Informatics 348 - Data Analytics with Python

Spring
2026
01
3.00
Matthew Rattigan

TU TH 8:30AM 9:45AM

UMass Amherst
85418
Computer Science Bldg rm 142
rattigan@cs.umass.edu
The modern world is awash with data, and making sense of it requires specialized skills. This course will expose students to commonly used data analytics techniques. Topics include the acquisition, manipulation, and transformation of structured data, exploratory data analysis, data visualization, and predictive modeling. Students in this course will learn and use the Python programming language and tools for working with data. Analysis will be performed using real data sets. Does not count as a CS Elective (BA or BS). Satisfies one of the Data Science Concentration requirements and counts as an elective for the Health and Life Sciences Concentration for the Informatics major.

Open to INFORM majors. INFO248 & CICS160 (or CS186/7) PREVIOUSLY CICS 397A. LINEAR ALGEBRA (MATH 235) IS HELPFUL BUT NOT REQUIRED. STUDENTS WITH ALTERNATE PROGRAMMING OR STATISTICS BACKGROUND MAY REQUEST OVERRIDE FOR CONSIDERATION. A PREREQUISITE CHANGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE FACULTY SENATE TO REPLACE CICS 210 WITH CICS 160. AFTER INFORM MAJORS REGISTER, INFO 348 WILL OPEN TO ALL UNDERGRADUATES, IF AVAILABLE SEATS. STUDENTS MEETING PREREQUISITE SHOULD WAIT FOR THE MAJOR ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTION TO BE REMOVED TO SELF-ENROLL OR ADD TO THE WAITLIST (IF AVAILABLE) AND SHOULD NOT REQUEST AN OVERRIDE. STUDENTS NEEDING SPECIAL PERMISSION MUST REQUEST OVERRIDES VIA THE ON-LINE FORM: https://www.cics.umass.edu/academics/course-overrides

Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.