Data science

The graduate certificate in professional applications of data science is a 12-credit program that develops practical skills in data management, visualization, analysis and communication. Students learn to reproducibly manage, analyze and visualize complex data sets, apply ethical data stewardship practices and communicate data-driven insights to both technical and nontechnical audiences.

Explore program courses in the University Catalog 

Students pursuing a graduate certificate as a standalone program are not eligible for financial aid. However, students enrolled in a separate U of I graduate degree program may apply their financial aid or graduate funding toward a graduate certificate if they are pursuing both simultaneously.

For more information or to explore funding options, visit Financial Aid.

Learn more about cost of attendance. 

Mathematics and Statistical Science department contact: Timothy R. Johnson; mathstat@uidaho.edu

Graduate Admissions contact: graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu, 208-885-4001

Program availability

• Semester intake: Spring, summer, fall
  • Not eligible for international applicants who require F-1 status
• Deadlines: General application deadlines
• Start dates: View the academic calendar to see start and end dates

University requirements

• Education level: Bachelor's degree in a similar or related field from an accredited or recognized institution (earned or expected before the start of the graduate program)
• Transcript requirements: Bachelor’s degree transcript, along with any graduate-level transcripts, are required. Unofficial transcripts may be used for the initial admission review and admission offer. Official transcripts will be required upon admission.  View more information on the Graduate Admissions page.
• GPA: 3.0 (Applicants with a lower undergraduate GPA who have relevant professional experience in the field, have already earned a graduate degree, or have completed graduate-level credits may still be considered for admission with approval from the academic program.)
• Resume
• Statement of Purpose: A Statement of Purpose may be required for applicants whose undergraduate GPA is below 3.0 or whose undergraduate degree is in a significantly different field from the graduate program to which they are applying
• Valid picture ID (required to verify students’ identity and will be kept confidential)
• English proficiency (for applicants whose education was completed in countries where English is not an official language).  
  • Accepted tests: TOEFL: 4.5, IELTS: 6.5, Duolingo: 115, PTE-A: 58. Learn what qualifies as proof of English proficiency.
• Application fee: $30

Application and admission process

Applications are submitted online and are specific to the program and term selected. Applicants seeking admission to multiple programs must submit a separate application for each program.  

Before submitting an application, applicants must provide personal and academic information from all post-secondary institutions attended, and their intended program and start term.

• For new international graduate certificate applicants:
  • International applicants must meet University of Idaho’s English proficiency language requirement.
  • International students may pursue graduate certificate programs either as standalone degrees or as part of a concurrent curriculum with another graduate program. Students enrolled in a certificate program as a standalone option are not eligible for F-1 or J-1 visa status.
• For current University of Idaho graduate students:
  • Fill out a change of curriculum form to add the certificate to your current course of study.
  • Obtain department approval and return the form to the College of Graduate Studies.
• For current U of I undergraduate students:
  • Must have senior standing and a 3.0 GPA to take graduate-level courses.
  • To reserve credits for the graduate transcript, please submit a Credit Reservation Form to the College of Graduate Studies. This form must be signed by your academic advisor.
  • After earning a bachelor’s degree, apply as a graduate certificate-seeking student to complete the program.

Visit Graduate Admissions to learn more and start your application.

Timothy R. Johnson, Department Chair and Professor

• Bayesian statistics
• Choice and ranking data
• Missing data
• Simulation-based inferential methods
• Statistical disclosure control

Hirotachi Abo, Professor

• Algebraic geometry
• Commutative algebra
• Multi-linear algebra
• Multi-linear algebra from an algebra-geometric viewpoint

Lyudmyla Barannyk, Associate Professor

• Numerical analysis
• Partial differential equations

Erkan Buzbas, Associate Professor

• Metascience
• Replicability
• Reproducibility
• Bayesian statistics
• Computational methods

Sarah Castle, Assistant Professor

• Mathematics education
• Computing education

Yanghyeon Cho, Assistant Professor

• Survey sampling
• Small area estimation
• Statistical genetics
• Causal inference
• Imputation  

Somantika Datta, Professor

• Applied harmonic analysis
• Frame theory
• Signal processing

Rob Ely, Professor

• Mathematical learning and reasoning in calculus and algebra
• Math history
• Mathematical play

Frank Gao, Professor

• Functional analysis
• Probability theory
• Approximation theory
• Deep learning

Esteban Hernandez-Vargas, Associate Professor

• Mathematical immunology
• Control theory
• Machine learning
• Applied mathematics

Jennifer Johnson-Leung, Professor

• Number theory
• Automorphic forms and representations
• Foundations of cybersecurity
• Geometry of information

Mark J. Nielsen, Professor

• Discrete and combinatorial geometry

Chris Remien, Associate Professor

• Mathematical biology
• Bioinformatics

Benjamin Ridenhour, Associate Professor

• Biomathematics  
• Biostatistics  

Stefan Tohaneanu, Professor

• Commutative algebra
• Discrete geometry
• Algebraic coding theory

Hong Wang, Professor

• Graph theory
• Combinatorics  

Alexander Woo, Professor

• Combinatorial algebraic geometry
• Combinatorics of Coxeter groups

Tiantian Yang, Assistant Professor

• Generalized distributions
• Mathematical statistics

Fan Yi, Assistant Professor

• Image monitoring
• Statistical process control (SPC)