Western Carolina University

Transfer Guide

Western Carolina University
Mathematics, BS

Transfer Guide for Associate in Science

2025-2026

Concentration(s): Data Science
Delivery Method: On-Campus

Program Admission Notes:

Transfer students should apply to Western Carolina University at applynow.wcu.edu. A minimum 2.2 GPA is required for consideration, however, this does not guarantee admission. We recommend that you aim for an average cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on 12+ hours of college credit for competitiveness with other incoming transfer applicants.

Please note that admission to the institution does not guarantee admission to specific programs, and some programs do require a supplemental application. Check the program website at WCU.edu for supplemental application details and instructions, or reach out to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 828.227.7317.

Contact:

Advising Center
transferadvising@wcu.edu

Revised: April, 2025

College Level Foreign Language Requirements:

No foreign language requirement for this program.

Major-Specific Course Recommendations:

Students are encouraged to build the North Carolina Community College (NCCC) course recommendations below into the associate degree to best prepare for the intended university and major.

Recommended NCCC Course Credit
Hours		 University Equivalent Associate Degree
Requirement Fulfilled		 University Requirement Fulfilled
MAT 271: Calculus I 4 MATH 153: Calculus I Additional General Education Courses Required Course, General Education
MAT 272: Calculus II 4 MATH 255: Calculus II Additional General Education Courses Required Course, General Education
MAT 171: Precalculus Algebra 4 MATH 130: Precalculus I & MATH 19A: Lower Level Electives UGETC Math Suggested Course, General Education
MAT 172: Precalculus Trigonometry 4 MATH 146: Precalculus II UGETC Math Suggested Course, General Education
CSC 151: JAVA Programming 3 CS 150: Prob Solving/Program I Elective/Pre-Major Courses Suggested Course
CSC 251: Advanced JAVA Programming 3 CS 19A: Lower Level Elective Elective/Pre-Major Courses Suggested Course

Remaining Associate Degree Requirements:

In addition to major-specific course recommendations above, students should work with a community college advisor to select additional community college courses to fulfill the remaining associate degree requirements identified below.

Recommended NCCC Course Credit
Hours		 University Equivalent Associate Degree
Requirement Fulfilled		 University Requirement Fulfilled
ENG 111: Writing and Inquiry 3 ENGL 101: Writing and Rhetoric English Composition General Education
ENG 112: Writing/Research in the Disc 3 ENGL 202: Writing and Critical Inquiry English Composition General Education
COM 231: Public Speaking 3 COMM 201: Foundations of Communication UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 3 University Equivalencies UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 6 University Equivalencies UGETC Social/Behavioral Sciences General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 8 University Equivalencies UGETC Natural Sciences General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 3 University Equivalencies Additional General Education Courses General Education
ACA 122: College Transfer Success 1 ELEC 19A: Lower Level Elective Academic Transition Elective
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 8 University Equivalencies Elective/Pre-Major Courses Elective

Additional Information From Western Carolina University:

This option prepares students to use coursework in mathematics, computer science and statistics to solve problems using real-world data. The significant overlap with computer science makes this concentration an excellent selection for a student to double major in mathematics and computer science.

**Note about CSC coursework: this major recommends CSC 151 and CSC 251. WCU also accepts CSC 121 and CSC 221 as alternatives, but these courses are not part of the CAA and will not apply toward associate degree completion.

Remaining Bachelor’s Degree Requirements at University:

University Course Credit
Hours		 University Course Notes
Mathematics Core Requirements 18

Note: Only grades of C (2.00) or higher in required mathematics core courses will satisfy requirements in the major.

  • MATH 250 - Introduction to Logic and Proof Credits: 3
  • MATH 256 - Calculus III Credits: 4 (MAT 273 - Calculus III)
  • MATH 310 - Discrete Structures Credits: 3
  • MATH 362 - Linear Algebra I Credits: 3 (MAT 280 - Linear Algebra)
  • MATH 479 - Capstone: Seminar Credits: 2
Data Science Concentration Requirements 27
  • CS 150 - Problem Solving and Programming II Credits: 4 (CSC 121: Python Planning and CSC 221: Advanced Python Planning or CSC 151: JAVA Programming and CSC 251: Advanced JAVA Programming)
  • CS 151 - Problem Solving and Programming II Credits: 4
  • CS 253 - Software Development Credits: 3
  • CS 453 - Database Systems Credits: 3
  • MATH 370 - Probability and Statistics I Credits: 3
  • MATH 379 - Junior Capstone Credits: 1
  • MATH 472 - Data Science Credits: 3
  • MATH 474 - Introduction to Statistical Models Credits: 3
  • MATH 475 - Statistical Machine Learning Credits: 3
Data Science Concentration Electives Requirements 6

To complete the concentration requirements, at least 6 hours must be selected from the electives below and/or from courses approved by the Department Head of Mathematics and Computer Science.

  • CS 351 - Data Structures and Algorithms Credits: 4
  • CS 466 - Information Security I Credits: 3
  • CS 475 - Cloud Computing Credits: 3
  • MATH 375 - Statistical Methods II Credits: 3
  • MATH 430 - Mathematical Modeling Credits: 3
  • MATH 462 - Linear Algebra II Credits: 3
  • MATH 470 - Probability and Statistics II Credits: 3
General Electives 30

To complete 120 hours, students may need to take additional General Electives (the number depends on how many Liberal Studies courses also count toward the major).