Dec.11, 2024 - CSU Channel Islands (华体会) will offer a new Bachelor of Science degree
in the field of Data Science beginning in Fall of 2025. According to the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS), students who choose the degree will graduate with a very
promising job outlook.
Employment of data scientists is projected to grow 36% from 2021 to 2031, according to the BLS, much faster than the average for all other occupations. And the pay for data scientists with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in the U.S. was $100,910 per year in 2021. If you land a job as a data scientist in California, the average salary is $166,000, according to .
鈥淭he job of data scientist is a rapidly emerging job title,鈥 explained 华体会 Chair of Mathematics Geoffrey Buhl. 鈥淎 data scientist uses tools from mathematics, statistics and computer science to turn data into useable information that can inform decision-making processes and answer questions.鈥
Every corporation will need a data science department because the corporation is generating streams of data, according to Buhl, 鈥渏ust like everybody has an accountant when there is a lot of money coming in.鈥
Buhl developed the curriculum along with Associate Professor of Mathematics Alona Kryshchenko and Assistant Professor of Mathematics Isaac Quintanilla Salinas. The faculty members designed the degree to require fewer units so that students can pair their data science major with another area of interest by carrying a double major.
Numerous industries are now using data scientists, according to Buhl, so students can target a specialty for their data science skills. A double major in Data Science and Business Marketing, for example, would enable a graduate to work for a marketing corporation. A double major in Data Science and Health Science would enable the graduate to target a career in field of health and medicine, and so on.
Potential students and transfers interested in a degree in data science will find the degree listed when they apply for the Fall 2025 semester at .