Description: 3 hours, 3 credits: This topics course focuses on computational methods and statistical techniques to analyze data and make inferences. Topics include data collection and cleaning, exploratory data analysis and visualization, and statistical inference and prediction. Students will acquire a working knowledge of data science through hands-on projects with real-world data. Basic proficiency in statistics and Python programming is assumed, as well as experience with matrix algebra or abstract data structures.
Prerequisites: CSci 127, Stat 213, and one of: Math 160, Math 260, or CSci 335.
Instructor: Dr. Katherine St. John, professor (office hours).
Tech-in-Residence Fellow: Susan Sun.
Meetings: Mondays, Thursdays, 2:45-4pm, on-line.
Course Format: This course is taught in an on-line format with all lectures, quizzes, and exams given on-line:
Expectations: Completing homework is an essential part of the learning experience. Students are expected to learn both the material covered in class and the material in the textbook and other assigned reading.
Honor Code: You are encouraged to work together on the overall design of the programs and homework. However, for specific programs and homework assignments, all work must be your own. You are responsible for knowing and following Hunter College's Academic Integrity Policy:
Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The College is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.All incidents of cheating will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct in the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students office.
Lecture Participation: Participation in lecture is measured by attendance and related questions on that day's quiz. There are 28 lectures, and the highest 25 participation grades are counted toward your final grade (that is, the lowest three grades are dropped).
Quizzes: After every class, there will be an quiz on the lecture notes, code demonstrations, classwork, and submitted programs.
Homework: Programming exercises are posted on the class website, usually three weeks before the due date. They reinforce concepts covered in lecture and lab and serve as building blocks for the classwork and semester-long project. To receive full credit for a program, the program must perform correctly, must include comments, be written in good style, and be submitted via gradescope. You can miss up to 5 programming assignments without affecting your grade (if you turn in all the programming assignments, we will drop the lowest 5 scores). No late homework is accepted.
Project: A final project is required for this course. The grade for the project is a combination of grades earned on the milestones (e.g. deadlines during the semester to keep the projects on track) and the overall submitted program.
Final Exam: The final exam is required. It is comprehensive, covering all the material of the course. Sample exam questions will available on the course webpage. You must take and pass the final to pass the course.
Grades: The grading for the course will be based on:
This is a zero cost course. All textbook materials are freely available to enrolled students.
Textbook & Readings: The following free on-line books are required for the course:
Technology: This is a programming-intensive course in the Python programming language. See the resources page for obtaining the Python program and the packages used, links for the submitting assignments and assessments. All software used is freely available.
Computer Access: A computer is needed to attend lecture, complete the on-line assessments, and programming assignments and projects. Hunter College is committed to all students having the technology needed for their courses. If you are in need of technology, see Student Life's Support & Resources Page.
Accommodating Disabilities: In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical, and/or Learning) consult the Office of AccessABILITY. For further information and assistance, see their contact page.
Hunter College Policy on Sexual Misconduct: In compliance with the CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct, Hunter College reaffirms the prohibition of any sexual misconduct, which includes sexual violence, sexual harassment, and gender-based harassment retaliation against students, employees, or visitors, as well as certain intimate relationships. Students who have experienced any form of sexual violence on or off campus (including CUNY-sponsored trips and events) are entitled to the rights outlined in the Bill of Rights for Hunter College.