Overview

The demand for data scientists is ever rising. A report by Harvard Business Review suggests that the shortage of data scientists has become a serious constraint in certain sectors, leading the authors to claim Data Scientist as the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century.

Data Scientists carry out applied research to create innovative data-driven solutions to business problems. Usually, they work with large, complex, varied, and unstructured data sets that are not suitable for using traditional data analysis approaches and techniques. This programme is specifically designed to enable you to develop this in-depth technical knowledge that will allow you to discover new data-driven solutions.

Key facts

  • Develop in-demand skills to work in a range of roles in the IT industry
  • Enhance your knowledge in the application of programming language, big data and machine learning on cloud
  • The Advanced Practice includes an Internship or Group Consultancy Project, enhancing your employability with all-important work experience
  • Designed to meet the accreditation criteria of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional
  • Upon completion of your programme, you will be eligible for the QA Professional Pathways programmes which will enable you to further develop your skills with one of the UK’s largest providers of IT and project management training

What will I study?

To accelerate your learning, you will be exposed to theories, methods, tools, and technologies (including SPSS and Tableau software packages; MySQL, Python, R language or similar) relating to the design, development and testing of data science applications for business intelligence.

You will train and deploy distributed machine learning models using a cloud-based platform such as Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure or AWS or similar and machine learning technology using TensorFlow. You will also be exposed to the fundamental concepts, principles, technologies, and techniques of big data analytics.

You will be able to apply this knowledge and skill in your context, and critically analyse the implementation and recommend future improvements. Recognising that information governance and cyber security are critical to the adoption and use of computing systems in businesses and organisations, you will also cover fundamental concepts, principles, techniques and tools of information governance and cyber security.

How will I be taught and assessed?

  • Teaching is delivered through lectures, workshops and tutorials totalling between 10-13 hours per week
  • You’re expected to engage in independent study, around 30-32 hours per week
  • Assessment includes coursework, critical report writing, practical exercises, individual, group and research project work.
  • Taught by experienced lecturers and academics who use their industry experience to demonstrate how theories translate into real-life situations.
  • Technology-enhanced learning is embedded throughout the course to guide your preparation for seminars and independent research
  • Benefit from weekly academic support sessions designed to build your ability and confidence as an academic learner
  • You will be assigned a guidance tutor at induction who you will meet with regularly during your studies

Careers and further study

This Master’s programme has been designed to ensure that graduates will be equipped to work in a variety of careers in the IT industry or to progress to academic or research-orientated careers. Indeed, the qualification is designed to accelerate your skills and competence in a range of job roles, including roles in leadership and management such as:

  • Machine Learning Engineer
  • Data Engineer
  • Business Analyst
  • Data and Analytics Manager
  • Business Intelligence Analyst
  • AI Cloud Architect
  • Data Architect

Furthermore, this programme will prepare you to meet the educational requirements of the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of meeting the further learning academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.

Upon successfully completing your course, you may undertake further professional development and training through Professional Pathways programmes. These are offered to our graduates for free, from our partner, QA. Find out more information on Professional Pathways and your eligibility.

 

Advanced Practice stage

The Advanced Practice version of this course offers you a valuable opportunity to secure a work placement, complete a group consultancy based on a real organisational issue or work with a research team on a research project. Successful completion of this Advanced Practice stage will provide you with experience of the workplace environment or live computing issues and an excellent way to put your learning into practice.

This stage of the programme will take place between your second and final semester and is a semester-long (15 weeks) in duration. Internships as part of the Advanced Practice stage may be paid or unpaid. The alternative research module allows you to work with an academic or applied research team within the university on a range of research topics.  Whether you choose the Internship, Group Consultancy Project or the Research Project, you will successfully develop your business or research skills and further enhance your employability.

  • September start dates:  your programme will last for up to 21 months. You will have a summer break after Semester 2, and commence your Advanced Practice stage in September.
  • January start dates: your programme will run for 24 months. You will commence the Advanced Practice stage of the programme in January following your taught stage and summer break.  Please note that there are two summer breaks included in this programme for those starting in January.
  • May start dates: your programme will run for a total of 16-18 months. Please note that there is no summer break included in this programme for those starting in May. Your Advanced Practice stage will commence in January.

The Advanced Practice programmes are structured as below:

Sept-Jan Jan-May May-Sept Sept-Jan Jan-May May-Sept Sept-Jan
September starts Semester 1 Semester 2 Summer break Advanced Practice stage Final semester
January starts Semester 1 Summer break Semester 2 Advanced Practice stage Summer break Final semester
May starts Semester 1 Semester 2 Advanced Practice stage Final semester

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  • 1 year MSc
  • Advanced Practice

Academic requirements

  • Minimum 2:2 honours degree, or above, or equivalent in any subject

English language requirements

  • IELTS 6.5, with no single element below 5.5, or equivalent.

If you don’t meet the academic requirements

Applicants who are not graduates and do not hold professional qualifications of equivalent standing can also be considered for entry if they show evidence of strong motivation and capability for academic study and personal development (e.g. evidence of attendance at short courses) and/or suitable experience of working in areas which involve a significant amount of Information Technology.

Please note that if your qualifications are not in English, we might need certified translations in order to proceed with your application.

Masters Foundation programme

Alternatively, you may also be eligible for one of our Pre-Masters courses. These are pathway programmes designed specifically for students who require additional support to meet the entry requirements of their chosen Masters degree.

Pre-Sessional English and Study Skills

If you have IELTS 5.5 – 6.0, you may be eligible to join our Pre-Sessional English before starting this programme. This programme will help you develop language skills in a content-based approach to learning involving critical thinking, questioning, discussion, reflection and analysis.

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All modules on this course are core and 20 credits unless otherwise stated

In this module, you will learn about the information governance and cyber security principles that underpin the management of an organisation’s information assets. You will critically analyse the key concepts, theories, standards and frameworks of information governance and security, including risk management.

It will enable you to evaluate an organisation’s current approach to information governance and cyber security. You will have the expertise to advise on the design and implementation of an appropriate strategy for managing an organisation’s information (ensuring all assets meet legal, regulatory, organisational and/or societal needs for information governance and cybersecurity).

In this module, you will develop new knowledge and skills in leadership in a digital context. You will conduct a self-analysis of your own leadership and team management competencies and identify strengthens and areas of improvements.

Leadership and team management capabilities are essential for your career development. They enable you to become competent at the visioning, development and deployment of technological strategies and responses to challenges and opportunities in complex operating environments.

In this module, you will develop a critical understanding of applied data science methods, techniques and tools. You will learn how to manage, manipulate and model data in its various forms and harness its potential for business intelligence.

We will look at scientific methods and the fundamental statistical approaches used for predictive modelling applied to real-world problem scenarios, using state of the art tools and technologies including the use of programming languages such as SQL, Python or similar, and tools such as Power BI, Tableau or similar.

In addition, we will investigate the visualisation of data and consider how the findings from data science projects can be communicated to various target audiences.

This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject-specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject area.

The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes.

You will gain practical skills in analysing source material and using it in seminars and academic writing, whilst advancing your language and communications skills to a higher level.

This module is designed to ensure you have the skills and knowledge to complete a postgraduate research project, relevant to Big Data and Data Science Technology and your career or future aspirations. As such, you will work closely with tutors and our careers and professional development specialists to consider the future opportunities post completion of your degree.  You will develop a career plan and reflect on your learning considering how your learning from this module and the programme can accelerate the achievement of this plan.

To further prepare you for your final research project, this module will familiarise you with the nature of research and project management and the processes involved. Research approaches and methods will be covered, including literature evaluation and review.

In this module, you will additionally explore and use several tools and techniques that are in use in the field of project management to ensure that projects are completed successfully.

This module provides you with in-depth coverage of fundamental concepts and principles of big data and the analytical techniques and technologies used for big data analytics.

Big data analytics relates to the use of advanced analytical techniques applied to vast volumes of rapidly changing diverse data sets to gain knowledge, insights and uncover hidden patterns from data. Such insights and knowledge provide a competitive advantage to businesses and organisations and also help them inform their decisions to transform their businesses.

You will develop the ability to apply statistical and big data science techniques to large-scale data sets by using a unified analytics framework and programming environment such as Jupiter Notebook, VS Code, Google Collaboratory, or similar.

You will learn how to analyse large organisational data assets (including text and web data) and create data-driven solutions to real-world problem scenarios to advance the knowledge base used for business intelligence.

The module aims to provide you with a critical review of the theory and practice of machine learning on the cloud platform. You will critically analyse the capabilities of machine learning and apply its methods and techniques to discover patterns for trends analysis.

The module will introduce you to neural networks and their implementation. You will train and deploy distributed machine learning models using cloud-based platforms such as Google Cloud or AWS or Microsoft Azure, or similar. You will develop skills on how to apply supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning using cloud platforms and tools such as TensorFlow or similar.

This module aims to enable you to undertake a substantial academic research project at the Masters level and present the results from this work in both written and oral forms. Your project itself will be a piece of independent and original research centred at the forefront of your programme discipline within the wider sphere of the computer science and digital technologies field.

You will experience the full life cycle of a research project- from initial conception and development of a research proposal, through a critical review of the literature, planning, design, implementation and analysis of your main research project, to final evaluation, reflection and dissemination.

You will be expected to consider and address the professional, ethical, legal and social issues related to this academic research project. You will also be expected to apply your expertise, project management and practical skills within your particular domain of computer science and digital technologies and demonstrate critical and innovative thinking and problem-solving within a research environment.

Your research proposal will normally have been produced as part of an earlier module on research and project planning but should be reviewed again at the start of the project phase to ensure it is still valid and appropriate.

The course information displayed on this page is correct for the academic year 2023/24. We aim to run the course as advertised however, changes may be necessary due to updates to the curriculum (due to academic or industry developments), student demand or UK compliance reasons.

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Tuition fees 2023/24

  • UK/Home: £9,960
  • International students: £19,000

Tuition fees 2024/25

  • UK/Home: £10,460
  • International students: £19,750

Please note that your tuition fees do not include the cost of course books that you may choose to purchase, stationery, printing and photocopying, accommodation, living expenses, travel or any other extracurricular activities. As a Northumbria University London Campus student, you will have full access to our online digital library with over 400,000 e-books and 50,000 electronic journals.

Information for international students

Northumbria University is committed to providing the best possible experience to all our students. To ensure you secure your place with us, we require our international students to pay a deposit towards their fees. More information can be found here.

Your tuition fees cover far more than your time in class with our expert academics, it covers the cost of providing you with excellent services and student experience.

  • Contact time in class – typically in lectures, seminars and tutorials
  • Access to facilities, including computers, on-campus Wi-Fi, printers, vending machines, quiet study spaces
  • The support of our Careers & Employment Service helps you to become more employable, secure placements and run workshops
  • Academic support – our ACE Team run multiple sessions on academic writing, presenting, exam techniques throughout the semester, as well as 1-2-1 appointments and drop-in sessions
  • Student support services such as our Ask4Help Service. Find out more about the services available to you on our Student Support page
  • Access to online resources, including 24/ 7 Library with over 400,000 e-books and 50,000 electronic journals.

Scholarships and bursaries for international students

If you are an international student and choose to study the full-time programme, you will be eligible for either our programme bursary or a country bursary, whichever is greater. High performing students may be eligible for an academic scholarship in addition.

Depending on the country you are from, you may be eligible for one of our country bursaries and/scholarships to help finance your studies.

All of our scholarships and bursaries are automatically applied when we process your application and our team will be able to confirm your eligibility.

London Cost of Living Bursary

Eligible international students will receive an automatic bursary for £1,334, covering one month’s living costs in London*, applied at the Conditional Offer as a fee discount. This bursary is effective for intakes in May 2024, September 2024, January 2025 and May 2025. This offer excludes Pre-sessional English, standalone Graduate Certificate programmes and sponsored applicants.

If you receive this bursary, you may still be eligible for additional bursaries and scholarships, these will be confirmed at the Unconditional Offer stage. Full maintenance costs still need to be evidenced when applying for your visa.

This bursary is only available for international students from specific countries. Please visit our Scholarships page for more information.

 

*As defined by UKVI

Scholarships and bursaries

Payment plans for self-funded students

If you need to spread the cost of your tuition, you may be eligible for our payment plan.

Payment plans

Government Loan for Masters study

If you are a UK/Home student, you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan of up to £10,000+ from the UK Government. Click here to find out more about the loan and whether you are eligible to receive it.

Postgraduate Loan

How to find out more

Enquire now to find out more information about the course, studying with us, the application process, and to ask any other questions you may have.

Enquire now

How to apply

Once you’re ready to apply, you can apply online to study 1 year MSc Big Data and Data Science Technology. This method allows you to upload your supporting documents at the time of application and automatically receive your student application number.

Apply for May 2024
Apply for 1 year MSc

 

Apply for September 2024
Apply for 1 year MSc

 

We strongly recommend that you submit your application as early as possible to allow you to complete all of the preparations needed to study your programme. After receiving an offer it can take time to arrange your finances and apply for your visa (if required) and it is important that you arrive in good time to enrol onto your course. Please refer to the Dates and Fees page.

You can check more information on how to apply here, including guidelines for the application forms.

Information For Disabled Applicants

At Northumbria University London we welcome applications from disabled students and are committed to ensuring an equal and accessible application journey. Your application will be considered on an equal basis to all other applications. Please contact us if you require any assistance. This website is continually optimised to adhere to accessibility best practice guidelines; tools to assist users with specific accessibility requirements have also been provided. More information is available in our accessibility statement.

 

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  • 1 year MSc
  • Advanced Practice

1 year MSc

Level of study:

Postgraduate

2023/24 Tuition fee:

UK/Home Fee: £9,960
International Fee: £19,000

Entry requirements:

Minimum 2:2 honours degree, or equivalent in any subject

English language requirements:

IELTS 6.5, with no single element below 5.5 or equivalent

Mode of study:

Full-time classroom

Duration:

1 year (up to 2 years with advanced practice)

Assessment methods:

Coursework

Scholarship or bursaries:

Available

Student finance:

Available

Payment plan:

Available

Starts:

January, May, September

Next application deadline

Advanced Practice

Level of study:

Postgraduate

2023/24 Tuition fee:

UK/Home Fee: £12,960
International Fee: £22,000

Entry requirements:

Minimum 2:2 honours degree, or equivalent in any subject

English language requirements:

IELTS 6.5, with no single element below 5.5, or equivalent

Mode of study:

advanced-practice

Duration:

16-24 months

Assessment methods:

Coursework

Scholarship or bursaries:

Not available

Student finance:

Available

Payment plan:

Available

Starts:

January, May, September

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