New major looks to break data science out of the silo

UBC’s departments of statistics and computer science have joined forces to create a new undergraduate, interdisciplinary data science program.

This new major, which kicks off this fall at UBC Vancouver, joins the existing data science minor and master’s offerings on campus. 

“We are trying to build this program with an eye towards cohort experience as much as possible,” says the program’s academic director, Dr. Firas Moosvi. “We want students to come into the program feeling a sense of community and belongingness with others.” 

Bringing together disciplines into a new major

Industry professionals come from a wide array of STEM backgrounds—the Data Science major streamlines the array of data science knowledge across disciplines into a program designed for students who either hope to enter the industry after they graduate or go on to graduate studies in data science. 

“We want to give students the opportunity to mix data science with other courses and other programs,” adds Dr. Moosvi, who also teaches in the department of computer science. “We don't want to see data science as a siloed thing that only computer science and statistics own. We want it to give students the space and freedom to take courses in other disciplines related to data science, so that they get that interdisciplinary expertise.” 

The new major will offer unique courses in the fall and winter terms. Navigating Data: Acquisition, Exploration and Management (DSCI_V 200) will teach students about different aspects of data sovereignty, data collection, and data modelling. Students will also learn some statistical modelling techniques and analysis. 

In Discrete Mathematics for Data Science (DSCI_V 220) and Data Structures for Data Science (DSCI_V 221), students will explore discrete math, algorithms, and software development through a data science lens. 

Real world applications and connections

Bringing real world application (experiential learning opportunities) of data science into the classroom is key, according to Dr. Moosvi.

In a project spearheaded by Dr. Katie Burak—an assistant professor of teaching and member of the steering committee that guided the development of the major—the team intends to weave Indigenous Knowledge and Ways of Knowing into relevant courses and the program as a whole. Case studies will inform the practices being taught to students, including the idea that there are other ways of understanding and interpreting data beyond conventional western practices.

Discussions are also in place with UBC Science Co-op to give students a real-world industry experience during their undergraduate degree. 

New courses at UBC Science

Other new courses being offered this year include a selection of environmental sciences courses (ENVR_V 100, 205, 240, 305, 350, 450) that tackle problem solving, ethics, policy and law, and more. 

New computational science offerings include Data Science in Microbiology and Immunology Research (MICB_V 305), and Bayesian Statistics (STAT_V 405).