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Ph.D.–Data Science Option

Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering: Data Science): students will receive credentialed training in the analysis of large datasets. The goal of this option is to educate all students in the foundations of data science, so they may apply those methods and techniques in current research. The PhD Data Science is designed for students with little or no background in data science, computer science or coding.

The requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering: Data Science) are as follows:

I. Courses from three out of four of the following areas

1. Software development for data science

Recommended courses

Course # Course Name Credits
CSE 583 Software Development for Data Scientists 4
AMATH 583 High Performance Scientific Computing 5
ME 574 Introduction to Applied Parallel Computing for Engineers 3

2. Statistics and machine learning

Recommended courses

Course # Course Name Credits
CSE416/STAT416 Introduction to Machine learning 4
AMATH 582 Computational Methods for Data Analysis 5
AMATH 563 Inferring Structure of Complex Systems 5
AMATH 515 Fundamentals of Optimization 5
ME/EE 578 Convex Optimization 4
ME 599 Machine Learning Control 3
CSE 599U Reinforcement Learning 4
STAT 527 Nonparametric regression and classification 3
CSE 546/STAT 535 Machine Learning
also serves for the “Advanced Data Science Option”
4/3
STAT 509 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
also serves for the “Advanced Data Science Option”
4
STAT 512-513 Statistical Inference
also serves for the “Advanced Data Science Option”
4
ME 599 Data-Driven Modeling of Dynamical Systems (Manohar) 3
CSE/AMATH 579 Intelligent Control Through Learning and Optimization 3

3. Data management and data visualization

Recommended Courses

Course # Course Name Credits
CSE 414 Introduction to Database Systems 4
CSE 412 Introduction to Data Visualization 4
HCDE 411/511 Information for Visualization 4
BIOEN 420 Medical Imaging 4
BIOEN 451/551 Optical Coherence Tomography 4
BIOEN 546 Fundamentals of Biomedical Imaging 4
CSE 544 Principles of DBMS
also serves for the “Advanced Data Science Option”
4
CSE 512 Data Visualization
also serves for the “Advanced Data Science Option”
4

4. Department specific requirement

If listed above, then course doesn’t count twice

Recommended courses

Course # Course Name Credits
CSE 455 Computer Vision 4
EE/CSE 576 Computer Vision 3
ME/EE 578 Convex Optimization 4
ME 599 Machine Learning Control 3
ME 574 Introduction to Applied Parallel Computing for Engineers 3
CSE/AMATH 579 Intelligent Control Through Learning and Optimization 3

II. eScience Community Seminar

  • 2 quarters of the eScience Community Seminar OR ME Data Drive seminar with Professor Steve Brunton. Seminar credits do not count towards graduation requirements. 

III. Fulfillment of the Mechanical Engineering requirements

In addition, all students are required to take at least one additional course in quantitative methods (statistics, applied mathematics, mathematics, or computational science) OR in a methodology directly relevant to their area of focus. Such courses are to be specified in each student’s Individualized Training Plan.
Course # Course Name Credits
CSE416/STAT416 Introduction to Machine Learning 4
STAT 527 Nonparametric Regression and Classification 3
STAT 535 Statistical Learning: Modeling, Prediction, and Computing 3
STAT 509 Econometrics I: Introduction to Mathematical Statistics 4
STAT 512/513 Statistical Inference 4
ME/EE 578 Convex Optimization 4
ME 599 Machine Learning Control 3
ME 599 Data-Driven Modeling of Dynamical Systems (Manohar) 3
Amath 515 Optimization: Fundamentals and Applications 5
Amath 563 Inferring Structure of Complex Systems 5
Amath 582 Computational Methods for Data Analysis 5
Amath 583 High-Performance Scientific Computing 5

Students may not count any course toward both the ME coursework requirements and the Data Science requirements. For example, if students take ME 574 and count it toward the computational or numerical analysis requirement, they cannot use this course to fulfill the Data Science requirement. Students must ensure that there’s a minimum of 9 distinct credits taken for the Data science option.