case studies where they learn how to explore and extract valuable information from data, and then effectively communicate their findings using both American Sign Language and written English. The program also introduces students to essential techniques and best practices used in data science, including statistical modeling, pattern recognition, machine learning, data visualization, and ethical considerations in data handling.
Program at a Glance
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On campus
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120
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4
Courses & Requirements
Summary of Requirements
| 2026-2027 | |
| Core Curriculum | 43 |
| Pre-Major Courses | 6 |
| Required Related Courses | 6 |
| Required Mathematics Courses | 9 |
| Required Data Science Courses | 21 |
| Required Information Technology Courses | 12 |
| Required Major Elective Courses | 9 |
| Free Elective Courses | 14 |
| TOTAL: | 120 |
Program entrance requirements
Students must complete or demonstrate the following before declaring a major in Data Science:
- A letter of interest sent to the Data Science Program Director.
- A grade of B- or higher in DAS 105, and a grade of C or higher in MAT 102 or MAT 130, or permission of the program director.
- A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
Required Pre-Major Courses 6 credits
*MAT 102 or 130 – 3 hours count towards Core Curriculum
Requested Revisions:
1. Remove DAS 101.
2. Add DAS 105.
3. Move ITS 110 to the list of required ITS courses.
4. Replace “MAT 130 Precalculus” with “MAT 130 Precalculus OR MAT 102 Introductory Statistics.”
4. Keep “Required pre-major courses 6 credits”.
Rationale: DAS 105 and DAS 110 were approved last academic year. These two courses will replace DAS 101. So we are adding DAS 105 to the list of Required Pre-minor Courses and DAS 110 to the list of Required Minor Courses. We are moving ITS 110 to the list of required ITS courses.
Pre- or co-requisite: MAT 55, MAT 101, MAT 102, or instructor approval.
This is an introductory course in statistics. It covers basic concepts of statistics, including simple graphical displays and numerical summaries of categorical and quantitative data, measures of center and spread, z-scores, the Normal distribution, and correlation. Applications to different fields are included throughout. Additional topics in statistics may be included.
MAT 40, 45, or satisfactory scores on appropriate mathematics placement exams.
This course provides students with the necessary skills to study calculus and various other mathematics, science, and computer related courses. Students will learn the properties of various types of functions, graph them, and solve equations involving these functions. Topics covered include: polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions and identities, and sequences and series. Applications are included throughout. Passing both MAT 125 College Algebra and MAT 126 Trigonometry is equivalent to passing MAT 130.
A grade of C or above in MAT 055 or the equivalent, a satisfactory score on appropriate placement exam, or permission of the Mathematics Program Director.
Required Related Courses 6 credits
This course is for STM majors who are in their last year of the program. Students will produce two major products: (1) a grant proposal to a national or private agency and (2)interdisciplinary group project. In addition, students will discuss future career plans, examine contributions of different deaf scientists to science, and engage in discussions on science ethics and science literacy.
Permission of the instructor and senior standing
Required Mathematics Courses 9 credits
Number systems, set theory, functions, combinatorics, algorithms and complexity, and graph theory. Applications to computer science are emphasized.
MAT 055 or equivalent
This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of differential and integral calculus for single variable functions, including polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. Topics covered include: limits, continuity, differentiation, L’Hôpital’s rule, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Applications of differentiation and integration to mathematical and physical problems are covered throughout.
A grade of C or better in either MAT 126 or MAT 130.
This course covers the fundamental concepts of vector spaces, linear transformations, systems of linear equations, and matrix algebra from a theoretical and a practical point of view. Results will be illustrated by mathematical and physical examples. Important algebraic (e.g., determinants and eigenvalues), geometric (e.g., orthogonality and the Spectral Theorem), and computational (e.g., Gauss elimination and matrix factorization) aspects will be studied.
MAT 205 or permission of the Mathematics Program Director.
Required Data Science Courses 21 credits
DAS 105 or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
ITS 110, MAT 130, and DAS 101; or permission of the instructor
This course covers the fundamentals of machine learning for data scientists. Students will learn about training data, and how to use a set of data to discover potentially predictive relationships. Topics covered include supervised and unsupervised machine learning, generalized linear models including multivariate linear regression and binary logistic regression, automatic feature selection, bootstrapping, simple reinforcement learning, and decision trees. Applications will be emphasized throughout. A programming language will be used.
DAS 170 and MAT 150; or permission of the instructor.
Ever wondered how companies like Amazon know more about you? Ever wondered how weather data is represented in the news? Using interdisciplinary concepts, we will learn how to tackle big data. Complex data sets are being generated continuously. Many questions arise as to what these data are telling us. Are we missing something? How do we look for signals in these large datasets? Using computer programs like Excel and R programming we will learn how to manage, sort and represent these data. Students will be encouraged to identify a data set related to a real world problem and use the tools learned in class to tell their stories.
MAT 101, 102, 125, or MAT 130
Modern day biology has generated massive amounts of data but very few experts to analyze this data. A course in Genomics and Bioinformatics will teach students how to use computer algorithms to analyze the data. Students learn applications of genomics to biomedical and biological research by performing computational exercises using databases. Topics include genome sequencing gene prediction, genetic variation, sequence database searching, multiple sequence alignment, evolutionary tree construction, protein structure prediction, proteomic analysis, interaction networks and use of genome browsers among other topics.
MAT 101, 102, 125, or MAT 130
This is an applied statistics course designed for undergraduate data science students. Topics include exploratory data analysis for categorical and numerical data with data summaries and visualization; simple, multiple, and nonlinear regression modeling; hypothesis testing and confidence intervals for means and proportions. Students will apply these statistical tools to real-world data using R and will develop skills in interpreting and communicating data analysis results.
Prerequisite: DAS 170, MAT 102, MAT 142, or MAT 211
The course introduces students to ArcGIS Online, an online Geographic Information System (GIS) application from Esri. With GIS, the student can explore, visualize, and analyze data; create 2D maps and 3D scenes with several layers of data to visualize multiple data sets at once; and share work to an online portal. GIS analytics tools are used in many disciplines and fields of practice including public health, history, sociology, political science, business, biology, international development, and information technology. In the end of the course, students will have the opportunity to take additional training on GIS applications in their specific field of interest.
MAT 101, 102, 125, or MAT 130; or permission of instructor. This section is designed for undergraduate students.
Required Information Technology Courses 12 credits
This course introduces fundamental concepts of computer programming. Students learn program logic, flow charting, and problem solving through analysis, development, basic debugging and testing procedures. Topics include variables, expressions, data types, functions, decisions, loops, and arrays. Students will use the knowledge and skills gained throughout this course to develop a variety of simple programs.
Pre- or co-requisite: MAT 130 or permission of instructor.
In this course, students learn problem-solving and programming coding skills to develop software applications/tools. Students are introduced to a high-level programming language. Topics include data types, selections, loops, methods, arrays, objects and classes, strings and text I/O, arithmetic and logic operations, control structures and error handling. Students will learn techniques to design, code, debug, and document programs through hands-on programming projects.
A grade of C or better in ITS 110 and MAT 140; or permission of instructor.
This course teaches logical and physical characteristics of data and their organization and retrieval in information processing. Topics include database theory and architecture, data modeling, normalization. Students will learn to use PC-based database management system (DBMS) software and design and implement database applications.
ITS 211 with a grade of B or better, or permission of the instructor
In this course, students will be introduced to algorithms, the analysis of algorithms, foundational data structures, and various problem-solving paradigms. Topics covered include: arrays, linked lists, trees, hash tables, divide and conquer, greedy method, dynamic programming, backtracking, and branch and bound technique.
ITS 110 and MAT 140; or permission of the instructor.
Required Major Elective Courses 9 credits
Choose from the following:
Permission of the instructor
The course introduces students to ArcGIS Online, an online Geographic Information System (GIS) application from Esri. With GIS, the student can explore, visualize, and analyze data; create 2D maps and 3D scenes with several layers of data to visualize multiple data sets at once; and share work to an online portal. GIS analytics tools are used in many disciplines and fields of practice including public health, history, sociology, political science, business, biology, international development, and information technology. In the end of the course, students will have the opportunity to take additional training on GIS applications in their specific field of interest.
MAT 101, 102, 125, or MAT 130; or permission of instructor. This section is designed for undergraduate students.
The course introduces students to ArcGIS Pro mapping software, a stand-alone Geographic Information System (GIS) application from ESRI. With GIS, the student can explore, visualize, and analyze data; create 2D maps and 3D scenes with several layers of data to visualize multiple data sets at once; and share work to an online portal. GIS analytics tools are used in many disciplines and fields of practice including public health, history, sociology, political science, business, biology, international development, and information technology. In the end of the course, students will have the opportunity to take additional training on GIS applications in their field of interest. DAS 532 is recommended but not required.
This course continues the development of the principles of a high-level programming language introduced in the Programming Language I course. Topics include: data abstraction, encapsulation, overloaded and overridden methods, inheritance, polymorphism, even-driven programming, and exception handling.
ITS 211 with a grade of B or better, or permission of the instructor
Senior standing and permission of the instructor
A grade of C of better in MAT 150.
A grade of C or better in MAT 150.
This is an introductory course in cryptography. It covers classical cryptosystems, Shannon's perfect secrecy, block ciphers and the advanced encryption standard, RSA cryptosystem and factoring integers, public-key cryptography and discrete logarithms, and linear and differential cryptanalysis.
MAT 130 and MAT 140; or MAT 150; or permission of the instructor.
This course covers linear programming, the simplex algorithm, duality theory and sensitive analysis, network analysis, transportation, assignment, game theory, inventory theory, and queuing theory.
MAT 140 or MAT 150; or permission of the instructor
Numerical differentiation, integration, interpolation, approximation of data, approximation of functions, iterative methods of solving nonlinear equations, and numerical solutions of ordinary and partial differential equations.
ITS 110 or the equivalent; MAT 206; or permission of the department chair
This course covers statistical techniques with applications to the type of problems encountered in real-world situations. These topics include categorical data analysis, simple linear regression, multiple regression, and analysis of variance. A statistical software package is used.
A grade of B or above in MAT 314; or permission of the instructor.
Permission of the department chair
Opportunities
Graduates of Gallaudet’s Data Science program are well-prepared for advanced studies and careers in data science, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data engineering. The program emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical proficiency, providing a strong foundation for graduate programs or professional certifications.
Data Science graduates are in high demand across industries such as technology, finance, government, and research. Career paths include:
- Data Scientist
- Data Analyst
- AI Engineer
- Statistician
- Software Developer
- Data Engineer
Students can tailor their studies through electives in Mathematics, Information Technology, and specialized Data Science courses, gaining both analytical and programming expertise.
Through Gallaudet’s partnership with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), students have access to: Internships and hands-on projects Industry networking opportunities Experience with cutting-edge geospatial technologies This collaboration provides valuable real-world experience and enhances students’ career readiness in data-driven and technology-focused fields.
Admissions
Learn about Gallaudet’s admissions requirements, steps to apply, application deadlines and more at our Undergraduate Admissions page.
First-time College Students Transfer International Students Visiting StudentsTuition and Financial Aid
Accessibility is core to everything we do at Gallaudet. You see it in the quality of our interpreters and the design of our campus buildings. That philosophy extends to our costs and aid. We’re committed to ensuring students from all financial backgrounds are able to obtain a world-class education.
Contact
- B.S. in Data Science
- daniel.lundberg@gallaudet.edu