Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Data Science (CASNR)
Description
The data science major prepares students with skills and competency in data analysis and interpretation, algorithm design and implementation, and helps them develop aptitudes for interdisciplinary problem-solving. The interdisciplinary program enables students to take advantage of career and employment opportunities across diverse fields involving data-rich, data-driven systems and applications. Ultimately, this will help address the increasing societal and economic need for a qualified workforce in our digital age.
Students can select a major in data science through one of three colleges: Arts and Sciences (Department of Mathematics), Engineering (School of Computing), or Agricultural Science and Natural Resources (Department of Statistics). The data science program offers flexibility for students to earn a dual degree in data science and their chosen discipline’s degree program. In addition, students may choose to add a minor that both complements and enhances the data science major.
College Requirements
College Admission
Requirements for admission into the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) are consistent with general University admission requirements (one unit equals one high school year): 4 units of English, 4 units of mathematics, 3 units of natural sciences, 3 units of social sciences, and 2 units of world language. Students must also meet performance requirements: a 3.0 cumulative high school grade point average OR an ACT composite of 20 or higher, writing portion not required OR a score of 1040 or higher on the SAT Critical Reading and Math sections OR rank in the top one-half of graduating class; transfer students must have a 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average and 2.0 on the most recent term of attendance.
Admission Deficiencies/Removal of Deficiencies
Students who are admitted to CASNR with core course deficiencies must remove these deficiencies within the first 30 credit hours at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, or within the first calendar year at Nebraska, whichever takes longer, excluding foreign languages. Students have up to 60 credit hours to remove world language deficiencies. College-level coursework taken to remove deficiencies may be used to meet degree requirements in CASNR.
Deficiencies in the required entrance subjects can be removed by the completion of specified courses in the University or by correspondence.
The Office of Admissions, Alexander Building (south entrance), City Campus, provides information to new students on how deficiencies can be removed.
College Degree Requirements
Curriculum Requirements
The curriculum requirements of the College consist of three areas: ACE (Achievement-Centered Education), College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Core, and Degree Program requirements and electives. All three areas of the College Curriculum Requirements are incorporated within the description of the Major/Degree Program sections of the catalog. The individual major/degree program listings of classes ensures that a student will meet the minimum curriculum requirements of the College.
World Languages/Language Requirement
Two units of a world language are required. This requirement is usually met with two years of high school language.
Experiential Learning
All undergraduates in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources must take an Experiential Learning (EL) designated course. This may include 0-credit courses designed to document co-curricular activities recognized as Experiential Learning.
Minimum Hours Required for Graduation
The College grants the bachelors degree in programs associated with agricultural sciences, natural resources, and related programs. Students working toward a degree must earn at least 120 semester hours of credit. A minimum cumulative grade point average of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) must be maintained throughout the course of studies and is required for graduation. Some degree programs have a higher cumulative grade point average required for graduation. Please check the degree program on its graduation cumulative grade point average.
Grade Rules
Removal of C-, D, and F Grades
Only the most recent letter grade received in a given course will be used in computing a student’s cumulative grade point average if the student has completed the course more than once and previously received a grade or grades below C in that course.
The previous grade (or grades) will not be used in the computation of the cumulative grade point average, but it will remain a part of the academic record and will appear on any transcript.
A student can remove from his/her cumulative average a course grade of C-, D+, D, D-, or F if the student repeats the same course at the University of Nebraska and receives a grade other than P (pass), I (incomplete), N (no pass), W (withdrew), or NR (no report). If a course is no longer being offered, it is not eligible for the revised grade point average computation process.
For complete procedures and regulations, see the Office of the University Registrar website at http://www.unl.edu/regrec/course-repeats.
Pass/No Pass
Students in CASNR may take any course offered on a Pass/No Pass basis within the 24-hour limitation established by the Faculty Senate. However, a department may specify that the Pass/No Pass status of its courses be limited to non-majors or may choose to offer some courses for letter grades only.
GPA Requirements
A minimum cumulative grade point average of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) must be maintained throughout the course of studies and is required for graduation. Some degree programs have a higher cumulative grade point average required for graduation. Please check the degree program on its graduation cumulative grade point average.
Transfer Credit Rules
To be considered for admission a transfer student, Nebraska resident or nonresident, must have an accumulated average of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) and a minimum C average in the last semester of attendance at another college. Transfer students who have completed less than 12 credit hours of college study must submit either ACT or SAT scores.
Ordinarily, credits earned at an accredited college are accepted by the University. The College, however, will evaluate all hours submitted on an application for transfer and reserves the right to accept or reject any of them. Sixty (60) is the maximum number of hours the University will accept on transfer from a two-year college. Ninety (90) is the maximum number of hours the University will accept from a four-year college. Transfer credit in the degree program must be approved by the degree program advisor on a Request for Substitution Form to meet specific course requirements, group requirements, or course level requirements in the major. At least 9 hours in the major field, including the capstone course, must be completed at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln regardless of the number of hours transferred.
The College will accept no more than 10 semester hours of C-, D+, D, and D- grades from other schools. The C-, D+, D, and D- grades can only be applied to free electives. This policy does not apply to the transfer of grades from UNO or UNK to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Joint Academic Transfer Programs
The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources has agreements with many institutions to support joint academic programs. The transfer programs include dual degree programs and cooperative degree programs. Dual degree programs offer students the opportunity to receive a degree from a participating institution and also to complete the requirements for a bachelor of science degree in CASNR. Cooperative programs result in a single degree from either the University of Nebraska–Lincoln or the cooperating institution.
Dual Degree Programs
A to B Programs
The A to B Program, a joint academic program offered by the CASNR and participating community colleges, allows students to complete the first two years of a degree program at the participating community college and continue their education and study in a degree program leading toward a bachelor of science degree.
The A to B Program provides a basic knowledge plus specialized coursework. Students transfer into CASNR with junior standing.
Depending on the community college, students enrolled in the A to B Program may complete the requirements for an associate of science at the community college, transfer to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and work toward a bachelor of science degree.
Participating community colleges include:
- Central Community College
- Metropolitan Community College
- Mid-Plains Community College
- Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture
- Nebraska Indian Community College
- Northeast Community College
- Southeast Community College
- Western Nebraska Community College
3+2 Programs
Two specialized degree programs in animal science and veterinary science are offered jointly with an accredited college or school of veterinary medicine. These two programs permit CASNR animal science or veterinary science students to receive a bachelor of science degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a degree in animal science or veterinary science after successfully completing two years of the professional curriculum in veterinary medicine at an accredited veterinary school. Students who successfully complete the 3+2 Program, must provide transcripts and complete the Application for Degree form via MyRED. Students without MyRED access may apply for graduation in person at Husker Hub in the Canfield Administration Building, or by mail. Students should discuss these degree programs with their academic advisor.
Cooperative Degree Programs
Academic credit from the University and a cooperating institution are applied towards a four-year degree from either the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (University degree-granting program) or the cooperating institution (non-University degree-granting program). All have approved programs of study.
UNL Degree-Granting Programs
A University of Nebraska–Lincoln degree-granting program is designed to provide students the opportunity to complete a two-year program of study at one of the four-year institutions listed below, transfer to CASNR, and complete the requirements for a bachelor of science degree.
Chadron State College. Chadron State College offers a 2+2 program leading to a grassland ecology and management degree program and a transfer program leading to a bachelor of science in agricultural education in the teaching option.
Wayne State College. Wayne State College offers a 3+1 program leading to a bachelor of science in plant biology in the ecology and management option and a 3+1 program leading to a bachelor of science in Applied Science.
University of Nebraska at Kearney. Transfer programs are available for students pursuing degree programs leading to a bachelor of science degree.
University of Nebraska at Omaha. Transfer programs are available for students pursuing degree programs leading to a bachelor of science degree.
Non University of Nebraska–Lincoln Degree-Granting Programs
CASNR cooperates with other institutions to provide coursework that is applied towards a degree at the cooperating institution. Pre-professional programs offered by CASNR allow students to complete the first two or three years of a degree program at the University prior to transferring and completing a degree at the cooperating institution.
Chadron State College–Range Science. The 3+1 Program in range science allows Chadron State College students to pursue a range science degree through Chadron State College. Students complete three years of coursework at Chadron State College and one year of specialized range science coursework (32 credit hours) at CASNR.
Dordt College (Iowa)–Agricultural Education: Teaching Option. This program allows students to pursue an Agricultural Education Teaching Option degree leading toward a bachelor of science in agricultural education. Students at Dordt College will complete 90 credit hours in the Agricultural Education: Teaching Option Transfer Program.
Residency
Students must complete at least 30 of the total hours for their degree using University of Nebraska–Lincoln credits. At least 18 of the 30 credit hours must be in courses offered through CASNR1 (>299) including the appropriate ACE 10 degree requirement or an approved ACE 10 substitution offered through another Nebraska college and excluding independent study regardless of the number of hours transferred. Credit earned during education abroad may be used toward the residency requirement if students register through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and participate in prior-approved education abroad programs. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln open enrollment and summer independent study courses count toward residence.
- 1
Includes courses taught by CASNR faculty through interdisciplinary prefixes (e.g., LIFE, MBIO, ENVR, SCIL, EAEP, HRTM, ENSC) and CASNR crosslisted courses taught by non-CASNR faculty.
Online and Distance Education
There are many opportunities to earn college credit online through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Some of these credits may be applicable not only as elective credits but also toward the fulfillment of the College’s education requirements. Credits earned online may count toward residency. However, certain offerings may not be counted toward scholarship requirements or academic recognition criteria.
For further information, contact:
Office of Online and Distance Education
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
305 Brace Labs
Lincoln, NE 68588-0109
402-472-4681
http://online.unl.edu/
Independent Study Rules
Students wishing to take part in independent studies must obtain permission; complete and sign a contract form; and furnish copies of the contract to the instructor, advisor, departmental office, and the Dean’s Office. The contract should be completed before registration. Forms are available in 103 Agricultural Hall or online at the CASNR website.
Independent study projects include research, literature review or extension of coursework under the supervision and evaluation of a departmental faculty member.
Students may only count 12 hours of independent study toward their degrees and no more than 6 hours can be counted during their last 36 hours earned, excluding senior thesis, internships, and courses taught under an independent study number.
Other College Degree Requirements
Capstone Course Requirement
A capstone course is required for each CASNR degree program. A capstone course is defined as a course in which students are required to integrate diverse bodies of knowledge to solve a problem or formulate a policy of societal importance.
ACE Requirements
All students must fulfill the Achievement Centered Education (ACE) requirements. Information about the ACE program may be viewed at ace.unl.edu.
The minimum requirements of CASNR reflect the common core of courses that apply to students pursuing degrees in the college. Students should work with an advisor to satisfy ACE outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10 with the college requirements.
Catalog Rule
Students must fulfill the requirements stated in the catalog for the academic year in which they are first admitted to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln or when they were first admitted to a Joint Academic Transfer Program. Students transferring from a community college, but without admission to a Joint Academic Transfer Program, may be eligible to fulfill the requirements as stated in the catalog for an academic year in which they were enrolled at the community college prior to attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This decision should be made in consultation with academic advisors, provided the student a) was enrolled in a community college during the catalog year they are utilizing, b) maintained continuous enrollment at the previous institution for 1 academic year or more, and c) continued enrollment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln within 1 calendar year from their last term at the previous institution. In consultation with advisors, a student may choose to follow a subsequent catalog for any academic year in which they are admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year. The catalog which a student follows for degree requirements may not be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation.
Learning Outcomes
The primary student learning outcomes of the interdisciplinary data science major are:
- Foundational knowledge and expertise in the analysis of large-scale data sources from the interdisciplinary perspectives of applied computer science, data modeling, mathematics, and statistics.
- Foundational knowledge and expertise in the application of computing, informatics, and modeling to solve multidisciplinary problems.
- Abilities and professional skills to solve multidisciplinary data science problems as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
- Familiarity with ethical challenges in data science, including ethical collection of data, responsible use of data and algorithmic bias.
Major Requirements
The interdisciplinary data science major includes a set of core requirements, professional experience, and selection of fifteen (15) hours from two focus areas of interest.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| College Integrative Course (ACE 8) | ||
| SCIL 101 | Science and Decision-Making for a Complex World | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 3 | |
| Communications | ||
| Written Communication (ACE 1) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Writing and Inquiry | ||
| Writing and Argument | ||
| Writing and Communities | ||
| Basic Business Communication | ||
| Technical Communication I | ||
| Technical Communication II | ||
| Oral Communication (ACE 2) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Interpersonal Skills for Leadership | ||
| Communication in the 21st Century | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Communicating in Small Groups | ||
| Visual Communication | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Business and Professional Communication | ||
| Technical Communication II | ||
| Environmental Communication Skills | ||
| Visual Communication with Animation | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences (ACE 4) | ||
| Select one each from two of the following areas: | 8 | |
| Select from CASNR Approved Life Sciences: | ||
| Plant Science and Agronomic Plant Science Laboratory | ||
| General Biology and General Biology Laboratory | ||
| Insect Biology and Insect Identification | ||
| Fundamentals of Biology I and Fundamentals of Biology I laboratory | ||
| Fundamentals of Biology II and Fundamentals of Biology II Laboratory | ||
| Select from the following: | ||
| Chemistry in Context I and Chemistry in Context I Laboratory | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| Select from the following: | ||
| Physical Principles in Agriculture and Life Sciences | ||
| Elementary General Physics I | ||
| Elements of Physics | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 8 | |
| Economics, Humanities, and Social Sciences | ||
| Select one of the following (ACE 6) | 3 | |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Introduction to the Economics of Agriculture | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 3 | |
| ACE Courses | ||
| Select one course each from ACE outcomes 5, 7, and 9 | 9 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 9 | |
| CASNR Minor | ||
| Select any CASNR minor in consultation with an academic advisor | 12-18 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 12-18 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 41-47 | |
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | ||
| CSCE 155T | Computer Science I: Informatics Focus | 3 |
| or CSCE 155E | Computer Science I: Systems Engineering Focus | |
| or CSCE 155N | Computer Science I: Engineering and Science Focus | |
| or CSCE 155H | Honors: Computer Science I | |
| or CSCE 155A | Computer Science I | |
| CSCE 311 | Data Structures and Algorithms for Informatics | 3 |
| or CSCE 310 | Data Structures and Algorithms | |
| CSCE 320 | Data Analysis | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 9 | |
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 104 | Applied Calculus (ACE 3) | 3-5 |
| or MATH 106 | Calculus I | |
| MATH 203 | Contemporary Mathematics | 3-4 |
| or MATH 203J | Contemporary Math | |
| or MATH 107 | Calculus II | |
| MATH 315 | Linear Algebra for Data Science | 3 |
| or MATH 314 | Linear Algebra | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 9-12 | |
| Statistics | ||
| STAT 101 | Introduction to Data | 3 |
| STAT 102 | Principles of Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 24-27 | |
Specific Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Experience (ACE 10) | ||
| STAT 425 | Statistical Collaboration II | 3 |
| or STAT 451 | Development of Statistical Software | |
| or STAT 471 | Analysis of Messy Data | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 3 | |
| Additional Courses | ||
| STAT 212 | Principles of Study Design | 4 |
| STAT 325 | Statistical Collaboration I | 3 |
| STAT 349 | Technical Skills for Statisticians | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 10 | |
| Focus Area Courses | ||
| Select at least 15 hours from two of the following focus areas, with at least 6 hours in each of the focus areas selected. | 15 | |
| Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Foundations of Constraint Processing | ||
| Digital Image Processing | ||
| Computer Vision | ||
| Introduction to Data Mining | ||
| Multiagent Systems | ||
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Introduction to Machine Learning | ||
| Introduction to Deep Learning | ||
| Software Development | ||
| Software Engineering | ||
| Human-Computer Interaction | ||
| Data Visualization | ||
| Software Engineering for Robotics | ||
| Advanced Topics in Software Engineering | ||
| Internet Systems and Programming | ||
| Software Design and Architecture | ||
| Testing, Verification and Analysis | ||
| Requirements Elicitation, Modeling and Analysis | ||
| Data Pipeline | ||
| Statistical Computing I: Data Wrangling | ||
| Statistical Computing II: Data Management and Visualization | ||
| Data Modeling for Systems Development | ||
| Database Systems | ||
| Advanced Embedded Systems | ||
| Internet of Things | ||
| Molecular and Nanoscale Communication | ||
| Data and Network Security | ||
| Wireless Communication Networks | ||
| Mathematical Modeling | ||
| Calculus III | ||
| Differential Equations | ||
| Theory of Linear Transformations | ||
| Introduction to Partial Differential Equations | ||
| Principles of Operations Research | ||
| Nonlinear Optimization | ||
| Numerical Analysis I | ||
| Numerical Methods for Applied Math | ||
| Combinatorics | ||
| Graph Theory | ||
| Introduction to Topology | ||
| Probability Theory | ||
| Stochastic Processes | ||
| Statistical Modeling | ||
| Principles of Study Design | ||
| Mathematical Statistics and Modeling I | ||
| Mathematical Statistics and Modeling II | ||
| Statistical Collaboration I | ||
| Advanced Statistical Design | ||
| Introduction to Survey Sampling | ||
| Introduction to Spatial Statistics | ||
| Statistical Analysis of Genomics Data | ||
| Introduction to Regression Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Mathematical Statistics I: Distribution Theory | ||
| Introduction to Mathematical Statistics II: Statistical Inference | ||
| Model Selection and Prediction | ||
| Introduction to Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Categorical Data Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Time Series Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Bayesian Analysis | ||
| Bioinformatics Applications in Agriculture | ||
| Survey Design and Analysis | ||
| Applied Computing: Journalism and Humanities | ||
| UX/UI Design | ||
| Geospatial Approaches in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences | ||
| Digital History | ||
| Data Journalism | ||
| Data Visualization | ||
| Analysis for the National Security Establishment | ||
| Sports Data Visualization and Analytics | ||
| Applied Computing: Sociology | ||
| Applied Sociology: Community-based Research I | ||
| Applied Sociology: Community-based Research II | ||
| Applied Research in Public Opinion | ||
| Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Research | ||
| Strategies of Social Research: Qualitative Methods | ||
| Advanced Social Network Analysis | ||
| Survey Design and Analysis | ||
| Applied Computing: Natural Resources | ||
| Introduction to Geospatial Technologies | ||
| GIS for Agriculture and Natural Resources | ||
| Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
| Advanced Farm Management and Linear Programming | ||
| Commodity Price Forecasting | ||
| Equipment and Tractor Testing | ||
| Bioinformatics Applications in Agriculture | ||
| Site-specific Crop Management | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 15 | |
Additional Major Requirements
Grade Rules
C- and D Grades
A grade of C or above is required for all courses in the major.
Pass/No Pass
No course taken Pass/No Pass will be counted toward the major unless the course is offered exclusively with a grade option of Pass/No Pass.