Program Overview

Designed for Northwestern Engineering students who wish to develop expertise in data science while simultaneously pursuing a degree in another field, the minor provides a general foundation in data science and the opportunity to build skills in one or more subfields of the discipline. Students complete the program empowered to develop comprehensive data science pipelines, using computational data analysis for the estimation, prediction, design, and control of engineering systems.

The minor is anchored by a pair of specialized studio courses. Foundations of Data Science launches the student experience and provides hands-on training with the tools needed to work effectively with large data sets in the cloud or on their own machines.

Minor studies then culminate with Data Engineering Studio, where students will synthesize their in-depth knowledge of statistics, machine learning, and computing with a quarter-long project using real-world data. This project enables students to apply their newly acquired skills in a sustainable, reproducible manner.

Finally, the minor program also includes two elective courses to either enrich each student's major study or broaden their experience in data-intensive analysis in other disciplines.

Explore the curriculum