The combined major in data science and ecology and evolutionary biology provides a strong foundation in the fundamentals of ecology and evolutionary biology, including focal points in population, community, and ecosystem ecology; evolutionary ecology and biology; conservation biology; population genetics; behavior; and ecological and evolutionary genomics. Data science allows students to 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. The interdisciplinary nature of the major fosters critical thinking and creativity in scientific problem solving.
Students majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology and associated combined majors cannot combine majors in biology, marine biology, or environmental and sustainability sciences, nor can they minor in biology, marine science, or environmental and sustainability sciences.
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 Coursework
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science Overview | ||
| CS 1200 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| or ENVR 1000 | Marine and Environmental Sciences 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 | ||
| Complete 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 Courses | ||
| With advisor approval, directed study, research, project study, and appropriate graduate-level courses may also be taken as upper-division electives. | ||
| Complete 4 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 | ||
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Coursework
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | ||
| EEMB 1101 and EEMB 1102 | Foundations in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Lab for EEMB 1101 | 5 |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Genomics | ||
| EEMB 1105 and EEMB 1106 | Foundations in Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics and Lab for EEMB 1105 | 5 |
| Genetics | ||
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | Genetics and Molecular Biology and Lab for BIOL 2301 | 5 |
| Evolution | ||
| EEMB 2400 | Introduction to Evolution | 4 |
| Ecology | ||
| EEMB 2302 and EEMB 2303 | Ecology and Lab for EEMB 2302 | 5 |
| Capstone | ||
| ENVR 4997 | Senior Thesis | 4 |
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Topical Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 16 semester hours of the following (at least one course must be taken from each list): | 16 | |
| Evolution of Organisms | ||
| Ecology and Evolution of Behavior | ||
| Marine Biology and Lab for EEMB 2700 | ||
| Genetics and Evolution in Action | ||
| Physiological Adaptations to the Environment | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Desert Ecology | ||
| Biology of Mammals | ||
| Ecology and Conservation Biology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Ecological and Conservation Genomics | ||
| Wildlife Ecology | ||
| Landscape and Restoration Ecology | ||
| Global Oceanic Change | ||
| Food Security and Sustainability | ||
| Wetlands | ||
| Streams and Watershed Ecology | ||
| Urban Ecology | ||
| Analytical Skills | ||
| Ecological and Conservation Genomics | ||
| Population Dynamics | ||
| Geographic Information Systems and Lab for ENVR 3300 | ||
| Advanced Biostatistics | ||
| Advanced Spatial Analysis | ||
Supporting Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Calculus | ||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 | Biostatistics and Lab for ENVR 2500 | 5 |
| MATH 1251 | Calculus and Differential Equations for Biology 1 | 4 |
| or MATH 1341 | Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering | |
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212 and CHEM 1213 | General Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 1211 and Recitation for CHEM 1211 | 5 |
| Physics | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 5 | |
| Physics for Life Sciences 1 and Lab for PHYS 1145 | ||
| Physics for Engineering 1 and Lab for PHYS 1151 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1151 | ||
| Physics 1 and Lab for PHYS 1161 | ||
Computer Science Writing Requirement
| 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 | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Advanced Writing in the Technical Professions | ||
| Advanced Writing in the Sciences | ||
| Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | ||
Integrative Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Integrative Course | ||
| DS 4420 | Machine Learning and Data Mining 2 | 4 |
Required General Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 16 semester hours of general electives. | 16 | |
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
- 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
133 total semester hours required
Sample Plan of Study
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer 2/Fall
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| CS 1200 | 1 | CS 2510 and CS 2511 | 5 | CS 3500 and CS 3501 | 5 | Vacation | |
| CS 1800 and CS 1802 | 5 | CS 3200 | 4 | Physics requirement | 5 | ||
| CS 2500 and CS 2501 | 5 | EEMB 1105 and EEMB 1106 | 5 | ||||
| EEMB 1101 and EEMB 1102 | 5 | ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 | 5 | ||||
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | ||||||
| 20 | 19 | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | 5 | CS 1210 | 1 | Elective | 4 | Co-op | |
| CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212 and CHEM 1213 | 5 | DS 4200 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
| DS 3000 | 4 | DS 4300 | 4 | ||||
| EEB topical requirement | 4 | MATH 1251 or 1341 | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 18 | 17 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Co-op | DS 4400 | 4 | ENGW 3302 | 4 | Co-op | ||
| EEMB 2302 and EEMB 2303 | 5 | Khoury elective | 4 | ||||
| EEMB 2400 | 4 | ||||||
| EEB topical requirement | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 17 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | ||
| Co-op | DS 4420 | 4 | Elective | 4 | |||
| ENVR 4997 | 4 | ||||||
| EEB topical requirement | 4 | ||||||
| EEB topical requirement | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 16 | 4 | |||||
| Total Hours: 137 | |||||||