Duke MIDS

MIDS Courses

A total of 42 credits will be required to complete the MIDS degree.

4 full-semester electives and 12 elective credits in total are required to fulfill graduation requirements, but tuition covers up to 6 full-semester electives and 3 mini-courses (which last for 1/3 of a semester). More than 6 full-semester electives may be taken (in theory a student could take up to eight) but will require additional tuition payments if they are taken after the initial 6 full-semester electives are fulfilled.

Learn more about MIDS electives.

MIDS Class Schedule

Fall, Year 1

Required:

  • Modeling and Representation of Data (IDS 702, 3 Credits)
  • Data Engineering Systems (IDS 706, 3 Credits)
  • Data Dialogues (IDS 791, ½ Credit)
  • MIDS Workshops (IDS 898, ½ Credit)

Optional:

  • Practical Data Science (IDS 720, 3 Credits)
    • Practical Data Science is an elective course that is strongly encouraged for students who do not already have extensive experience with numpy, pandas, and github. Incoming MIDS students will take a knowledge assessment near the end of bootcamp to help MIDS faculty advise students on whether we recommend they take 720. Roughly 2/3rds of MIDS students take Practical Data Science each year.
  • [One Potential Elective]
    • Some students may wish — if they have the proper preparation — to enroll in Introduction to Natural Language Processing (IDS 703, 3 Credits) in Fall of Year 1 rather than in Fall of Year 2. Students interested in this option will need to demonstrate their preparation by making sufficient progress through the Python bootcamp exercises and will also be asked to take a short assessment at the end of Python bootcamp.

Spring, Year 1

  • Principles of Machine Learning (IDS 705, 3 Credits)
  • Solving Real Problems with Data (IDS 701, 3 Credits)
  • Data Dialogues (IDS 791, ½ Credit)
  • MIDS Workshops (IDS 898, ½ Credit)
  • [One Elective]

Summer Between Year 1 and Year 2

  • Required Internship

Fall, Year 2

  • Capstone Project (IDS 798, 4 Credits)
  • Data Science Ethics and Policy (IDS 704, 2 Credits)
  • Data Logic, Visualization, and Storytelling (IDS 707, 2 Credits)
  • Data Dialogues (IDS 791, ½ Credit)
  • If did not take NLP Fall Year 1:
    • Introduction to Natural Language Processing (IDS 703, 3 Credits)
    • [One Elective]
  • If did take NLP Fall Year 1: 
    • [Two Electives]

Spring Year 2

  • Capstone Project (IDS 798, 4 Credits)
  • Data Dialogues (IDS 791, ½ Credit)
  • [Electives]
    • Students may choose to enroll part-time in the Spring of Year 2 at reduced tuition provided they have already taken their required elective credits, and part-time status does not impact visa status.

Courses

Unifying Data Science (IDS 701)

This course is focused on how to answer questions effectively using quantitative data. By the end of the course, students will be able to recognize different types of questions (e.g. descriptive, causal, and predictive questions), have an understanding of what methodological approaches are most appropriate for answering each type of question, be able to design and critically evaluate data analysis plans, and understand how to tailor their presentation of results to different audiences.

Modeling and Representation of Data (IDS 702)

Statistical models are necessary for analyzing the type of multivariate (often large) datasets that are usually encountered in data science. In this course, you will learn the general work flow for building statistical models and using them to answer inferential questions. You will learn several parametric models such as generalized linear models, models for multilevel data and time series models.

Introduction to Natural Language Processing (IDS 703)

Introduction to the rich opportunities for using textual data produced by websites, social media platforms, digitization of administrative and historical records, and new monitoring technologies to gain insights and make decisions.

Data Science Ethics (IDS 704)

Data Science tools are not morally neutral. This course is designed to help students think explicitly about their social responsibility as data scientists and the impact on the world of what they are building and analyzing.

Practicing Machine Learning (IDS 705)

Automating prediction and decision-making based on data and past experience. Students will learn how and when to apply supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning techniques, and how to evaluate performance. Common pitfalls such as overfitting and data leakage will be explored and how they can be avoided.

Data Engineering Systems (IDS 706)

Data Engineering Systems is a course about data and how to manage and build systems. Divided into two halves, part 1 focuses on Relational Databases. These systems are the most common type of database used today and are found in applications ranging from holding cell phone contact lists (both Android and iOS use SQLlite3 internally) to managing every aspect of a large bank or insurance company.

Data Logic, Visualization, and Storytelling (IDS 707)

Principles of communicating the implications of a data analysis.

Students will cultivate the ability to think critically and skeptically about the questions they need to answer in a data project and the strategies they are using to answer them. Students will learn the principles behind effective data visualization and how to implement them in real analyses using Tableau software.

Data Science Dialogues (IDS 791)

  • Credits: 0.5 credit each semester
  • Instructor: Paul Bendich

A series of discussions that give students snapshots of data science projects from practitioners and researchers.

Capstone Project (IDS 798)

MIDS students join Capstone partnerships their second year and during that year make substantial contributions to these real, complex projects. Project teams can be as large as necessary and can include multiple faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and other staff. Although students work collaboratively, each MIDS student must achieve a specific outcome of interest for the outside party and give a final presentation.

MIDS Workshops (IDS 898)

  • Credits: 0.5 credit each semester
  • Instructor: MIDS Staff

A series of workshops to gain soft skills such as interviewing, negotiating, and networking.