Data Science, Certificate of Achievement

The Data Science Certificate of Achievement at Lake Michigan College prepares students for entry-level careers in data science through an intensive, programming-focused curriculum. The program combines Python programming, statistical modeling, data engineering, and predictive analytics to give students the technical skills needed to work with complex data and solve real-world problems.

Students learn to move through the complete data science process, from acquiring and organizing raw data to developing efficient code, building statistical models, and communicating findings. Through hands-on projects, students develop practical experience with Python and industry-relevant tools for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization.

• Certificate Requirements
• Program Features
• National and Statewide Workforce Demand
• Profession Description

Course Course Name Credits MATH 216 Introduction to Statistics 3 CIS 111 Data & Database Management with SQL 3 CIS 180 Foundations of Data Science 3 CIS 244 Data Acquisition & Preparation 3 CIS 246 Data Visualization 3 CIS 281 Statistical Analysis & Models 3

• Eight-course curriculum focused on practical data science skills.
• Intensive Python programming and object-oriented programming instruction.
• Algorithm design and analysis, including divide-and-conquer and dynamic programming techniques.
• Data acquisition, preparation, transformation, and engineering.
• Statistical modeling and predictive analytics.
• Hands-on experience with Python libraries for data manipulation, statistical analysis, and visualization.
• Specialized applications in geospatial technologies, business systems analysis, and enterprise modeling.
• Project-based learning that supports development of a professional data science portfolio.

As organizations across industries collect increasing amounts of information, employers need professionals who can turn data into actionable insights. Data science skills are relevant across a broad range of industries and organizational settings, including:

• Technology and software: developing data-driven applications, algorithms, and analytical solutions.
• Healthcare: analyzing information to support research, operations, patient care, and decision-making.
• Finance and business: using predictive models and analytics to identify trends, manage risk, and support strategic decisions.
• Research and science: working with complex datasets to identify patterns and support discovery.
• Manufacturing, agriculture, and other data-driven industries: using analytics, automation, and predictive technologies to improve operations and outcomes.

Data scientists use programming, statistics, and analytical techniques to transform large and complex datasets into information organizations can use to make decisions. Data science professionals work across virtually every data-driven industry, including:

• Data science and analytics: analyzing complex datasets to identify patterns, trends, and opportunities.
• Predictive analytics: developing statistical models that forecast outcomes and support business decisions.
• Data engineering: designing data structures and pipelines that collect, organize, and prepare information for analysis.
• Business systems analysis: using data and technology to evaluate systems, improve processes, and solve organizational problems.
• Geospatial data science: applying analytical and mapping technologies to understand location-based data and relationships.

Data science careers require a combination of programming proficiency, statistical reasoning, computational thinking, and communication skills. Professionals must be able to work with messy, real-world data while developing reliable, well-documented solutions that can be understood and used by others.