Data Analytics, BS

Program Information

The Bachelor of Science in Data Analytics prepares students for careers in a world increasingly dependent on data, in dynamic fields that require the application of interdisciplinary scientific and statistical methods, processes, and systems to extract knowledge or insights from data. Data Analytics is a technically-oriented program that will help students build a tool-set of data analytics skills. Students will gain real-world, practical training from leading-edge industry professionals who place data analytics within a business and enterprise context, ensuring that students become well-rounded professionals. This program will help the adult undergraduate student acquire an understanding of and competency in current trends in data analytics, applying them to generate insights from data in a variety of business and organizational contexts. Students will learn about Big Data, master the technical aspects of data analytics, and understand the relevance of this type of analysis to business and organizations. Students will benefit from a curriculum that leverages critical thinking, media and information literacy, and effective communication skills to help students increase their professional marketability. These skills will advance students’ ability to analyze business problems, put those problems in perspective, and clearly communicate insights gained from data analyses.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program should be able to:

Understand and apply the fundamentals of data analytics to real-world business problems.
Leverage familiarity with the appropriate use of key analytic languages/methods/tools, including R, Python, SQL, NOSQL, SAS, and Tableau, to address business problems and be able to articulate the advantages and limitations of each one in a variety of business and organizational contexts.
Demonstrate ability to identify, acquire, clean, and effectively organize data for analysis.
Demonstrate a critical understanding of the utility of data analytics tools using data visualization methods in extracting value from data sets.
Recognize the various challenges (social, economic, and political) represented by the Big Data ecosystem and describe the use of supporting technologies to address these challenges.
Explain the differences between structured and unstructured data and be able to deploy them appropriately, aligning the use of each with relevant business applications.
Describe the different approaches to machine learning and the implications of each one, demonstrating the application of the most common algorithms.
Explain the use of Natural Language Processing, identifying and implementing potential applications and appropriate supporting tools.
Use storytelling with visual outcomes from analytics to communicate effectively to members of the business community and others, both expert and non-expert, in a variety of settings and formats.
Demonstrate an understanding of the business implications, relevance and applicability of data analytics and statistical inferences.
Identify opportunities, needs and constraints for data analytics within organizational contexts.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Data Analytics

The degree requires completion of 120 units as follows: 36 units of general education, 48 units for the major, and 36 units of elective courses, including courses taken to earn minors. (See Declaring Minors below for more information.) Each course listed carries three semester units of credit, unless otherwise noted. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 “C” or higher is required in all courses taken at Golden Gate University.

All degree-seeking undergraduate students must complete their English, mathematics and critical thinking requirements within their first 27 units at Golden Gate University, unless they have already earned credit for the equivalent courses from another institution and have had those courses accepted in transfer by Golden Gate University. If either math or English requirements for the degree have not been satisfied, newly enrolled students must take placement tests to ensure proper placement in the appropriate math or English course. Students may also choose to waive the placement tests and enroll in the first course in either series, which are ENGL 10A and MATH 10 . (See the course descriptions below to identify courses that have prerequisite course requirements.)

General Education - 36 units

Liberal Studies - 21 units

ARTS 50 Contemporary Arts and Culture 3 unit(s) (or any other ARTS course offered)
HIST 50 Contemporary American Economic History 3 unit(s) (or any other HIST course offered)
HUM 50 Examining the Humanities 3 unit(s) (or any other HUM course offered)
LIT 10 Foundations of Literary Study 3 unit(s) (or any other LIT course offered)
PHIL 50 Professional and Personal Ethics 3 unit(s) (or any other PHIL course offered)
SCI 50 Science, Technology and Social Change 3 unit(s) (or any other SCI course offered)
SOSC 50 American Government in the 21st Century 3 unit(s) (or any other SOSC course offered)
OR
PSYCH 10 Introduction to Psychology 3 unit(s) (or any other PSYCH course offered)

Major Requirements - 48 units

Foundation Courses - 12 units

ENGL 120 Business Writing 3 unit(s)
MATH 30 College Algebra 3 unit(s)
MATH 40 Statistics 3 unit(s)
MATH 104 Quantitative Fluency for Business Managers and Leaders 3 unit(s)

Data Analytics Courses - 36 units

Take all of the following:

DATA 50 Introduction to Business & Data Analytics 3 unit(s)
DATA 101 Data Visualization for Business 3 unit(s)
DATA 102 Business Intelligence & Data Mining 3 unit(s)
DATA 103 Data Analytics Using SAS 3 unit(s)
DATA 104 Introduction to R Programming for Data Analysis 3 unit(s)
DATA 105 Introduction to Social Media & Web Analytics 3 unit(s)
DATA 110 Introduction to Python Programming for Machine Learning 3 unit(s)
DATA 111 Introduction to Natural Language Processing 3 unit(s)
ITM 108 Introduction to Relational Databases & SQL 3 unit(s)
DATA 120 Introduction to Big Data 3 unit(s)
DATA 125 Artificial Intelligence in Business 3 unit(s)
DATA 190 Capstone 3 unit(s)

Elective Courses - 36 units

Select twelve additional 3-unit upper or lower-division courses from any subject for a total of 36 units. Note: courses used to complete minors also count toward this requirement.

Declaring Minors

Students may declare up to two minors for their bachelor’s degree programs. Students seeking to declare more than two minors will be required to appeal to the dean for approval.

Students will not be permitted to declare minors at the point of application but may do so following admission or prior to degree conferral. Students should make their minor declarations through their assigned academic advisors by submission of the Declaration of Minor form.

Students’ diplomas will list the minors that they had successfully completed at the time their degrees were conferred. Students may not declare additional minors after their degrees have been conferred.

Bachelor’s degree-seeking students may declare the minors shown below. Note: students may not declare minors that are the same as their majors.

Undergraduate Honors Program

The School of Undergraduate Studies’ honors program provides opportunities for students enrolled in all degree programs to engage in enriched learning experiences while they work toward earning their degrees. Students do not need to apply separately for this program, but may participate in it by registering for honors-designated course sections, as described below. Upon graduation, students who have completed the honors program must complete and submit the Honors Program Notation Request form to the Registrar’s Office to have the notation added to their transcripts.

Honors-designated course sections will emphasize the following learning outcomes: media and information literacy, quantitative fluency, oral/written communication, and critical thinking. Students will be required to complete advanced and more rigorous assignments that demonstrate learning beyond the articulated course outcomes. Additional assessments will be designed to emphasize core skills such as critical thinking, writing, research, and self-reflection.

Program Requirements

To complete the honors program, students must complete any combination of 12 units (four 3-unit courses) of honors-designated sections and an honors-designated capstone course section (3 units) for a total of 15 units, with a minimum GPA in the five honors courses of 3.00 and a minimum overall degree program GPA of 3.30. Note: honors course sections can be identified in the online course schedule with a section prefix beginning with the letter “A” (e.g., ASF1) and by information in the section comments field of the section details page. Students should contact their academic advisor or the Registrar’s Office if they need help identifying honors-designated course sections.

Honors sections of the courses below will be offered every term. In addition, students who transfer any of these courses into GGU may petition to have an honors section offered of other courses in order to satisfy the 12-unit requirement. Students should contact their academic advisors to begin the petition process.

Core Requirement - 12 units

COMM 40 Understanding Communication 3 unit(s)
CRTH 10 Critical Thinking 3 unit(s)
ENGL 60 Research Writing 3 unit(s)
MATH 104 Quantitative Fluency for Business Managers and Leaders 3 unit(s)

Capstone Course - 3 units

Complete the honors section of the capstone course applicable to the student’s degree program.