DATA SCIENCE

Associate in Science Computer Science · Cuesta College · 2026-2027 Catalog

The Associate of Science (A.S.) in Data Science provides students with a solid foundation in mathematics, statistics, and programming, preparing them for both immediate entry into the workforce and seamless transfer to a four-year institution. This program equips students with the skills needed to analyze and interpret complex data, apply statistical methods, and build data models using modern programming languages. Whether pursuing a career in data analysis, machine learning, or business intelligence, or continuing education at the bachelor’s level, students will develop the essential technical expertise required for success in the field of data science. This degree program offers a comprehensive curriculum that combines rigorous coursework in mathematics and statistics with hands-on experience in programming and data analysis. Students will learn to clean, visualize, and analyze large datasets, develop predictive and classification models, and use programming languages such as Python, R, and/or SQL to tackle data challenges. The program is designed to provide both practical skills for immediate employment and a strong foundation for advanced studies in data science, computer science, statistics, or related fields.

Learning Outcome(s):

  1. Apply data preprocessing, exploratory analysis, and statistical methods to clean, transform, visualize, and interpret data.
  2. Apply programming, mathematical foundations, and machine learning techniques to develop models, identify patterns, and generate predictions.
  3. Assess the limitations and ethical considerations of data science practices and communicate findings using industry-standard tools.
CourseTitleUnits
Required Courses (22 units)22
MATH 265ACALCULUS I5
MATH 265BCALCULUS II5
CS 231FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE I4
CS 232FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE II2
CS 233FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE III2
MATH 248FOUNDATIONS OF DATA SCIENCE4
Elective Courses (Select at least 8 units from the following)8-10
MATH 283CALCULUS III: MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS5
MATH 287ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA5
CS 201INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE3
CS 240MICROCOMPUTER ARCHITECTURE & PROGRAMMING3
CS 241DISCRETE STRUCTURES3
CS 217''C'' PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE3
CS 225CLOUD DATABASES2
ENGR 210COMPUTATIONAL METHODS FOR ENGINEERS3
PSYC 200RESEARCH METHODS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES3
PHIL 213PHILOSOPHICAL CLASSICS IN ETHICS AND SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY3
STAT C1000INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS4
GEOL 230INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS3
One of the following4
CIS 210INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER APPLICATIONS4
orAGB 210INTRODUCTION TO AGRICULTURAL COMPUTER APPLICATIONS4
Total30-32

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