Data science is a growing field. Now, UNC Charlotte will train students for those jobs.
North Carolina’s first school of data science is scheduled to open this fall at UNC Charlotte, expanding the current Data Science Initiative into a standalone institution.
The new School of Data Science will expand on the master’s program run under the existing initiative. Doug Hague, who served as the interim director of the Data Science Initiative, will become the executive director.
“As an urban research university, we are in a unique position to help bring the community forward by assisting with informed decision making and assessment,” Hague said in a news release.
The school is a collaboration across UNCC’s existing academic programs, including the College of Computing and Informatics, the Belk College of Business, the College of Health and Human Services and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Hague said the interdisciplinary approach is intentional, and will educate students in more than just methods of data analysis, including topics like ethical data collection and understanding bias.
The field has grown exponentially in recent years, and Hague recalled that when he started his career, there was no such thing as data science. He defined the field as a medley of computer science, statistics and an application to some real-life domain, whether that’s healthcare, finance or the social sciences.
“It’s a combination of logic, data and mathematics,” Hague told The Charlotte Observer. “And curiosity is one of the main requirements.”
The program responds to growing demand for workers who are skilled in the field, especially in the Charlotte area.
“A central part of UNC Charlotte’s mission is providing access to education and meeting the region’s evolving employment needs by educating our students in competencies that will translate into a broad range of careers,” Joan Lorden, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said in a news release. “The School of Data Science will prepare students for careers across many economic sectors represented in Charlotte.”
Beyond jobs in the data science industry, Hague said the program will prepare students to tackle important research, including challenges facing Charlotte and their own communities.
“If you think about problems and big issues for the city and as a region, it usually requires some data,” Hague told the Observer. “If I’m going to do this policy or program, or invest in something what expectations do we have for impact?”
The Data Science Initiative began in 2013, when it received funding from the state as one of six proposals selected for research in areas of strategic importance. The masters program began with around 15 students, Hague said, and has now grown to around 260. Hague said the school plans to enroll around 100 undergraduates this fall and grow to anywhere from 350 to 500 students in the future.