Behavioral and Social Data Sciences
Major in the College of Liberal Arts
Data Science is a huge field that touches almost everything, from astronomy to molecular biology to genetics to medicine to business to government to – more recently – artificial intelligence. This major is designed to meet the needs of students who are interested in questions about behavior and social interaction that are traditionally asked in psychology (or related) departments, but are keen to build skills in data analysis, machine learning, data visualization, etc.
Freshman and External Transfer Admission
ShowProspective University of Texas at Austin students should visit UT Admissions to learn about the application process and how to declare a major.
Internal Transfer Requirements
ShowCurrent UT Austin undergraduate may apply using the UT internal transfer application.
Required Courses
ShowView BSDS degree plans to learn more about required courses. Students may also view Behavioral and Social Data Science course descriptions.
Specializations
ShowThe Department of Behavioral and Social Data Sciences offers a Bachelor of Science in Data Science (BSDS). This degree is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in statistical reasoning, computational methods, and data-driven inquiry.
The BSDS is an ideal choice for students interested in pursuing careers or graduate study in data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or other computational and quantitative fields. It is also well suited for those planning to work in industries such as technology, finance, healthcare, and research, where data-informed decision-making is essential.
Skills
ShowStudents who major in Data Science develop strong analytical and computational skills, learn statistical modeling and data visualization techniques, and gain hands-on experience working with real-world datasets.
