“ONE THING I REALLY LOVE ABOUT THE PROGRAM IS THE CAREER-FOCUSED ATTITUDE. GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH ANACONDA AND GITHUB IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE WHEN THEY START A JOB, SO HAVING THAT IN YOUR BAG FROM THE GET-GO IS SUPER POWERFUL.” – TRAVIS SIMMONS, DATA SCIENCE MINOR
The College of Coastal Georgia’s Data Science program will prepare students to fill one of the thousands of available and well-paid positions in data science and analytics across the state of Georgia and beyond.
Offered by the Department of Mathematics in cooperation with the School of Business, put simply, Data Science is the science of turning data into value. In every aspect of modern life, massive amounts of data are being collected every day. Analyzing data can help businesses increase profits, healthcare systems track and treat diseases, and help individuals plan for retirement, among many other things. But collecting, organizing, transforming, and analyzing large data sets takes a person with special skills. Our B.S. in Data Science (sometimes called Data Analytics) can provide you with these resume-building, in-demand skills and knowledge so that you can be competitive in the modern workforce.
“When you look at most intern and full-time Data Scientist job requirements, such as Python R, high knowledge of mathematics, machine learning skills, data visualization skills, statistical skills…and I’m learning the majority of these skills as of this semester and next semester.” – Darius Hammond, Data Science Major.
A Data Scientist needs a variety of skills such as computer programming, mathematical modeling, statistics, and disciplinary knowledge in a specialty field. Our program includes courses in the most popular and in-demand programming languages for jobs in data science (Python and R), courses in mathematical and statistical modeling techniques, and five concentrations to help you target your skills to your interest area: computational methods, healthcare analytics, financial technology (“FinTech”), marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Practically every area of business, industry, and government needs people who can help make sense of the data they collect. Graduates can apply for jobs with regional healthcare systems, pharmaceutical firms, manufacturing companies, large retailers, banking and financial technology firms, operations and marketing research firms, logistics companies, and transportation companies, just to name a few. In 2016, the McKinsey Global Institute reported that about half of executives across all sectors of industry reported “greater difficulty recruiting analytical talent than filling any other kind of role.”
Are you ready to increase your earning potential and prepare yourself for an increasingly technical workforce? Click on the five different Data Science concentrations below and review the program requirements for each.
Concentrations in Data Science
Computational Data Analytics
The Computational Data Analytics concentration focuses on numerical and computational methods and algorithms that can be used in solving a variety of problems.
Cyber Defense
The Cyber Defense concentration at Coastal is unique because it allows you to combine your interest in criminal justice and investigation with your talent in information technology. Those who work in the field of cyber defense can make an impact by helping keep governments, businesses, and even our nation’s critical infrastructure safe and functioning.
Earth Analytics
Info coming soon!
Entrepreneurship
The Entrepreneurship concentration is for those students in data science who are interested in the development of applications found in current smart technology. Students focus on concept identification, concept development, and market introduction.
Financial Analytics
The Financial Analytics concentration focuses on developing an understanding of basic financial concepts and techniques in order to effectively analyze data in a financial context. The topics discussed in the finance concentration are appropriate and useful in FinTech applications.
Healthcare Analytics
The Healthcare Analytics concentration focuses on providing the student with the healthcare background necessary to understand the methods and procedures commonly used in health-related data analysis. This analysis is common to the field of epidemiology.
Marketing Analytics
The Marketing concentration focuses on developing an understanding of how consumer behavior data analysis guides the formulation of effective marketing strategies. The practice of marketing today is largely data-driven, and, as such, is appropriately found in data science applications.
Meet Our Team
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Dr. Syvillia Averett
Dean, School of Arts and Sciences,
Associate Professor of MathematicsDr. Averett earned her Ph.D. on Mathematics from the University of Iowa. Her interests include Representation Theory, Mathematics Education, Mentorship, and Student Development.
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Jamie Berrie
Senior Lecturer of MathematicsJamie received her M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Western Carolina University.
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Dr. Jose Lugo
Associate Professor of MathematicsDr. Lugo earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Purdue University. His interests include Data Science, Operator algebras, C* -Algebras, topological groups, and Mathematics Education.
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Cailin Noble
Senior Lecturer of MathematicsMs. Noble earned her M.A. in Mathematics Education from the University of Central Arkansas.
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Dr. German Vargas
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic AffairsDr. Vargas earned his Ph.D. Applied Mathematics from Wichita State University. He has an M.S. in Mathematics and a B.S. in Physics. His interests are computational fluid dynamics, mathematical modeling, partial differential equations, numerical analysis, and anything related to scientific computing.
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Dr. Aaron Yeager
Assistant Professor of MathematicsDr. Yeager earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Oklahoma State University. Prior to that, he received both his M.S. in Applied Mathematics and his M.S. in Pure Mathematics from the University of Missouri. His interests include random polynomials, orthogonal polynomials, asymptotic analysis, potential theory, number theory, and mathematics education. Visit Dr. Yeager’s personal website here: https://bit.ly/2OvNcEY
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Dr. Renren Zhao
Associate Professor of MathematicsDr. Zhao has a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Missouri Rolla. His interests include SaddlePoint Approximation, equivalence test, actuarial science, machine learning, and mathematics education.
