Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

Critical sectors of the economy and whole fields of inquiry have been transformed, as the availability of data at unprecedented scales has made it possible to solve daunting problems, that were previously inaccessible. The interdisciplinary BSDS program will be jointly hosted by CIT, COS and CBE. The program emphasizes the integration of the three pillars of data science, namely computational, mathematical and statistical thinking, into a cohesive transdisciplinary course of study and internship experience. The gained knowledge will introduce students to the concepts, tools and methods to collect, process and analyze data. Students will develop the ability to uncover hidden patterns and gain useful insights to solve real-world problems. The interdisciplinarity and emphasis on solving real-world problems, two distinctive features of the program, will enable students to gain a comprehensive and fully integrated literacy in the data, algorithmic, mathematical and statistical foundational areas. These skills are critical for students to gain mastery of data science. In addition to imparting students with the fundamental knowledge in computing and optimization, the program will also enable students to acquire a solid knowledge of data mining, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Armed with these skills, students will develop the expertise to use data and methodically connect theory to problems in hand and derive effective solutions. The data revolution has fueled a meteoric rise in the demand for data scientists. Although a large demand for data science skills comes from high-tech companies, recent reports show that sectors other than technology are facing a noticeable shortage of skilled data scientists. The pressing need for education and training programs to equip future generations with the skills needed to thrive in a knowledge and data-driven economy is at the heart of the UAE digital transformation. The proposed program will contribute significantly to addressing this need and prepare students to address an expanding range of problems in industry, government, and academia. Graduates of the Data Science program will gain the core skills and expressional problem-solving approaches needed to compete for leading edge job in data science and data analytics, in various industries and sectors of society.

Program Objectives

• PEO-1: Contribute to the development of a globally competitive UAE taskforce with the critical thinking. Mathematics skills and data science and AI competencies required to serve the UAE government agencies’ needs and meet market demand.
• PEO-2: Increase the UAE’s multidisciplinary data science and AI capacity, with the depth and breadth needed for sustained leadership in a wide range of application domains and career fields, critical to all sectors of the economy.
• PEO-3: Produce productive, workplace-ready talented graduates, with highly sought-after data science and AI skills, grounded in strong computational, mathematical and statistical foundations. and commitment to life-long learning, including the ability to communicate effectively, identify opportunities and assess risk, and perform efficiently in team settings.
• PEO-4: Demonstrate sound professional practices and strong commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct, consistent with social and cultural norms and mindful of environmental issues.
• PEO-5: Develop in-depth multidisciplinary knowledge and gain practical hands-on experience to adapt to future advances in data-science and AI key technologies and remain an effective contributor to a prosperous and sustainable UAE economy.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• PLO-1: Analyze complex problems and apply computing and other relevant disciplines to derive efficient data-science and AI solutions, in different application areas.
• PLO-2: Demonstrate the ability to combine computational and algorithmic thinking, with machine learning and mathematical optimization, to design, implement and evaluate data-science and AI based solution to meet a given set of requirements, in a wide range of application domains.
• PLO-3: Communicate and present effectively findings and analytical outcome, using data visualization tools, to all stakeholders in a variety of professional settings.
• PLO-4: Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in data-science, AI, computing practices, and/or business problems based on legal, ethical and privacy-preserving principles.
• PLO-5: Demonstrate professionalism, organizational skills, and leadership, as a member or leader of a team engaged in data-science and AI and computing activities.
• PLO-6: Apply effectively computing and data-science and AI theory, methodologies, techniques and tools throughout the data analysis lifecycle to extract useful knowledge and actionable insights for informed and sustainable data-science and/or business solutions, in line with the strategic plan and specified objectives of the stakeholders.

Degree Requirements

Required Credit Hours : minimum 120 hours

General Education (Req. CH:33) Cluster 1: Skills for the Future (Req. Ch:15)

Cluster 2: The Human Community (Req. Ch:12)

Cluster 3: The Natural World (Req. Ch: 6)

Major Requirements

Advanced Computing Thinking - Compulsory Requirements

Specialization Electives

Supporting Requirements