The data science and biology major provides a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, and mathematics, as well as software development and algorithms. Students study the collection, manipulation, storage, retrieval, and computational analysis of data in its various forms, including numeric, textual, image, and video data from small to large volumes. Students also explore the organization and processes of life across broad areas of the field, from molecules and cells through organs and organ systems to populations, ecosystems, and evolution.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Data Science Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science Overview | ||
| CS 1200 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| or BIOL 1000 | Biology at Northeastern | |
| or INSC 1000 | Science at Northeastern | |
| CS 1210 | Professional Development for Khoury Co-op | 1 |
| or EESC 2000 | Professional Development for Co-op | |
| Programming Sequence Pathways | ||
| Choose one of the two options. | 12 | |
| Computer Science Option | ||
| Fundamentals of Computer Science 1 and Lab for CS 2500 | ||
| Fundamentals of Computer Science 2 and Lab for CS 2510 | ||
| Object-Oriented Design and Lab for CS 3500 | ||
| Data Science Option | ||
| Programming with Data and Data Science Programming Practicum | ||
| Intermediate Programming with Data and Lab for DS 2500 | ||
| Advanced Programming with Data | ||
| Computer Science Required Courses | ||
| CS 1800 and CS 1802 | Discrete Structures and Seminar for CS 1800 | 5 |
| CS 3200 | Database Design | 4 |
| Data Science Foundations | ||
| DS 3000 | Foundations of Data Science | 4 |
| DS 4200 | Information Presentation and Visualization | 4 |
| DS 4300 | Large-Scale Information Storage and Retrieval | 4 |
| DS 4400 | Machine Learning and Data Mining 1 | 4 |
| Khoury Elective | ||
| With adviser approval, directed study, research, project study, and appropriate graduate-level courses may also be taken as upper-division electives. | ||
| Complete four semester hours of CS, CY, DS, or IS classes that are not already required. Choose courses within the following ranges: | 4 | |
CY 2000 or higher, except CY 4930 | ||
DS 2500 or higher, except DS 4900 | ||
| Statistics Foundations | ||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 | Biostatistics and Lab for ENVR 2500 | 5 |
Computer Science Writing Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| College Writing | ||
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| or ENGW 1102 | First-Year Writing for Multilingual Writers | |
| Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | ||
| ENGW 3302 | Advanced Writing in the Technical Professions | 4 |
| or ENGW 3315 | Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | |
| or ENGW 3307 | Advanced Writing in the Sciences | |
Biology Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology Foundations | ||
| BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1108 | Foundations of Biology and Lab for BIOL 1107 | 5 |
| BIOL 2299 | Inquiries in Biological Sciences | 4 |
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | Genetics and Molecular Biology and Lab for BIOL 2301 | 5 |
| BIOL 2309 | Biology Project Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 3611 and BIOL 3612 | Biochemistry and Lab for BIOL 3611 | 5 |
| Chemistry Foundations | ||
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 | General Chemistry for Science Majors and Lab for CHEM 1161 | 5 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 | 5 |
| CHEM 2313 and CHEM 2314 | Organic Chemistry 2 and Lab for CHEM 2313 | 5 |
| Intermediate and Advanced Biology Elective | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
BIOL 2327 to BIOL 3999 | ||
BIOL 4705 to BIOL 5999 | ||
EEMB 2290 to EEMB 5515 | ||
EEMB 5520 to EEMB5534 | ||
EEMB 5548 to EEMB 5569 | ||
| Ancient Marine Life | ||
Research: | ||
| Research | ||
| Junior/Senior Honors Project 1 | ||
| Junior/Senior Honors Project 2 | ||
| Internship | ||
| Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Elective | ||
| Complete one course and its corresponding lab, if indicated: | 4-5 | |
| Human Parasitology | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Current Topics in Organismal and Population Biology | ||
| Ecology and Lab for EEMB 2302 | ||
| Introduction to Evolution | ||
| Marine Biology and Lab for EEMB 2700 | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Disease Ecology | ||
| Physics Requirement | ||
| Complete one of the following lecture/lab pairs. PHYS 1145/PHYS 1146 is recommended: | 5 | |
| Physics for Life Sciences 1 and Lab for PHYS 1145 | ||
| Physics for Engineering 1 and Lab for PHYS 1151 | ||
| Physics 1 and Lab for PHYS 1161 | ||
| Mathematics Foundations | ||
| MATH 1251 | Calculus and Differential Equations for Biology 1 | 4 |
Integrative Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Integrative Course | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Advanced Microbiology | ||
| Bioinformatics Computational Methods 1 | ||
| Cell and Molecular Biology | ||
| Biological Imaging | ||
| Comparative Neurobiology | ||
| Advanced Genomics | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Choose one: | 4 | |
| Biology Capstone | ||
| Biology Research Capstone | ||
| Junior/Senior Honors Project 2 | ||
Required General Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 20 semester hours of general electives. | 20 | |
Khoury College GPA Requirement
Minimum 2.000 GPA required in all CS, CY, DS, and IS courses
NUpath Requirements Satisfied
- Engaging with the Natural and Designed World
- Exploring Creative Expression and Innovation
- Conducting Formal and Quantitative Reasoning
- Analyzing and Using Data
- Writing in the First Year
- Advanced Writing in the Disciplines
- Writing-Intensive in the Major
- Demonstrating Thought and Action in a Capstone
Integrating Knowledge and Skills Through Experience is satisfied through co-op.
Program Requirement
138 total semester hours required
Sample Plan of Study:
Four Years, Two Co-ops
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| CS 1200 | 1 | CS 2510 and CS 2511 | 5 | CS 3500 | 4 | BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | 5 |
| CS 1800 and CS 1802 | 5 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | General Elective | 4 | General Elective | 4 |
| CS 2500 and CS 2501 | 5 | MATH 1251 | 4 | ||||
| BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1108 | 5 | CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 | 5 | ||||
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | ||||||
| 20 | 18 | 8 | 9 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| DS 3000 | 4 | CS 1210 | 1 | BIOL 3611 and BIOL 3612 | 5 | Co-op | |
| PHYS 1145 and PHYS 1146 | 5 | DS 4200 | 4 | General Elective | 4 | ||
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | 5 | CHEM 2313 and CHEM 2314 | 5 | ||||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 | 5 | CS 3200 | 4 | ||||
| BIOL 2309 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 18 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Co-op | DS 4300 | 4 | ENGW 3302 | 4 | Co-op | ||
| General Elective | 4 | General Elective | 4 | ||||
| Khoury Elective | 4 | ||||||
| Organismal and Population BIOL Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 16 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| Co-op | BIOL 4701 | 4 | |||||
| DS 4400 | 4 | ||||||
| Integrative course | 4 | ||||||
| BIOL Intermediate/Advanced Science | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 141 | |||||||