What is gold?

Graduate Opportunities to Learn Data science (​​​GOLD) is a new program for SFSU Biology and Chemistry  masters students to be able to  earn a graduate certificate in Data Science for Biology and Chemistry. 
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GOLD courses strive to build on students diverse lived experiences and interests in and outside of science to create an engaging, just, and fun learning environment. 

why data science?

Data Science is a powerful tool for Biologists and Chemists!
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With computer programming and data science skills you can:
  • Skillfully process and analyze large, cutting edge data sets
  • Write scripts to create compelling visualization of your results
  • Use statistics to demonstrate the significance of your results
  • Save time by automating data analysis and visualization
  • Organize and annotate data for reproducibility, clarity, and long-term storage

​What students get from GOLD?

GOLD provides data science courses that are intentionally designed for biology and chemistry students while supporting you to
  • Learn data science skills you need to analyze exciting biology/chemistry data sets
  • Apply those skills in your thesis
  • Make connections outside SFSU to support you to get a job in industry or PhD position

​Certificate Requirements

​We welcome graduate students with no programming, statistics, or data science experience! 
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​​To earn a 12-unit graduate certificate in Data Science,you'll take a series of 5 classes: ​​
​All classes count towards masters degrees in Biology or Chemistry!

​Click here to learn more about our Classes

How to "join"

All masters students at SFSU in Biology or Chemistry may participate. If you are interested in going through the courses to receive a certificate from the program,  click here for instructions on how to apply for the Certificate Award Process. However, the application process is not necessary to register for the courses and learn data science! 

For incoming students who have not already taken CSC 306, we recommend taking CSC 306 in your first semester to start! 
​Development of this new program funded by the NSF #IGE 1856394