In recent years, data science, as a cross-discipline integrating multiple fields such as mathematical methods, statistical techniques, and computer science, has become increasingly popular among universities and enterprises around the world. Its applications in business decision-making, financial markets, social media, healthcare and other fields have led a new round of technological revolution.

In today’s article, we will provide you with a detailed explanation of the majors in the direction of data science and recommend the corresponding AP courses and credit courses for the reference of students and parents in need!

Data Science

Data Science is an interdisciplinary field that combines mathematics, statistics and computer science to find useful information from large, diverse and rapidly changing data. Simply put, data scientists are the modern-day version of miners who pan for data and then refine it into useful information and insights. These insights can be used to solve business problems, improve policy decisions, enhance healthcare efficiency, and more.

Meanwhile, students studying data science need to develop proficient programming skills and master how to process and store large amounts of data in computer systems. They also need to learn statistics in order to find patterns and trends in data. And, because data science requires extracting useful information from data, critical thinking skills as well as problem solving skills are also necessary.

So, what is the significance of this discipline? Applications of data science are ubiquitous in real life. Market research, consumer behavior analysis, and financial decision making in business, policy makers making policy decisions, medical professionals developing new medicines, and engineers developing products to improve their designs …… In all of these areas, data plays a key role. Data scientists are the people who make these data “speak” and help us make better decisions.

Specialized Branches

Data Science is a vast field that encompasses several sub-specialties, each with its own unique applications and responsibilities.

1) Data Mining

Focuses primarily on automating the search, identification, and extraction of useful information and knowledge from large-scale data. Think of it as a search for ore, where data miners use a variety of tools and skills to extract useful “gold”. This process involves machine learning, statistics and database systems. The main application areas of data mining include business intelligence, network analysis, bioinformatics and so on.

2) Data Visualization

Concerned with how to convert abstract data information into graphical or image form that can be seen at a glance. Data visualization has applications in business reporting, scientific research and policy decision-making.

3) Big Data Analytics

Focuses on processing and analyzing large-scale data sets. Due to its large data size, it requires technologies such as distributed computing, cloud computing and parallel computing for data storage and processing. Big data analytics is used in many fields such as cybersecurity, social media analytics, and public health.

4) Machine Learning

is an important branch of data science that focuses on how to make better predictions and decisions from data by allowing machines to learn and improve themselves. Have you ever watched the movie Terminator? The robots in the movie are a classic example of machine learning. Machine learning is widely used in speech recognition, self-driving cars, recommender systems, and many other areas.

5) Predictive Analytics

Focuses on using historical data to predict future events. Through statistical models and algorithms, they predict behavioral patterns, market trends, etc. Predictive analytics plays a vital role in areas such as financial risk assessment, stock market analysis, weather forecasting, etc.

These are the five branches of data science. Each branch is an important part of the tree that helps us better understand and utilize data to solve real-world problems.

Specialized Course Offerings

There are many universities in the United States that offer data science programs, such as:

1. Harvard University:Harvard University’s data science program is designed to be comprehensive, including “Applied Statistics”, “Advanced Econometrics” and “Programming Skills”, as well as “Introduction to Data Science”.
2. Stanford University: Stanford’s data science program focuses on statistics and computer science, including “Machine Learning”, “Exploring Data” and “Statistical Inference”.
3. University of California, Berkeley:Berkeley’s data science courses are oriented to real-world problems, including “data cleansing”, “data visualization” and “software engineering”.

Future Career Direction

Business Analyst, Health Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Social Media Analyst, Marketing Analyst, Data Science Researcher, Data Visualization Specialist, Data Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, Financial Data Analyst.

Related AP Course Recommendations

Here are some recommended AP courses for students preparing to enter the field of data science:

AP Statistics

Data science majors require strong statistical knowledge. AP Statistics courses can help students master collecting, analyzing, interpreting, presenting, and making conclusions about data. Liam Gan, a gold medalist tutor for AP Statistics in our online U.S. high school program, is a math major with a master’s degree in actuarial science from Columbia University; He has worked as an adjunct instructor & teaching assistant at the University of California, Berkeley, and has received the honor of “Most Popular Teaching Assistant” many times; As the eDiscovery Data Services Manager, he led a team of about 20 people to collect eDiscovery data from clients’ network infrastructure and applications, and was responsible for recruiting and evaluating people on a quarterly basis; Worked as an eDiscovery Data Analyst supporting Fortune 500 financial institutions with eDiscovery structured (archive) and unstructured data (email, hard drive) through data collection, analysis, and processing.

AP Calculus AB or BC

A deep understanding of calculus is key to understanding many data science concepts such as machine learning.

AP Computer Science Principles or AP Computer Science A

These courses help students understand the basic principles of computer science and programming.

AP Economics (Macro and Micro)

While not required, students working in business-related data science may find knowledge of economics useful.

AP Psychology.

Understanding and interpreting data about human behavior is a critical skill, especially in data analysis for user experience and social science.

SMOA High School Program Highlights

St. Mary’s Online Academy (SMOA) is the online high school of St. Mary’s High School, a century-old school and one of Niche’s top 100 boarding schools in the U.S. St. Mary’s Online Academy (SMOA) offers pure U.S. high school credit courses, AP credit courses, and U.S. High School Diploma courses. Students can enjoy pure US high school personalized education and improve their GPA scores and academic backgrounds without leaving their homes in the Asian time zone.

Our diplomas, credits, and transcripts are accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization Cognia (AdvancED), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Association of American Boarding Schools (TABS), and the Western Boarding Schools Association (WBSA). The AP program is accredited by the College Board and the UC A-G Curriculum, and credits, transcripts, and diplomas are recognized by universities in the U.S. and around the world. Students who have earned online U.S. high school diplomas, credits and transcripts have been accepted into world-renowned universities and art colleges in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.

• From the top 100 boarding high schools in the U.S.–St. Mary’s School, renowned for exceptional quality of education.
• Elite teachers ensure teaching quality; Pure U.S. high school education, acknowledged globally.
• Cognia authoritative certification; Highly recognized by universities for credits, transcripts and recommendation letters.
• 500+ graduates enter the world’s most prestigious schools;High credibility and reputation
• Comprehensive and rigorous grading; Process assessment, focus on final results
• Effective in raising GPA;33 out of 5.0 for regular, 5.0 out of 5.0 for AP
• Rich course selection, 20+ AP courses;Year-round rolling classes, multiple class types, customizable
• Have our own mainland AP test center;No need to travel to Hong Kong or abroad for AP exam
• Real-time classes in Asian time zones + asynchronous classes; Flexible and efficient learning
• Professional learning platform and teaching system; Bilingual Learning Coach 7*24 Supervision

Enrollment is now open for spring classes in SMOA’s U.S. online high school program, (Including popular courses such as AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science A, AP Psychology, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Statistics, AP English Literature and Composition, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics, Earth and Space Science, Fashion Design, Interior Design, etc.) We are looking forward to your joining~!