FAQs

Multiple industries in Texas and across the United States are seeking to expand their data science workforce, but qualified applicants are in short supply and high demand.

As the Great Resignation continues, workers may find themselves looking for new opportunities. Research shows certifications improve job opportunities and salaries – especially in high-paying, high-demand fields such as tech and healthcare.

And it’s not just those industries that need data science and data analytics support. The pandemic required people from a range of professions like journalism and education to interact with and interpret COVID-19 data every day.

Zeus is a Texas State University System program, that is currently being run as a partnership between Texas State University and Sam Houston State University. Courses will be developed by a group of more than 20 Ph.D. faculty members across disciplines working in collaboration with the program’s advisory board of chambers of commerce and local companies in the area. The advisory board will provide direction about the ongoing and changing needs of the workforce to make sure the courses offered meet the needs of the business community.

Originally, the idea came about because the phonetic pronunciation of ‘TSUS’ is ‘Zeus’. But, because Zeus represents the ‘god of destiny’, and this learning platform will have the power to influence learner’s career paths, it seemed appropriate.

Currently, just the one Data Science Pathways course. Though others are already being considered, we want to ensure that all courses will be delivered at the same cutting-edge level that one is, which takes time. Check back soon!

To keep costs as low as possible, the course will be held in the Canvas Learning Management System, to which Texas State University already has access.

The new program is funded by the governor’s Emergency Educational Relief Funding under the Accelerating Credentials of Purposes and Value Grant Program to meet the needs of the fast-growing Texas economy.

The Data Science Pathways course was developed by the Texas State University System in conjunction with the International Center for Data Science (DASCA). The course was designed to help working age Texans prepare to earn DASCA’s Associate Big Data Analyst (ABDA™) Certification.

To take the course, you do not need any pre-requisites. But, in order to take the final DASCA exam at the end of the course for the ABDA™ Certificate, there are a few requirements. Check out DASCA’s website for more details.

Yes! The course has been designed by Texas State University & Sam Houston State University faculty members with that in mind. Within the Texas State University System, each of the 10 blocks can count as a 1-hour credit, and 3 together can count as a 3-hour credit. But, the capacity in which they transfer will be at the sole discretion of a department chair within the Texas State University.

The initial cohort to take this course will be at a significantly reduced tuition as we will be fine-tuning as we go. If you are interested in joining, please contact us for more information.

Click here to go to the signup page! If you’d like more information on the course itself, you can visit the ‘Course Details’ page (the signup link is also located at the bottom of that page!)

To keep this course as flexible as possible, office hours will be by appointment and can be established as needed between yourself and the professors.

It is not required, but it is highly recommended for your success.

There is not a time constraint on each individual block, but the entire course must be completed within 1 year of your start date.

You must take all 10 blocks to receive the Texas State University System Professional Certificate. Completing the course will gain you access to the DASCA Exam. 

You will have two attempts to pass the exam at the end of each block. If you do not pass after these two attempts, you will need to retake the block to get a better grasp of the curriculum. 

You must successfully pass the exam at the end of all 10 blocks in order to receive the Texas State University System Professional Certificate.

Yes, you must complete all 10 blocks in order to take the DASCA exam. However, you can also take one or more blocks to simply hone your skills.  

You will have one final exam at the completion of the entire course that will be graded to DASCA’s standards.

This course is designed for employees of public and nonprofit mental health service agencies in Austin, specifically Travis County. We hope to open this course to more organizations in counties along the I-35 corridor soon.

Signing up is easy! Click here to visit the registration page. You must complete the registration form in its entirety.

Nope! No prior experience in Tableau or data science is required. We will teach you all the necessary skills to build your first customized mental health dashboard. 

This course is currently being offered at no cost to students. We will provide you with all the necessary resources for completing this course. 

Your instructor is always a message, email, or Zoom call away. You may also attend your instructor’s office hours.

You will need a laptop capable of running Tableau (see technical specifications here), a webcam, microphone and Zoom. 

The first nine weeks of this course are completely online. During the last week, participants will gather for a final course completion event in Travis County. This is where participants will receive their certificates.

This course is ten weeks in length. Each week of the course takes approximately one hour to complete.

Yes, all content must be completed in order to advance in the course.

To receive a certificate and one CEU credit, participants must complete all course content. Additionally, participants must demonstrate a mastery of course content during their final presentations.