The data science and philosophy combined major offers an opportunity to obtain a fluency in formal logic, including logical proofs and the ability to represent arguments clearly and evaluate them for cogency. Students will find that logic plays a fundamental role in computer science as they experience an in-depth programming foundation. 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. The philosophy curriculum also focuses on oral and written communication, as well as ethical and social issues related to data storage, usage, manipulation, and presentation.

  • Concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus and/or by program modality.  Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for the course availability each term at your campus or within your program modality. 
  • Certain options within the program may be required at certain campuses or for certain program modalities.  Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for requirements at your campus or for your program modality. 

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

Computer Science Overview
Must be taken in alignment with your home college:
CS 1200First Year Seminar1
or PHIL 1000 Philosophy at Northeastern
CS 1210Professional Development for Khoury Co-op1
or EESH 2000 Professional Development for Co-op
Programming Sequence Pathways
Complete one of the following 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 3200Introduction to Databases4
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
or DS 4440 Practical Neural Networks
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 SH 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

Philosophy Requirements

PHIL 1115Introduction to Logic4
PHIL 1145Technology and Human Values4
PHIL 2325Ancient Philosophy and Political Thought4
or POLS 2325 Ancient Philosophy and Political Thought
or PHIL 2330 Modern Philosophy
PHIL 4515Advanced Deductive Logic4
Philosophy Electives
Complete two additional PHIL courses, one of which must be 3000 level or above:8
Critical Philosophy Elective4
AFCS 1101
Introduction to African American and Africana Studies
PHIL 1104
Goddesses, Witches, Saints, and Sinners: Women and Religion
PHIL 1271
Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
PHIL 2155
Human Rights
PHIL 2492
Indigenous Philosophy
PHIL 2619
Race and Religion in Film
PHIL 3822
Philosophy of Race and Racism

Integrative Requirement

PHIL 3050Information and Uncertainty4
or PHIL 1300 Knowledge in a Digital World
or PHIL 2001 Ethics and Evolutionary Games
PHIL 5005Information Ethics4
or PHIL 4050 Artificial Intelligence and Society
or PHIL 5010 AI Ethics

Supporting Courses 

Mathematics Requirement
MATH 1341Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering4
Statistics Foundation
ECON 2350Statistics for Economists4

Writing Requirement

College Writing
ENGW 1111First-Year Writing4
Advanced Writing in the Disciplines
Complete one of the following:4
ENGW 3302
Advanced Writing in the Technical Professions
ENGW 3309
Advanced Writing in the Humanities
ENGW 3315
Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines

Required General Electives

Complete 28 semester hours of general electives.28

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

Program Requirement

130 total semester hours required

Sample Plan of Study: Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer 2/Fall

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CS 1200 or PHIL 10001CS 32004MATH 13414Elective4
CS 1800
and CS 1802		5DS 2500
and DS 2501		5PHIL elective 14Elective4
DS 2000
and DS 2001		4PHIL 11454  
ENGW 11114PHIL 2325, 2330, or POLS 23254  
PHIL 11154   
 18 17 8 8
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
DS 30004CS 1210 or EESH 20001ECON 23504Co-op0
DS 35004DS 42004Elective4 
PHIL 45154PHIL 5005, 5010, or 40504  
Elective4PHIL elective 24  
 PHIL elective 34  
 16 17 8 0
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Co-op0DS 43004ENGW 3302, 3309, or 33154Co-op0
 DS 44004Elective4 
 PHIL 30504  
 Elective4  
 0 16 8 0
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHours  
Co-op0DS 4420 or 44404  
 Khoury elective4  
 PHIL elective 44  
 Elective4  
 0 16  
Total Hours: 132

Sample Plan of Study: Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CS 1200 or PHIL 10001CS 32004MATH 13414Elective4
CS 1800
and CS 1802		5DS 2500
and DS 2501		5PHIL elective 14Elective4
DS 2000
and DS 2001		4PHIL 11454  
ENGW 11114PHIL 2325, 2330, or POLS 23254  
PHIL 11154   
 18 17 8 8
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CS 12101Co-op0Co-op0Elective4
DS 30004  Elective4
DS 35004   
PHIL 45154   
ECON 23504   
 17 0 0 8
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
DS 42004Co-op0Co-op0ENGW 3302, 3309, or 33154
PHIL 50054  Elective4
PHIL elective 24   
PHIL elective 34   
 16 0 0 8
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHours  
DS 43004DS 4420 or 44404  
DS 44004Khoury elective4  
PHIL 30504PHIL elective 44  
Elective4Elective4  
 16 16  
Total Hours: 132