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Academic Catalog 2021-2022

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  • Data Science and Journalism, BS

Data Science and Journalism, BS

2021-2022 Edition

  • Undergraduate
    • Admission
    • Information for Entering Students
    • College Expenses
    • Academic Policies and Procedures
    • University Academics
    • College of Arts, Media and Design
    • D'Amore-​McKim School of Business
    • Khoury College of Computer Sciences
      • Computer Science
      • Cybersecurity
      • Data Science
      • Khoury Combined Majors
        • Chemical Engineering and Computer Science, BSChE
        • Civil Engineering and Computer Science, BSCE
        • Computer Engineering and Computer Science, BSCmpE
        • Computer Science and Behavioral Neuroscience, BS
        • Computer Science and Biology, BS
        • Computer Science and Business Administration, BS
        • Computer Science and Cognitive Psychology, BS
        • Computer Science and Communication Studies, BS
        • Computer Science and Criminal Justice, BS
        • Computer Science and Design, BS
        • Computer Science and Economics, BS
        • Computer Science and English, BS
        • Computer Science and Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, BS
        • Computer Science and Game Development, BS
        • Computer Science and History, BS
        • Computer Science and Journalism, BS
        • Computer Science and Linguistics, BS
        • Computer Science and Mathematics, BS
        • Computer Science and Media Arts, BS
        • Computer Science and Music with Concentration in Music Technology, BS
        • Computer Science and Philosophy, BS
        • Computer Science and Physics, BS
        • Computer Science and Political Science, BS
        • Computer Science and Sociology, BS
        • Computer Science and Theatre, BS
        • Cybersecurity and Business Administration, BS
        • Cybersecurity and Criminal Justice, BS
        • Cybersecurity and Economics, BS
        • Data Science and Biochemistry, BS
        • Data Science and Biology, BS
        • Data Science and Behavioral Neuroscience, BS
        • Data Science and Business Administration, BS
        • Data Science and Chemistry, BS
        • Data Science and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, BS
        • Data Science and Economics, BS
        • Data Science and Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, BS
        • Data Science and Health Science, BS
        • Data Science and Journalism, BS
        • Data Science and Linguistics, BS
        • Data Science and Mathematics, BS
        • Data Science and Physics, BS
        • Data Science and Psychology, BS
      • Accelerated Bachelor/​Graduate Degree Programs
    • College of Engineering
    • Bouvé College of Health Sciences
    • College of Science
    • College of Social Sciences and Humanities
    • Faculty
    • Appendix
  • College of Professional Studies Undergraduate
  • Graduate
  • Course Descriptions
  • Catalog Archives
  • Overview
  • Program Requirements
  • Plan of Study

The data science and journalism combined major offers students an opportunity to gain the skills to be able to engage in both the print and digital worlds of journalism. Students study the collection, manipulation, storage, retrieval, and computational analysis of data in its various forms, including numeric, textual, image, and video data. Combined with learning the principles, practices, and responsibilities of journalism, students can extract meaning from massive information flows and utilize it in effective investigative reporting. 

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.

University-Wide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the University-Wide Requirements.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

Computer Science Courses

Course List
Code Title Hours
Computer Science Overview
CS 1200First Year Seminar1
CS 1210Professional Development for Khoury Co-op1
Programming Sequence Pathways
Choose one of the two options.12
Computer Science Option
CS 2500
and CS 2501
Fundamentals of Computer Science 1
and Lab for CS 2500
CS 2510
and CS 2511
Fundamentals of Computer Science 2
and Lab for CS 2510
CS 3500
and CS 3501
Object-Oriented Design
and Lab for CS 3500
Data Science Option
DS 2000
and DS 2001
Programming with Data
and Data Science Programming Practicum
DS 2500
and DS 2501
Intermediate Programming with Data
and Lab for DS 2500
DS 3500
Advanced Programming with Data
Computer Science Required Courses
CS 1800
and CS 1802
Discrete Structures
and Seminar for CS 1800
5
CS 3200Database Design4
CY 4170The Law, Ethics, and Policy of Data and Digital Technologies4
Data Science Foundations
DS 3000Foundations of Data Science4
DS 4200Information Presentation and Visualization4
DS 4300Large-Scale Information Storage and Retrieval4
DS 4400Machine Learning and Data Mining 14
DS 4420Machine Learning and Data Mining 24
Khoury Elective Courses
With adviser approval, directed study, research, project study, and appropriate graduate-level courses may also be taken as upper-division electives.
Complete 4 credits of CS, CY, DS, or IS classes that are not already required. Choose courses within the following ranges:4
CS 2500 or higher, except CS 5010
CY 2000 or higher, except CY 4930
DS 2500 or higher, except DS 4900
IS 2000 or higher, except IS 4900

Journalism Major Requirements

Students transferring from outside institutions must complete a minimum of five 4-credit journalism courses at Northeastern, and these must include:

Course List
Code Title Hours
JRNL 2201
Journalism 2: Intermediate Reporting
JRNL 2301
Visual Storytelling in Journalism
JRNL 4650
Ethics and Issues in Journalism
Course List
Code Title Hours
Journalism Courses
A grade of C or higher is required:
JRNL 1101
and JRNL 1102
Journalism 1: Fundamentals of Reporting
and Journalist’s Toolbox
5
JRNL 2201Journalism 2: Intermediate Reporting4
JRNL 2301Visual Storytelling in Journalism4
JRNL 3610Digital Storytelling and Social Media4
Required Journalism
JRNL 1150Understanding Today’s News4
JRNL 3550The First Amendment and the Media4
JRNL 4650Ethics and Issues in Journalism4
Journalism Electives
Complete three JRNL courses.12

Supporting Courses

Course List
Code Title Hours
Mathematics Requirement
MATH 1341Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering4
Statistics Foundation
ECON 2350Statistics4

Writing Requirement

Course List
Code Title Hours
College Writing
ENGW 1111First-Year Writing4
Advanced Writing in the Disciplines
This course already fulfills a Journalism requirement above.
JRNL 2301
Visual Storytelling in Journalism
Computing and Social Issues
Complete one of the following:4
AFAM 2600
Issues in Race, Science, and Technology
CY 4170
The Law, Ethics, and Policy of Data and Digital Technologies
CY 5240
Cyberlaw: Privacy, Ethics, and Digital Rights
INSH 2102
Bostonography: The City through Data, Texts, Maps, and Networks
PHIL 1145
Technology and Human Values
SOCL 1280
The Twenty-First-Century Workplace
SOCL 2485
Environment, Technology, and Society
SOCL 4528
Computers and Society

Integrative Requirement

Course List
Code Title Hours
Complete one of the following:4
JRNL 3700
Data Storytelling
JRNL 5500
Coding for Digital Storytelling

Required General Electives

Course List
Code Title Hours
Complete 20 credits of general electives.20

NUpath Requirements Satisfied

  • Engaging with the Natural and Designed World
  • Exploring Creative Expression and Innovation
  • Conducting Formal and Quantitative Reasoning
  • Analyzing and Using Data
  • Understanding Societies and Institutions
  • Employing Ethical Reasoning
  • 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.

Khoury College GPA Requirement

Minimum 2.000 GPA required in all CS, CY, DS, IS courses

Journalism GPA Requirement

Minimum 2.000 GPA required in all JRNL courses

Program Requirement

131 total semester hours required

Sample Pattern, Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer 2/Fall

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CS 12001CS 2510
and CS 2511
5CS 3500
and CS 3501
5Vacation0
CS 1800
and CS 1802
5CS 32004MATH 13414 
CS 2500
and CS 2501
5JRNL 1101
and JRNL 1102
5  
JRNL 11504JRNL 35504  
ENGW 11114   
 19 18 9 0
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
JRNL 23014CS 12101ECON 23504Co-op
JRNL 22014DS 30004Elective4 
JRNL elective 14DS 42004  
Computing and social issues4JRNL 36104  
 JRNL 3700 or 55004  
 16 17 8 0
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Co-opDS 43004Elective4Co-op
 DS 44004Elective4 
 JRNL 46504  
 JRNL elective 24  
 0 16 8 0
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Co-opCY 41704Elective4
 DS 44204Elective4
 JRNL elective 34  
 Khoury Elective4  
 0 16 8 0
Total Hours: 135

Sample Pattern, Five Years, Three Co-ops in Summer 2/Fall

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CS 12001CS 2510
and CS 2511
5Vacation0Vacation0
CS 1800
and CS 1802
5CS 32004  
CS 2500
and CS 2501
5JRNL 1101
and JRNL 1102
5  
JRNL 11504Elective4  
ENGW 11114   
 19 18 0 0
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CS 3500
and CS 3501
5CS 12101VacationCo-op0
MATH 13414DS 30004  
JRNL 22014JRNL 23014  
Computing and social issues4JRNL elective4  
 JRNL 3700 or 55004  
 17 17 0 0
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Co-opDS 42004ECON 23504Co-op
 DS 43004Elective4 
 JRNL 35504  
 JRNL elective4  
 0 16 8 0
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Co-opDS 44004Elective4Co-op
 Khoury elective4Elective4 
 JRNL 46504  
 JRNL elective4  
 0 16 8 0
Year 5
FallHoursSpringHours  
Co-opCY 41704  
 DS 44204  
 JRNL 36104  
 Elective4  
 0 16  
Total Hours: 135


 

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