Certificate in Data Visualization
Certificate in Data Visualization (12 Credits)
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This certificate program will enable data analysts and business intelligence professionals to master the principles of visualization techniques for communicating insights from complex real-world data. These techniques will cover the gamut of the data science pipeline: transforming different types of data (e.g., spatial, temporal, abstract); conceptualizing diverse comparison, analysis, and communication tasks; learning perceptual and cognitive principles of data visualization; and implementing high-dimensional data visualization design strategies.
The curriculum focuses on both the theory and technologies behind visualizing complex data, designing interactive visual interfaces and optimizing the visual displays for focusing human attention on salient patterns in the data. Participants will learn how to transform large, complex data sets to interpretable visualizations, and how to best reflect the analytical tasks for facilitating experts’ decision-making. The program consists of 4 courses of 3 credits each, taught over 2 semesters of 15 weeks each. Instruction includes formal lectures as well as hands-on projects involving visualization design and development.
In this program, we make extensive use of software tools like Tableau, and tools and libraries based on Python, R, and JavaScript. Students work on assignments and projects covering both theory and applications on real data with guidance from the professor and teaching assistants.
Recommended part-time credit schedule: First semester: 6, Second semester: 6. Total: 12 credits over two semesters
Required Courses
| IS 650 | Data Visualization and Interpretation |
| IS 657 | Spatio-Temporal Urban Analytics |
| IS 654 | Visual Informatics for Network and Flow |
| IS 661 | User Experience Design |
| IS 665 | Data Analytics for Information Systems |
| IS 601 | Web Systems Development |
| CS 634 | Data Mining |
| Math 661 | Applied Statistics |
| PTC 605 | Elements of Visual Design |
| PTC 606 | Advanced Information Design |
Credit earned in a Certificate program can be used later towards the MS in Data Science degree.
- Acquire design skills for ideating, conceptualizing, and developing visualization solutions.
- Develop visualizations for supporting data science projects end-to-end, including task and requirements elicitation, identifying business stakeholders and their interactions with the visualization and optimizing the resulting visual interfaces for reflecting their goals and desired actions.
- Learn to visually communicate and engage the audience to build trust in the data and resulting insights.