May 31, 2026  
2025-2026 University Catalog 
    
2025-2026 University Catalog

BMI 525 Principles and Practices of Data Visualization


Credits: 3
This course will give students a foundation in the principles of data visualization, particularly as applied to scientific and technical data, as well as provide students with hands-on experience using modern software tools for developing visualizations. Lecture topics will include an overview of visual perception, color theory and practice, different types of graphs and their purposes, visualizations for specialized forms of data including time-series and geospatial data sets, strategies for working with multidimensional data, etc. There will also be lecture content on ethical issues surrounding data visualization. Weekly lab sessions will introduce students to popular data visualization tools such as R’s ggplot and Shiny, Tableau, etc.

Graded: A-F
May be taken only once for credit
Also offered as: BMI 625