Graduate Certificate in Data Science
The fully online Graduate Certificate in Data Science is designed to educate professionals or non-traditional students with a stackable set of core Data Science courses, which help students obtain industry-recognized, immediately valuable, and in-demand skills in the workplace.
This Graduate Certificate is not eligible to receive Title IV funding -- Direct Loans, Pell Grant, TEACH Grant, SEOG Grant, or Federal Work Study. Students enrolled in this program should explore alternative funding options and are encouraged to contact the financial aid office for assistance.
Additional Information: Reference the Program Landing Page for additional information, such as cost, delivery format, contact information, or to schedule a visit.
Applicants seeking admission to the Graduate Certificate in Data Science program must submit the following directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions:
- Graduate Application
- Application fee
- Official transcript from the baccalaureate degree granting institution
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a closely related field with a minimum GPA of 3.0
- Up-to-date Resume
Stem Requirement
At the minimum, students are expected to present a background comparable to that provided in the following courses as described in the Undergraduate Catalog of Sam Houston State University:
Prerequisite courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite Courses | ||
| COSC 1436 | Programming Fundamentals I | 4 |
| COSC 1437 | Programming Fundamentals II | 4 |
| COSC 3318 | Data Base Management Systems | 3 |
| COSC 3319 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 |
| COSC 4318 | Advanced Language Concepts | 3 |
| COSC 4327 | Computer Operating Systems | 3 |
| MATH 1420 | Calculus I | 4 |
| STAT 3379 | Statistical Methods in Practice | 3 |
Students who have not fulfilled the prerequisites in formal coursework are required to take one or more of the graduate stem courses. These courses do not apply towards the degree plan.
Graduate Stem Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Stem Course Requirements | ||
| COSC 5301 | Quantitative Foundations of Computer Science | 3 |
| COSC 5302 | Computer Science Core Topics | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Certificate in Data Science | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| COSC 6321 | Distributed Computing | 3 |
| COSC 6331 | Data Visualization | 3 |
| COSC 6335 | Big Data Analytics | 3 |
| COSC 6338 | Data Science Capstone | 3 |
| Prescribed Electives | 3 | |
| Select one of the two prescribed electives: | ||
| Computer Vision | ||
| Deep Learning | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Stem Requirement
At the minimum, students are expected to present a background comparable to that provided in the following courses as described in the Undergraduate Catalog of Sam Houston State University:
Prerequisite courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite Courses | ||
| COSC 1436 | Programming Fundamentals I | 4 |
| COSC 1437 | Programming Fundamentals II | 4 |
| COSC 3318 | Data Base Management Systems | 3 |
| COSC 3319 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 |
| COSC 4318 | Advanced Language Concepts | 3 |
| COSC 4327 | Computer Operating Systems | 3 |
| MATH 1420 | Calculus I | 4 |
| STAT 3379 | Statistical Methods in Practice | 3 |
Students who have not fulfilled the prerequisites in formal coursework are required to take one or more of the graduate stem courses. These courses do not apply towards the degree plan.
Graduate Stem Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Stem Course Requirements | ||
| COSC 5301 | Quantitative Foundations of Computer Science | 3 |
| COSC 5302 | Computer Science Core Topics | 3 |
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.
The Graduate Certificate in Data Science is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills:
- Statistical analysis and computing skills.
- Processing large data sets skills.
- Machine learning and deep learning skills.
- Data analysis and visualization skills.
