The Python DeCal is designed as a rudimentary introduction to scientific computing designed for students with no previous experience with coding. This class is not a typical DeCal - it is a rigorous course as we are going to be teaching you a skill that is vital for your scientific career. The curriculum has been developed and updated continuously alongside the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department to make sure the content continues to prepare our students for the coding required in a research. This class is by no means comprehensive over every single skill you may need because there are too many, some of which have not been invented yet! However, we hope that you can come out of the class with a newfound understanding of how a computer works and how to learn more coding packages - once these skills are acquired, it will become easier and easier to keep up with the computational developments as we continue into the 'big data' era of science.

There are 8 homeworks over the course of the semester, and at the end of the semester our students will turn in a final project. We do require attendance because coding is a skill that is learned best by doing - there is very little you can learn by just listening/watching our recorded lectures.

Applications with very few acceptance criteria. Anyone is welcome, but we try to prioritize people who have never coded before!