595.758.81 - Data Science for the Technical Leader

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules on the course menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Modules run for 7 days You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates; some modules may have multiple parts due on different days, and a few modules allow for more than one week to complete portions of the assignment.

Course Topics

• Data science overview
• Pitching a data science project
• Data science projects and processes
• Data management
• Methods
• Tools
• Evaluation
• Visualization and Reporting
• Ethics
• Deployment

Course Goals

• Provide an immersive introduction to data science for scientists and engineers with technical leadership positions
• Illustrate the fundamental concepts of data science
• Describe data science projects, processes, teambuilding, project execution
• Introduce the tools and techniques used throughout the data science process including data management, statistical, Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and visualization
• Discuss evaluation, deployment, policy, and ethical considerations
• Gain experience through hands-on practice

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• Build a data science project team.
• Effectively manage team operation.
• Oversee a data science project from proposal to completion.
• Analyze business problems for suitability and fit for solution with a data-driven approach.
• Evaluate tradeoffs between various technical approaches to data management.
• Select which analytic techniques are best suited for a given problem.
• Apply data science toolsets to create analytic solutions.
• Evaluate analytic solutions and characterize results.
• Present analytic results to decision makers.

Textbooks

Student Coursework Requirements

Students are expected to complete each module in order. Some modules have an assignment or a project, a discussion, and a self-check quiz.

The final grade is weighted as follows:

• Discussions: 35%
• Assignments: 35%
• Immersion project: 10%
• Final project: 20%

Grading Policy

Most assignments include a rubric with the following structure: 90% of the grade is focused on demonstrating understanding of the content, and an additional 10% goes toward demonstration of deeper insights and applications of the content, and effective integration with other course topics.

Assignment Timeliness of Submission Policy:

This course is designed as an immersive experience, with both passive learning and active learning modalities.

Discussion Assignments

We are creating a community of learners for yourself and your peers, and part of that experience is through discussions held as a follow on to some of the modules.

Students who submit discussion and responses by the due date are eligible to receive up to 100% credit, based on the posted rubric.

Late submissions for discussions and responses will not be accepted for credit. Exceptions will be granted for extenuating circumstances, provided that a timely email request is received by the instructors stating the general reason for the exception request and the student’s commitment to submit the discussion assignment within a week of the original assignment due date.  

Assignments

Assignments are designed to provide active learning follow up to the course material in the instruction material and the assigned readings.  To facilitate effective learning, late submissions will be graded as follows:

After 1 week due date – 25% reduction in credit.

After 2 weeks – 50% reduction in credit.

After 3 weeks late – 75% reduction in credit.

After 4 weeks  - No assignment credit

Course Evaluation

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.