DiDa Frequently Asked Questions
In this page, you will find answers to some of the most common questions about the minor. If you have a question that is not on this page, please reach out to a DiDa faculty member for assistance. To declare the minor, please see the Minor Requirements page.
For advising questions, please contact the Undergraduate Director, Dr. Haller, at mhaller@binghamton.edu.
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Table of Contents
General Questions
How many courses are in the minor?
The minor is 24 credits, which typically consists of three required courses and three electives. See our approved electives spreadsheet for a complete list of courses that count as DIDA electives. There is also a statistics proficiency requirement, but it does not count toward the 24 credit requirement.
Where should I start the minor?
We recommend starting with a DIDA course at the 100 or 200 level. These introductory courses are a great way to get a feel for whether the minor is right for you.
How many courses can I double count toward the minor and my major?
Typically, you can double count up to eight credits between your minor and major. Usually, that means that you can double count two courses (if they are approved courses for both programs). You are, however, not required to double count any courses for the minor, and we encourage you to take our DIDA electives to fill out your minor coursework.
Sixteen of your credits (four courses) toward the DIDA minor must be unique to the minor. You cannot, for example, double count two courses toward your major and two others toward your second minor. That would only leave eight unique credits counting toward DIDA.
Please note that the statistics requirement does not apply to these rules because it is zero-credits towards the minor.
I want to take the DIDA minor, but I can’t fit DIDA 325 or the capstone requirement into my schedule. Is there an alternative?
Unfortunately, no. You cannot complete the DIDA minor without taking DIDA 325 or a DIDA capstone course (DIDA 425, 426, or 427/495).
What grade do I need to earn to pass a DiDa course?
You must earn a grade of C or higher in all DiDa courses in order to complete the minor. This includes your statistics course.
Elective Questions
How many upper level electives should I take?
You are required to take a minimum of one upper level elective (an approved course at the 300 level or higher). Your other two electives can be any level (including upper level courses).
Am I required to take a DIDA rubric elective?
If you started with Freshman status in Fall '24 or later, two of your electives must be from the DiDa program itself (courses beginning with the DIDA rubric).
This new policy does not apply to students who started at Binghamton prior to Fall '24 (anyone who has Sophomore standing or higher in Fall '24).
Do I need to take an elective before I take DIDA 325?
This year, you will be required to take a DIDA elective before enrolling in DIDA 325, unless you have Junior or Senior standing. Any elective with a DIDA prefix will count toward this requirement. We recommend that students with Sophomore or Freshman standing plan to take an elective prior to enrolling in DIDA 325 this year. We are rolling this requirement out over time: next year, only Seniors will be exempt from this requirement, and the following year all students will be required to take an elective before enrolling in DIDA 325.
We recommend that students start with 100 or 200 level courses before progressing to DIDA 325.
Should I take DIDA 130 as an elective?
DIDA 130: Intro to Statistical Thinking was designed for students who are new to statistics and are looking for an accessible introduction to both statistics and R programming. We especially recommend this course to students in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences who don’t have to take a statistics course toward their major, since it counts as both an elective and the statistics proficiency requirement. If you have already taken a statistics course at Binghamton, or plan to take one for your major, you may find the content in this course redundant.
I took an elective that seems like a good fit for the DIDA minor. Can I count it towards the minor?
Please refer to the list of approved electives for a complete listing of courses that count toward the minor. We generally recommend that students plan to take courses that already count toward the minor.
I am a transfer student, and I took some courses related to the DIDA minor at my previous institution. Can I count them as electives toward the minor?
Potentially. Please reach out to our Undergraduate Director, Dr. Melissa Haller (mhaller@binghamton.edu) to determine if any of your courses can count.
I am studying abroad and would like to count one of my courses as an elective toward the DIDA minor. Is this possible?
Potentially. Reach out to our Undergraduate Director for approval of study abroad courses. Typically, we will consider approving up to four credits per semester that a student studies abroad. Make sure you pay attention to how many credits your study abroad courses are worth - many study abroad courses only transfer in as three credits. We will only approve courses that are related to the DiDa minor.
Capstone Questions
What are my capstone options?
Every student must take one four-credit capstone course option. You may choose between taking either a) DIDA 425 (four credits), b) DIDA 426 (four credits), or c) DIDA 427 (two credits, along with two credits of CDCI 395 - you must take both to get credit). You only need to take one, and all three options are equivalent to each other. We do not recommend taking more than one capstone course.
Some students have asked if there is a separate capstone project that needs to be completed in addition to the capstone course. There is not: the capstone course option that you take counts as your capstone project (even if you choose the internship option).
You must take a minimum of DIDA 325 and HARP 150 in order to take DIDA 425 or 426. DIDA 427/495 can be taken at any time.
When should I take the capstone?
Project Option: If you plan to take DIDA 425 or 426, we recommend taking it as your last course in the minor. That way, you can take your other courses first, and build up skills that you can use to complete your capstone project. If you rush into the capstone course before taking your other program electives, you may feel underprepared.
Internship Option: If you plan to use an internship as credit for the capstone, you must get your internship approved and take two credits of CDCI 395 while you complete the internship. Once you have completed the internship, you can then take DIDA 427/495 at any time before you graduate. Make sure you get your internship approved first, and then apply for CDCI 395; internships that have not been approved cannot count toward the capstone requirement.
How do I know if my internship will count toward the minor?
You may reach out to our DIDA 425 Capstone Coordinator for approval. For the 2024-25 school year, please reach out to Dr. Haller (mhaller@binghamton.edu). We generally approve internships that contain content related to the DIDA minor, including data analysis, web development, or other tech skills.
I have an internship related to DIDA, but I already took CDCI 395 once. Can I still take the internship capstone option?
Yes. You may take CDCI 395 a second time.
I had an internship in a previous year that was relevant to DIDA. Can I count it toward my capstone?
Probably not. You should have approval from the Capstone Coordinator before you start the internship. If you are uncertain, please reach out to the current Capstone Coordinator for more information.
