Data science sits at the intersection of mathematics, computer science, and whichever field you care most about. Every dataset comes from somewhere, and the work is only useful when someone outside the room understands the result. At Ithaca College the Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science teach this major jointly, so you'll build the technical foundation and the interdisciplinary problem solving that makes findings actionable.
You'll start with programming and calculus, then move into the data core: applied linear algebra, discrete structures, statistical methods, relational databases, and data visualization. From there you'll work in R and machine learning, handling data of all kinds and applying it to real problems rather than tidy classroom examples. You'll build the habits that matter as much as the math: asking good questions, finding relevant data, communicating results to different audiences, and working ethically. With your advisor, you'll also choose a domain area outside math and computer science, a field where you want your analysis to matter, such as biology, economics, health sciences, journalism, or environmental studies.
Small classes mean you'll know your professors and they'll know your work. Because the major is taught jointly, you'll find mentorship across both departments, and faculty in each bring students into their research. Restricted electives let you go deeper in the direction you're already heading.
The major closes with a senior data project, where you scope a question, gather and analyze the data, and present your findings publicly. It's a synthesis of everything you've built, technical and domain both. Graduates go on to work as data scientists, data journalists, financial analysts, health data analysts, sports statistical analysts, policy analysts, business intelligence analysts, and market research analysts, and into graduate study in statistics, biostatistics, computer science, and applied mathematics.