BS Data Science at University of South Carolina

Programme overview

Prepare for one of the fastest-growing careers by combining your love of math, statistics and programming. Data science is at the heart of the modern data revolution and is building to the future as the foundation of artificial intelligence. This degree prepares you for a career or advanced study with skills in data analysis, data management, programming, machine learning and more.

Faculty: McCausland College of Arts and Sciences / Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing | Duration: 118-121 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbia, SC, United States

What you will study

Data science combines machine learning and statistical methods with the computational skills to implement them and the mathematical background to advance them. Customize your focus by choosing a cognate, minor or second major in computer science, mathematics, statistics or an area of application selected from across campus.

Career pathways

Potential careers include Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Data Visualization Developer, Operations Research Analyst, Computer and Information Research Scientist.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admissions (University of South Carolina Academic Bulletin): Retention To be retained in the program, a student must obtain a grade of C or higher in at most two attempts in all mathematics, computer science, and statistics courses required for graduation. Transfer Requirement Any student applying to transfer to the Data Science major from other programs within the University, or from other accredited colleges and universities, is required to have earned a grade of “B” or higher in at least one of the following courses, or their equivalent: USC’s MATH 141 , MATH 142 , MATH 241 , STAT 509 , or STAT 515 . An AP or IB exam score that provides credit for MATH 142 also satisfies this requirement. STAT 509 and STAT 515 are advanced undergraduate courses. This requirement is in addition to the minimum University and College of Arts and Sciences requirements.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms for first-year and transfer applicants: Fall (August-December), Spring (January-May) and Summer (June-July). Transfer applications for Spring open Sept. 1 and for Summer and Fall open Feb. 1.

First-year applicants: Early Action deadline Oct. 15 (decision by mid-December, credentials due Nov. 1); Honors College deadline Nov. 15 (decision by mid-February, credentials due Dec. 1); Regular Decision deadline Dec. 1 (decision by mid-March, credentials due Jan. 15). Applicants apply with the USC Application or the Common App. The application fee is $70 for domestic first-year and transfer applicants and $100 for international applicants. USC is test-optional for fall, spring and summer 2027 terms; SAT/ACT scores are not required.

Transfer application deadlines (USC Columbia majors): Spring Nov. 1 (credentials Dec. 15); Summer May 1 (credentials May 15); Fall July 1 (credentials Aug. 1). Business majors: Summer May 1 (credentials May 1); Fall May 1 (credentials June 1); the Darla Moore School of Business does not enroll new spring transfer students. The transfer application fee is $70.

International first-year applicants: Early Action Oct. 15, Honors College Nov. 15, Regular Decision Dec. 1; the application fee is $100. Minimum English proficiency scores: TOEFL iBT 77, IELTS 6.5, PTE 53, Duolingo 115.

Apply through the official page: https://www.sc.edu/admissions-at-sc/applications/index.php

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