COMM 153Introduction to Data Science
Communication · 4 units · Undergraduate upper division (100-199)
Examination of how large-scale data can be used to systematically measure various aspects of human activities. Review of series of computational and statistical methods which enable scalable analysis and cost reduction. Students learn to interpret and understand research findings and implications from published work. Review of ethical issues in data science, such as privacy and model biases. Investigation of limitations and risks of current methods. Discussion of various ways to improve transparency and accountability of data-driven research.
Letter grading.
When it runs
- Fall 2026
- Winter 2027
Scheduled, not typical — from UCLA’s Schedule of Classes, which publishes Fall 2025 through Spring 2027 and nothing before it.
Requisites
Official UCLA wording
Requisite: one course from Computer Science 31, 32, Program in Computing 10A, 10B with grade of C+ or better, or equivalent.
BruinTree reads · Prerequisite
needs reviewconfidence 0.50 · from text- COM SCI 31
- COM SCI 32
- COMPTNG 10A
- COMPTNG 10Bgrade C+ or better
- equivalent
- · could not read "equivalent" (no course number found)
Requires
Everything that has to come before this course, not just the courses named in the requisite above.
COMM 153
- COM SCI 31Introduction to Computer Science I
- COMPTNG 10AIntroduction to Programming
- COM SCI 32Introduction to Computer Science II
- COMPTNG 10BIntermediate Programming
4 direct requisites. The whole upstream is here — 7 courses over 2 levels. Every course here opens its own tree.
Unlocks
What this course is a requisite for, and what those courses lead to in turn.
No course in the catalog lists this as a requisite.