Bachelor of Science in Data Science

Program Description

Data is the oil of future. Writing efficient algorithms that extracts useful insights and knowledge from the sheer volume of heterogeneous data is demand of the current market. The focus of bachelor’s degree in data science is to equip students to transform data into actionable insights for complex business decisions. The degree of data science will strengthen the theoretical, mathematical, statistical and programming background of students and will polish their skills with practical hands-on business problems and data-driven solutions. The data science degree covers ETL and all phases of the data science process including data understanding, cleaning, preprocessing, exploration, modeling and implementation.

Why Study at PAF IAST?

Location and Ambience

Natural mountains nestle PAF IAST that flank its campus from all sides. The institute offers one  ravishing view of snow-capped peaks of Nathiagali and natural winding trails. Furthermore, to its north-west is Tarbela Lake, a journey of only a few kilometers from the campus. Moreover, set in the middle of the campus is a natural lake, fed by the springs of surrounding mountains. The campus is just a 3-kilometer drive from the Hazara Motorway. This results in an ideal setting equally conducive to academic activity. Most importantly, major cities like Islamabad, Abbottabad, are just an hour’s drive, while small towns like Wah, Hasanabadal, Taxila, and Swabi can be reached in just half an hour. 

Technology Advancement and Foreign Partnership

This institute is an emerging center of excellences, with its own technology park. Therefore, all faculty members hold PhD degrees in appropriate disciplines. By virtue of its wide array of facilities and the facilitation for its students to learn. Furthermore, they benefit both from classroom teaching and faculty trained at premier Austrian universities/institutions. The institution is ideally cut out for imparting state-of–the-art engineering and allied education in Pakistan. Moreover, the institute enjoys close linkages with top ranking universities in Austria and China. As a result, we have already concluded with them formal agreements regarding student and faculty exchange programs, provision of dual degrees in certain areas, and the training support from foreign faculty. 

Academia-Industry Relationship

There is a strong relationship between academia and industry. As a result, this paves the way for job opportunities for students even in the midst of their studies. PAF IAST will serve as a welcome platform for the industry to share their requirements for a skilled workforce. Therefore, this will enable the institute to incorporate their valuable inputs in practical vocational training and expose the students to industrial perspectives.

On-Spot Industry Internship

Firstly, it will be a mandatory requirement for every student to do an internship every semester in an appropriate industry. Secondly, this will garner them practical experience related to their respective degree programs. To crown it all, Technology Park will afford them rare opportunities to apply themselves innovatively and become promising entrepreneurs.

Need and Merit-based Scholarships

Different types of local and foreign scholarship opportunities are available on need and merit base.

Associated Careers

Data Science is the emerging field of IT and Computer Science which in not limited to only one skill, but it is an integration of multiple theoretical, technological and practical areas. That is why Harvard Business Review declared Data Scientist as the in-demand job of the 21st century. Data Science is applied in different domains of industries and their related data, so every industry needs the skilled people of data science. Some associated data science careers are: Data Scientist, Data Engineer, Business Analyst, Big Data Engineer, Solutions Architect, Big Data Developer, Data Analyst, Big Data Architect, Database Administrator, Machine Learning Engineer, Data Visualization Architect, and Algorithm Engineer.

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Data Scientist

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Big Data Engineer

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Big Data Developer

Data Visualization Architect

BSDS Course Curriculum

Intake F21(onward)

Semester 1

CodeCourse TitleCredit HoursLabsTotal
COMP-102Introduction to ICT2 2
COMP-102LIntroduction to ICT Lab 11
COMP-111Programming Fundamentals3 3
COMP-111LProgramming Fundamentals Lab 11
MGT-262Entrepreneurship (University Elective-II)3 3
SS-331Community Service (University Elective-I)*  0
COMP-121Discrete Structures3 3
SS-112Pakistan Studies2 2

Semester 2

CodeCourse TitleCredit HoursLabsTotal
COMP-112Object Oriented Programming3 3
COMP-112LObject Oriented Programming Lab 11
PHY-101Applied Physics3 3
PHY-101LApplied Physics Lab 11
SS-103English Language and Communication Skills3 3
SS-111Islamic Studies2 2
MTH-101Calculus and Analytical Geometry3 3
MTH-206Probability and Statistics3 3
 Total Credit Hours17219

Semester 3

CodeCourse TitleCredit HoursLabsTotal
COMP-201Data Structures and Algorithms3 3
COMP-201LData Structures and Algorithms Lab 11
COMP-340Artificial Intelligence3 3
COMP-340LArtificial Intelligence Lab 11
COMP-234Introduction to Data Science2 2
COMP-234LIntroduction to Data Science Lab 11
MTH-207Applied Statistics3 3
MTH-204Linear Algebra3 3
 Total Credit Hours14317

Semester 4

CodeCourse TitleCredit HoursLabsTotal
COMP-262Operating Systems 3 3
COMP-262LOperating Systems Lab 11
MTH-###Inferential Statistics3 3
SS-203Technical and Business Writing3 3
COMP-231Database Systems3 3
COMP-231LDatabase Systems Lab 11
COMP-344Nature inspired Computing3 3
 Total Credit Hours15217

Semester 5

CodeCourse TitleCredit HoursLabs 
COMP-342Digital Image Processing3 3
COMP-342LDigital Image Processing Lab 11
MTH-203Differential Equations3 3
COMP-222Design and Analysis of Algorithms 3 3
COMP-332Data Mining2 2
COMP-332LData Mining Lab 11
COMP-331Data Warehousing2 2
COMP-331LData Warehousing Lab 11
COMP-###DS Elective-13 3
 Total Credit Hours16319

Semester 6

CodeCourse TitleCredit HoursLabs 
COMP-432Big Data Analytics2 2
COMP-432LBig Data Analytics Lab 11
COMP-433Data Visualization2 2
COMP-433LData Visualization Lab 11
COMP-###DS Elective-23 3
COMP-###DS Elective-33 3
COMP-352Computer Networks3 3
COMP-352LComputer Networks Lab 11
 Total Credit Hours13316

Semester 7

CodeCourse TitleCredit HoursLabs 
COMP-###DS Elective-43 3
COMP-498Final Year Project I 33
COMP-171Software Engineering3 3
MGT-356Intellectual Property Law (University Elective-III)3 3
COMP-291Information Security3 3
COMP-460Parallel and Distributed Computing 2 2
COMP-460LParallel and Distributed Computing Lab 11
 Total Credit Hours14418

Semester 8

CodeCourse TitleCredit HoursLabs 
COMP-499Final Year Project II 33
SS-220Organizational Behavior (University Elective-II)3 3
COMP-###DS Elective-53 3
SS-310Professional Ethics3 3
 Total Credit Hours9312