FAQ for CADS

What if I have skills in a prerequisite topic but haven’t taken the prerequisite UNC course? Can I still apply?

Students who have mastered a prerequisite topic through other means (e.g., work experience, a different UNC course, or training outside of the university) can still apply. In this situation, students must apply for a prerequisite waiver as part of the admissions process. Students seeking a prerequisite waiver must provide documentation explaining why they feel a waiver should be granted. This should include, for example, a syllabus for an alternate course or a detailed description of the work experience through which students obtained the required skills. Approvals for waivers will be made on a case-by-case basis as part of the CADS admissions process.

How many terms will it take to complete the certificate in Applied Data Science?

Students can complete the certificate in three or four terms depending on when students begin their CADS coursework. Students can refer to the plan of study for the Certificate in Applied Data Science for more information on timing.

In what order should I take the required classes?

Students must take INLS 761 Data Analysis before INLS 772 Applied Statistics, Machine Learning, and Data Communication.

If I’m an undergraduate at UNC, do the classes in the certificate in Applied Data Science satisfy any Gen Ed requirements?

The Data Science Practicum course will satisfy the Experiential Education (EE) requirement.

If I’m an undergraduate at UNC, can courses for the certificate in Applied Data Science count toward my major/minor?

The certificate program allows for course overlap between the certificate’s requirements and those of the student’s undergraduate major or minor. However, students should check with their major/minor advisors to determine if their degree programs also allow this form of “double counting.”

Who will mentor/supervise my practicum project?

Your practicum will be advised by a faculty mentor. The day-to-day project work will be overseen and guided by a project organization supervisor.

Will the practicum count towards UNC’s Experiential Education requirement?

Yes, current UNC students will be able to complete their practicum during a regular academic semester, and students will be allowed to use the CADS practicum course to fulfill the UNC Experiential Education requirement.

What will my faculty mentor/supervisor do?

Your faculty advisor will guide you through the process of identifying matching projects that relate to your major or minor area of study. They will also review the project report which you will be required to submit at the end of the practicum experience.

What are the practicum requirements?

Students must work on a data science project. They will be expected to write a report about the project and present it to their faculty advisor. This report and evaluations from the practicum supervisor will constitute the basis for a student’s grade in the practicum course.

Where will the practicum take place?

The practicum will take place in partnership with a project organization. These project organizations may be not-for-profit, government, academia, or industry organizations.

Students will be required to identify their project settings and partners. However, the CADS administrative team has relationships with a variety of project organizations and may be able to help students identify productive partnerships.

All practicum projects must be approved by the UNC faculty advisor before work can begin.

Will I be charged extra tuition or fees for the certificate in Applied Data Science?

Undergraduate students admitted to the program will be charged tuition based on current UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate tuition rates – there will be no additional program-specific tuition/fee charges for this category of program students.

Non-degree-seeking students will be charged graduate tuition rates and fees