Alumni will go on to successful careers as:
- Database administrators
- Data scientist consultants
- Global data strategists
- Operations research analysts
- Supply chain data analysts
- Systems analysts
Data Science
- Bachelor of Science
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In This Section
Saint Vincent College’s data science program equips students with the skills needed for one of the most in-demand careers, projected to grow by 36% over the next decade. Students learn to create algorithms, develop models, and analyze data to provide actionable insights. They gain expertise in computer programming, statistics, mathematics, and data presentation. Additionally, our program fosters creativity, communication, and collaboration, preparing students to work in diverse industries, government agencies, healthcare, and non-profits, solving real-world problems with innovative solutions.
Contact
Dr. Mary Regina Boland
Office Phone: 724-805-2336
Email: mary.boland@stvincent.edu
Undergraduate Programs
Program Highlights
Real-World Capstone Experience
Our data science curriculum features an experiential learning capstone course in the senior year. Data science and data analytics majors work in teams with industry clients on data analysis projects, covering all stages from question development to data mining, analysis, visualization, and client communication all while incorporating ethical considerations and responsible research conduct. Students present their projects at our annual Academic Conference.
DataFest Competition Winners
SVC students won Best Statistical Analysis for 2024 at The American Statistical Association (ASA) DataFest, an event where undergraduate teams analyze complex data sets with guidance from graduate students, faculty, and industry professionals, culminating in presentations judged for prizes.
Growing Industry and Gainful Employment
The average starting salary straight out of the data science program is $70,000 (2024) with most having job offers well in advance of graduation. The average annual wage for data scientists is $103,500 based on May 2022 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of data science jobs are expected to increase 36% over the next decade.
National Recognition
SVC’s data science program was recognized as number one in the state by College Raptor for affordability and successful student outcomes.
SVC’s Dr. Mary Regina Boland is a Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA), a lead organization in accreditation for clinical informatics.
She has authored Health Analytics with R, a textbook featuring real-world datasets and designed for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses.
Excellent Faculty
Our data science faculty at Saint Vincent College are distinguished experts with extensive experience in both academia and industry. They specialize in areas such as functional and longitudinal data analysis, clinical research informatics, and the impact of environmental exposures on human health. With numerous peer-reviewed publications and a history of consulting across various disciplines, our faculty bring a wealth of knowledge and practical expertise to their teaching and research, enriching the learning experience for our students.
Careers after Saint Vincent
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts significant job growth in data-related fields in the next decade, with high median salaries. As demand for data literacy increases, opportunities in data science, healthcare, sports research, retail, technology, cybersecurity, energy, finance, public health, and government expand. While many companies hire data scientists or data analysts, a Bachelor of Science in Data Science is valuable for various roles as more jobs adopt a data-driven approach.
Our students have secured jobs and internships at a variety of companies in their field and enrolled in prestigious graduate schools :
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Curtiss Wright EMD
- Ebara Elliott Energy
- Federal Government (DOD – Naval Aircraft War Center)
- Federated Hermes
- Intervala Lockheed Martin
- National Security Administration (NSA)
- University of Colorado, Denver M.S. in Data Science
- Robert Morris University, M.S. in Data Science
- Pennsylvania State University, World Campus, M.P.S. in Data Analytics
Student Success Stories
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Trinity Miller, C 25
“At Saint Vincent College, the data science program not only emphasized a deep understanding of analytical processes but also provided ample opportunities to apply learned concepts in real-world contexts, further preparing me for the challenges of my field.”
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Mason Seftas, C 25
“One thing I find very beneficial about the data science program at Saint Vincent College is the student to faculty ratio that allows me to work directly with my professors and get timely feedback on all projects and questions. Also, […] the professors taught proper and ethical tactics to coding that could be neglected in other colleges. At Saint Vincent College, this program allows you to prioritize communication and teamwork.”
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Nora Cabala, C 26
“The data science program at SVC has equipped me with the analytical skills needed to succeed in the workforce. The close-knit community has allowed me to expand my network and grow professionally.”
Required Curriculum
The data science major is part of the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computing and supported by our core curriculum, where students delve into diverse academic subjects at both foundational and advanced levels to explore how different disciplines connect, fostering deeper self-understanding and proficiency in their chosen field of study.
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Required Courses
Requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Data Science (57 Credits)
- DS 100 Intro to Data Science and Analytics
- CS 190 Programming Lang Lab: Python
- DS 300 Methods of Data Science & Analytics
- DS 350 Data Mining
- DS 370 Deep Learning & Other Advanced Data Science Algorithms
- DS 400 Data Science and Analytics Capstone
Math Required Courses
- MA 111 Analytical Calculus I
- MA 112 Analytical Calculus II
- MA 241 Statistics I or BA 350 Statistics I
- MA 242 Statistics II
Computer Science Required Courses
- CS 110 C++ Programming I
- CS 111 C++ Programming II
- CS 170 Discrete Structures I
- CS 221 Data Structures
- CS 350 Database Concepts
- CS 355 Software Engineering
Application Electives (9 credits)
Choose 3 courses from the following:- BA 106 Data Visualization
- BA 355 Advanced Business Analytics
- CA 344 Comm. & Int. of Sports Analytics
- ES 220 Intro to GIS
- HSCI 230 Health Analytics
- CS 255 Artificial Intelligence
- MA 251 Linear Algebra
- SO 248 Fundamentals of Epidemiology
Minor in Data Analytics
Data Science Courses:
- DS-100 Intro to Data Science and Analytics
- CS-190 Programming Lang Lab: Python
- DS-300 Methods of Data Science and Analytics
Statistics Requirements (choose one sequence):
- MA-241 Statistics I
- MA-242 Statistics II OR
- BA-250 Statistics I
- BA-351 Statistics II OR
- PY-203 Statistics I
- PY-204 Statistics II
Electives (choose two courses):
- BA-106 Data Visualization
- BA-355 Advanced Business Analytics
- CA-344 Sports Analytics
- CS-110 C++ Programming I
- DS-350 Data Mining
- EC-360 Econometrics
- ES-220 Intro to GIS
- HSCI-230 Health Analytics
- MA-251 Linear Algebra
- SO-248 Fundamentals of Epidemiology
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Key Courses
Students studying data science will develop strong analytic and statistics skills built on an understanding of the core algorithms and methods employed in the fields of data science and machine learning. They will learn to make data-driven decisions, construct new models, evaluate models that exist to identify novel statistical trends in the data, create informative visualizations, and explain relationships. They will also receive training in the ethical foundations of data usage and modeling methods, ensuring that graduates from our data science program become ethical scientists and practitioners.
Data Mining
This course covers data mining concepts, methodologies, and programming. Topics covered include decision tables and trees, classification and association rules, clustering, pattern analysis, and linear and statistical modeling. Additional topics may include data cleaning and warehousing and techniques for text and web mining.
Health Analytics
Using a multi-disciplinary approach, students taking the Health Analytics course will gain knowledge and skills in planning, collecting, analyzing, storing, and disseminating health care data and information. They will apply their data science and analytics skills to this relevant area of healthcare for applied skills-based experience relevant for certain future job opportunities.
Data Mining with Sports
Data is used throughout the sports industry, from analytics on games, to hiring decisions and even merchandising and marketing. This course will cover the important data mining skills that students will need and the nuances specific to the sports industry. Students will construct models using data mining skills to predict salary for draft picks and more.
Program Distinctives
Scholarships
The data science program has two scholarship opportunities that data science students can apply for in addition to other scholarship opportunities at Saint Vincent College.
- Saint Giles Scholarship: The Saint Giles Scholarship is open to only data science majors that are currently enrolled at Saint Vincent College who are rising juniors and seniors. An essay is required to be considered for the scholarship.
- STEP Scholarship: Data science students are eligible for STEP scholarships, which are awarded to incoming freshmen students. For more information, contact a member of our admission office at admissions@stvincent.edu.
