Data science is the study of the collection, management, and analysis of data to extract insights and knowledge and solve complex problems. It is a multidisciplinary field with core components from Computer Science and Statistics and applications in a variety of scientific and business disciplines.
What makes Data Science unique at UCR?
The Data Science major is an intercollegiate major offered by the Department of Computer Science & Engineering (within the Bourns College of Engineering) and the Department of Statistics (within the College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences). When declaring the Data Science major, students choose from which college they wish to have their degree awarded. Another unique aspect of the Data Science major at UCR is that the students will complete course sequences in other departments (e.g., economics, business, sociology, earth sciences, biology, bioinformatics, and astronomy) where they will learn how Data Science principles are applied in these scientific and business applications.
In general, what are Data Science professors investigating?
- How can we apply and advance machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing techniques to discover patterns, make inference, produce predictions, and provide recommendations from various types of data, such as text, images, audio, video, graphs, and networks?
- How can we design and implement efficient, scalable, and secure systems and algorithms for data collection, storage, processing, analysis, and visualization?
- How can we develop efficient analytical tools to extract insights from various types of data, such as text, images, audio, video, graphs and networks, to make informed decisions for complex real-world problems?
Why Data Science at UCR?
The curriculum draws from both the Computer Science and Statistics disciplines and includes data-focused breadth courses in other disciplines including Biology, Business, Economics, Electrical Engineering, and Earth Sciences. The faculty is world renown for their research in the field and has received many awards.
Data Science research at UCR
- Algorithms
- Differential Privacy
- Graphical Models
- High Dimensional Statistics and Inference
- Natural Language Processing
- Machine Learning
- Complex and Large Data
- Time Series
- Bioinformatics
What industries can I get into with a Data Science degree?
- Finance
- Business
- Healthcare
- Education
- Government
- E-commerce and technology
- You can also continue to pursue more advanced degrees in Data Science, Computer Science or Statistics
What can I do with a Data Science degree?
Data science skills are valuable across various domains. The demand for data science professionals is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. So, whether you’re passionate about numbers, technology, or problem-solving, a data science degree can open up a world of exciting career opportunities, including Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Data Architect, Machine Learning Engineer, Business Intelligence Analyst, Healthcare Data Analyst, and Marketing Analyst.
What you should know
Before enrolling at UCR for data science, students should consider the specific focus areas and research opportunities available within the data science program. Looking at faculty expertise and ongoing research projects can provide insight into the resources and opportunities available for students to engage in hands-on learning and research experiences.
Advice for success
Get involved in the various opportunities for internships and research available to the Data Science majors. For example, we have received various grants (from the National Science Foundation and the CA Learning Lab) to support summer research fellowships, hackathons etc. There are also various clubs on campus focused on Data Science and computing activities. The Highlander Statistics Society (HiSS) aims to bring students who are interested in statistics and data science together to promote academic achievement through activities such as coding workshops, social events, and participation in data challenges. There is also the AI@UCR club, an organization committed to introducing AI and ML enthusiasts to the wider horizons of this evolving field. Additionally, each year, faculty and student ambassadors from UCR work together to organize and host a Riverside regional event as part of the Women in Data Science (WiDS) Worldwide effort to inspire, empower, and celebrate women in the field of Data Science.
