CMPSC 90DA and 90DB are now CMPSC 5A and 5B

Beginning in Fall 2021, introductory data science classes will be listed in the UCSB General Catalog of Classes as CMPSC 5A and CMPSC 5B. These new course names add continuity to a proposed data science curriculum and increase the potential for a new major in data science, currently under review. In 2021-2022, CMPSC 5A and 5B will be offered every quarter and will be taught by Sharon Solis, a UCSB alum and familiar face in the local Data Carpentry scene. The courses are no longer considered "special topics" and registration no longer requires instructor approval.

Imparting the invaluable tools of Python programming and statistical analysis, UCSB's introductory data science courses target the entire campus population. Professors Kate Kharitonova (Computer Science) and Alexander Franks (Statistics and Applied Probability) introduced earlier versions of these courses in 2018-2019 as INT 5 and INT 15 and saw steady enrollment. The Computer Science Department then picked up the data science curriculum in 2020 as CMPSC 90DA and DB. With a rebranding to CMPSC 5A and 5B, the CS Department has positioned the courses for comparison with other familiar introductory classes, such as PSTAT 5A. Interested students in the College of Letters and Science should speak with their undergraduate advisors about which pre-major requirements CMPSC 5A and 5B can supplant. 

CMPSC 5A and 5B are based on UC Berkeley's successful Data 8 course, which is now taught to thousands of University of California undergraduates every year. There is no doubt that computational data literacy has become an important part of many disciplines. Additional UCSB departments are looking into offering introductory data science courses with domain-specific emphases. More information on the growing number of data science courses at UCSB can be found at https://datascience.ucsb.edu/instruction.