CSCI S-101 Foundation of Data Science and Engineering Updated: 7/26/2021

CSCI S-101 Foundations of Data Science and Engineering

Faculty: Bruce Huang. Ph.D

Email: [email protected]

Teaching Staff (TF/TA):

• Head TF/TA: Clement Lee

• TF/TAs: Michael Chang
• TF/TAs: Lucas Chu
• TF/TAs: Kimberly Moon
• TBD

Course Description:
Most data scientists spend 20% of their time building data models and analyzing model results.
What do they do with the remaining 80 percent of their time? The answer is data engineering.
Data engineering is a subdiscipline of software engineering that focuses on the transportation,
transformation, and management of data. This course takes a comprehensive approach to explore
data science, which includes data engineering concepts and techniques. Key topics include data
management and transformation, exploratory data analysis and Visualization, statistical thinking
and machine learning, natural language processing, and storytelling with data, emphasizing the
integration of Python, MySQL, Tableau, development, and big data analytics platforms.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Recognize the skills required to perform data science tasks from data acquisition to
storytelling with data.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how data science projects are approached.
• Manage data with database management systems and cloud infrastructure.
• Use advanced Python programming techniques to prepare and transform data.
• Apply preattentive attributes and visualization theory in storytelling with data.
• Explore machine learning models to solve business problems.
• Analyze data using Python, MySQL, Tableau, and big data analytics platforms.
• Explore the concept of Natural Language Processing (NLP).
• Communicate and present data science projects and results.
Prerequisites:
CSCI E-7- Introduction to Programming with Python, CSCI E-50 – Intensive Introduction to
Computer Science, or equivalent.
Required Course Materials:
• No textbook is required, but students must have:
CSCI S-101 Foundation of Data Science and Engineering Updated: 7/26/2021

o Windows, Mac, or Linux laptops with WIFI or Internet access

 You must have admin/root permission to install and modify the
configuration of your computer (Work laptop with access restrictions will
not work). You are responsible for having a working operating
environment for MySQL, Python, Jupyter Notebook, Excel, Tableau,
Webcam, upload and download files.
o Microsoft Excel
o MySQL (open source)
o MySQL Workbench (open source)
o Tableau (instructor will obtain a class license from Tableau)
o Jupyter (open source)
o Python 3+ (open source)
o Webcam (for Exam Proctoring)

Requirements:
Grades for the course will be determined from the following activities:
• Assignments (9) 70%
• Midterm Exam 15%
• Final Exam 15%
Grade System:
A 94% to 100%
A- < 94% to 90%
B+ < 90% to 87%
B < 87% to 84%
B- < 84% to 80%
C+ < 80% to 77%
C < 77% to 74%
C- < 74% to 70%
F < 70% to 0%

If you are taking this course to fulfill the admission course requirement for the master's
degree, data science field of study, you will need a B to satisfy the admission course
requirement.
Regrade Policy:
Assignment grades recorded in Canvas Gradebook by the TF/TA are the official grades.
Students are responsible for making sure that grades have been recorded correctly.
Please adhere to the following policy when making a regrade request:
CSCI S-101 Foundation of Data Science and Engineering Updated: 7/26/2021

• If there was a typo or calculation error in your grade, please make your regrade
request through Gradescope.
• If you lost points for answers that you believe are correct, please make your
regrade request through Gradescope with sufficient details for your TF/TA to
review the situation.
• If you lost points for something and do not understand the TF/TA's comments,
please speak with your assigned TF/TA during their office hours/ discussion
sections, or request a meeting with your TF/TA.
• For any other issues, please get in touch with the instructor.
Students must make regrade requests within one week from the date the grade is
posted in Canvas Gradebook. TF/TA may choose to review other parts of the
assignment besides the one in question for regrading consideration. There is no
guarantee that the revised grade will be greater than the current grade. In some cases,
the revised grade may be lower than the original grade due to grading errors discovered
during the review. In any case, TF/TA will explain the revised grade. The revised grade
will be the final official grade for the assignment.
Attendance/Participation Policy:
This course meets via web conference. Students are encouraged to attend at the scheduled
meeting time, but a recorded session will be available to students who cannot attend the live
session. All students are expected to participate actively and collaboratively in either the live
session, discussion sections, or the Ed Discussion forum.
Late Assignment Policy:
Students are given 3 late days for assignment submission throughout the semester. All
assignments will be due at 11:59 pm EST. Late days are automatically used after the assignment
is due. For example, all three late days will be used for one assignment that is three days late or
three assignments with one day date submission each. There is no need to inform course staff of
intent to use late days separately. No credit will be given for an assignment submitted more than
3 days after the submission deadline unless express permission is granted. If a student uses all 3
late days, assignments may still be submitted (up to 3 days late) with a 10% penalty added to the
final assignment grade per day.
Accessibility:
Harvard Extension School is committed to providing an accessible academic community. The
Accessibility Office offers a variety of accommodations and services to students with
documented disabilities. Please visit https://extension.harvard.edu/for-students/support-and-
services/accessibility-services/ for more information.
Academic Integrity:
You are responsible for understanding Harvard Extension School policies on academic integrity
(https://extension.harvard.edu/for-students/student-policies-conduct/) and how to use sources
CSCI S-101 Foundation of Data Science and Engineering Updated: 7/26/2021

responsibly. Not knowing the rules, misunderstanding the rules, running out of time, submitting
the wrong draft, or being overwhelmed with multiple demands are not acceptable excuses. To
support your learning about academic citation rules, please visit the Resources to Support
Academic Integrity (https://extension.harvard.edu/for-students/student-policies-
conduct/academic-integrity/) where you will find links to the Harvard Guide to Using Sources
(https://usingsources.fas.harvard.edu) and two free online 15-minute tutorials to test your
knowledge of academic citation policy. The tutorials are anonymous open-learning tools.
Teaching Fellows/Assistant (TF/TA) Office Hours/Discussion Sections:
In addition to the weekly class meetings, there will be informal TA/TF office hours/discussion
sections at which you can get extra help and an Ed Discussion forum on the course website
where the teaching staff and your peers will answer questions.
Additional Assignment / Exam Policies:
You are responsible for understanding and comply with assignment and exam specifications
(SPECS). In the professional world, programmers need to follow SPECS and seek clarifications
when developing products. The teaching staff is here to answer your questions regarding
assignment and exam SPECS. You can seek clarification during the TF/TA discussion sections
or through Ed Discussion for questions regarding the assignments. You can use the Zoom chat
box during the exam. Not knowing the rules, misunderstanding the SPECS, and SPECS are not
clear are not acceptable excuses for incorrect answers or not being able to complete the
assignment or exam.

WEEK TOPIC ASSIGNMENT

1 Introduction to Data Science and Statistics PSET 0: Preclass Survey
Thinking Due: 8:00 am EST on 8/31
8/31/2021
Statistics Thinking Exercise
(Canvas Quiz)
Due: Tuesday, 9/7/2021
11:59 pm EST

2 Python Basics Refresher PSET 1: Python 101 Exercise

Data Types (Canvas Quiz)
9/7/2021 Expressions Due: Tuesday, 9/14/2021
Controls 11:59 pm EST

3 Managing Data
Concept of Relational Database
9/14/2021 Managing High Volume Data
Database Management System Installation and
administration
CSCI S-101 Foundation of Data Science and Engineering Updated: 7/26/2021

4 Managing Data PSET 2: Managing Data

SQL Programming Exercise 1
9/21/2021 Python Integration (Cursor) Due: Tuesday, 9/28/2021
11:59 pm EST

5 Managing Data PSET 3: Managing Data

SQL Programming Exercise 2
9/28/2021 Python Integration (Pandas) Due: Tuesday, 10/5/2021
11:59 pm EST

6 Exploratory Data Analysis with DML

Exploratory Data Analysis with DML
10/5/2021 SQL Programming
7 Exploratory Data Analysis with DML PSET 4: Exploratory Data
Exploratory Data Analysis with DML Analysis Exercise
10/12/2021 SQL Programming Due: Tuesday, 10/19/2021
Python Integration 11:59 pm EST
Python Data Cleaning and Filtering
8 Storytelling, Visualization, and the use of
Tableau to Extract Data
10/19/2021 Storytelling Concepts
Preattentive Attributes
Exploratory and Visualization
Tableau
9 Storytelling, Visualization, and the use of PSET 5: Storytelling and
Tableau to Extract Data Visualization Exercise
10/26/2021 Tableau Due: Tuesday, 11/2/2021
Random Sample Generation using Tableau 11:59 pm EST
Remote Database Connectivity
Data Extraction and Filtering
Visualization Principles
Graphs, Charts, and Maps
Midterm Review
10 Midterm Exam Midterm Exam (Class Time
11/2/2021 Online Proctored via Zoom)
11 Python for Data Engineering PSET 6: Python OO Exercise
Object-Oriented Programming Due: Tuesday, 11/16/2021
Inheritance, Encapsulation 11:59 pm EST
11/9/2021 Class and Constructor
12 Machine Learning using Python PSET 7: T-Test and ANOVA
Data Structure: Array and Linked List Concepts Exercise
11/16/2021 T-Test and ANOVA using Python Due: Tuesday, 11/23/2021
11:59 pm EST
CSCI S-101 Foundation of Data Science and Engineering Updated: 7/26/2021

13 Machine Learning using Python and SQL PSET 8: Machine Learning

Regression Model Building and Analysis Regression and Classification
11/23/2021 Classification Model Building and Analysis Exercise
Due: Tuesday, 11/30/2021
11:59 pm EST

14 Python for Natural Language Processing PSET 9: NLP Exercise

11/30/2021 Text Manipulation Due: Tuesday, 12/7/2021
11:59 pm EST

15 Final Exam Review

12/7/2021
16 Final Exam Final Exam (Class Time
12/14/2021 Online Proctored via Zoom)