Masters Degrees (Data Visualisation)

Why take this course?

As a Data Visualisation Designer you can contribute innovative solutions with the potential to transform societal challenges, by designing the human interface to increasingly complex problems.

On this course, you will learn how to create rich and meaningful stories with data. We will study digital content in any mode, whether it is in alphanumeric form, binary, vector, pixel, video, or others. The designer provides an important interface, that allows us to explore data and generates meaningful communication. This communication is predominantly visual, but with developments in Wearables and the Internet of Things, is also becoming increasingly physical, affective, networked and interactive. Data Visualisation Design spans traditional graphic and information design, interaction design, information architecture, computational design, design thinking and user-centred and user experience design.

What will I experience?

On this course you can:

Learn the theory and practice of data visualisation, data, interface/interaction design and user experience, and apply this to your own design
Critically question the role of data related to the social, political, economic and cultural through contextual research
Explore live data sets from real world scenarios, such as industry or charities like the digital humanitarian network
Develop independent research and project ideas to create innovative, forward thinking design solutions and experiences for a digital and data driven world

What opportunities might it lead to?

The course will prepare you to work in the design disciplines of the creative industries, with a focus on data visualisation, information design, computational design, digital content, interactivity and user experience. Data Visualisation designers are in demand in sectors including business, research, health, education, government/public service, the arts.

The skills gained on this course can also be applied to employment in UI (user interface) design, or focus on interaction as a UX (User experience) designer. The critical and contextual outlook allows you to position yourself as a strategist and operate in a consultative manner. The research aspect of the course would also suit a career in compulsory, further and higher education.

Careers include:

Data Visualisation Design
Information Design
Digital Graphic Design
UI (user interface) / UX (user experience) design
Interaction design

Module Details

The course is offered over one year (full-time) or two years (part-time).

You will study five units, one of which is shared with other MA courses in the School of Art and Design. There will be preparatory units delivering a grounding in practical skills, theoretical context and academic research (competencies and skills). You will also study units that allow more thematic engagement with interactive and data driven design in terms of theory such as critical design, affordances, experience and complexity. It will also provide a unit oriented towards employability, and incorporate live briefs and group work. These units work to catalyse your own ideas and research direction for the Major Project unit.

Core units currently comprise:

A Question of Research
Fundamentals of Data and Interaction Design
Digital Futures – Themes and Issues in Practice
Design Solutions for Enterprise, Society and Culture
Major Project

Programme Details

The teaching combines interactive lectures and group seminar discussions with support through one-to-one tutorials. You also receive feedback on your work through friendly but critical peer review in group sessions with other students, members of faculty and other experts as appropriate. One of the units includes working as a team. Your project work emphasises self-initiated learning which gives you the freedom to explore the specialist area of your interest, while being helpfully guided by your supervisor. The curriculum is very closely related to the research areas in the department, so the staff have cutting edge knowledge of the field and its potential for innovation.

Your learning is mostly assessed through the submission of practical course work, such as digital prototypes, and the documentation of the learning journey in sketchbooks, diaries, blogs or journals.

This will be documenting contextual research as well as stages in practical experimentation and annotation of reflection. There are some written elements to be submitted as well, mostly accompanying proposals/reports to contextualise your practice. The assessment also includes individual and group presentations, this mode is also used to give you formative feedback on your work throughout.

Here's how we assess your work:

Digital artefacts / prototypes
Learning journals
Proposals
Reports
Oral presentation

Student Destinations

This course is an opportunity to focus your creative design practice on the interactive, data driven, user centred and culturally contextualised. It also enhances your design career by upgrading your skills and widening your knowledge and thinking in the digital arena, allowing you to stay one step ahead of the rest. The independent research aspect of the course prepares you for further education in terms of a research degree and employment in R&D and/or education.

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There has been a recent upsurge in commercial interest in the new role of "data scientist". A data scientist is a person who excels at manipulating and analysing data, particularly large data sets that don't fit easily into tabular structures (so-called "Big Data").

Why study Data Science at Dundee?

The School of Computing has been working on 'big data' and data analysis for at least five years; not only working with data but also developing new algorithms and techniques for data scientists. The School already runs the most successful Business Intelligence Masters course in the UK.

This course will be led by Professor Mark Whitehorn and Andy Cobley. Mark is an emeritus professor at the University of Dundee and also runs a successful consultancy company that specialises in BI, Data Sciences and analytics. Andy is the course organiser for both the existing BI course and the new Data Science course.

This course will enhance your employability by providing you with knowledge, skills and understanding of data science research and implementation. You will also acquire skills in the professional procedures necessary to ensure that data science research and implementation is both valid and actionable and engage with contemporary debate about the role, ethics and utility of data science in commercial and other settings.

What is the difference between Data Science and Business Intelligence?

There is clearly a huge overlap with Business Intelligence. A BI specialist will need to understand data and data analytics. However there is a bias towards understanding how data is stored in the current operational systems within an enterprise the design and the implementation of an analytical system such as a data warehouse. A data scientist will be less concerned with the construction of a data warehouse and more interested in the message the specific sets of data can deliver.

However, without some understanding of data warehouses the data scientist will find it difficult to interrogate the data for its secrets. For this reason there is overlap between the two courses.

If you already have a strong grounding in Business Intelligence and would like to upgrade your knowledge to include topics from the Data Science MSc, we offer the relevant Data Science modules either on a stand alone basis or as a PGCert.

What's so good about Data Science at Dundee?

Our facilities will give you 24-hour access to our award winning and purpose-built Queen Mother Building. It has an unusual mixture of lab space and breakout areas, with a range of conventional and special equipment for you to use. It's also easy to work on your own laptop as there is wireless access throughout the building. Our close ties to industry allows us access to facilities such as Windows Azure and Teradata, and university and industry standard software such as Tableau for you to evaluate and use.

A booming Postgraduate culture where the School of Computing maintains a friendly, intimate and supportive atmosphere, and we take pride in the fact that we know all of our students - you're far more than just a matriculation number to us. We have a thriving postgraduate department with regular seminars and guest speakers.

Duncan Ross (Director of Data Sciences at Teradata) has said that: "The first and most important trait is curiosity. Insane curiosity. In many walks of life evolution selects against the kind of person who decides to find out what happens 'if I push that button'. Data Science selects for it."

How you will be taught

The programme will be delivered by Prof. Mark Whitehorn with input from Andy Cobley, Yasmeen Ahmad, Chris Hillman and other specialists from within the School of Computing in an innovative blend of live co-presented master-classes, video seminars and recorded materials. A series of guest speakers from industry will provide case studies across both semesters.

The programme will be provided predominantly on-campus, with two intensive study weeks in each of the semesters. Other classes may be taken off-campus using the university’s VLE, remote desktop, Adobe Connect and video conferencing systems along with telephone conferencing.

What you will study

Semester 1
Big Data - 20 Credits
Business Intelligent Systems - 20 Credits
Data Analysis and Visualisation - 20 Credits

Semester 2
Analytical Database Models and Design - 20 Credits
Advanced statistics and data mining - 20 credits
MDX - 20 Credits

Semester 3
Data Science Mini Project - 20 credits (for Certificate)
Data Science Research Project - 60 credits

PGCert:
The PGCert is intended for students who have a strong grounding in Business Intelligence and would like to upgrade their knowledge to include topics from the Data Science MSc. The modules are available stand alone for those who want to take their time studying the material and perhaps build up to a PGCert.

The three modules that make up the PGCert are:
Big Data
Advanced Anlaysis
Mini Project

For more information about the content of the course, please visit the course webpage on the School of Computing website.

How you will be assessed

Assessment will be by examination, practical coursework and research project.

Careers

Various job sites now report an increase in jobs carrying the title of data scientist. Other career opportunities are in intelligence analysis, data management/database maintenance, data processing manager, database development and research, business intelligence consultant and more.

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What's the "sexiest job of the 21st century"? According to Harvard Business Review, it's data scientist. A job devoted to giving structure to large quantities of formless data. Ever-changing, ever-challenging big data.

The Master of Data Science (MDS) teaches you how to explore data and discover its potential – how to find innovative solutions to real problems in science, business and government, from technology start-ups to global organisations.With a degree in science, engineering, arts or computing, you can pursue a Master of Data Science, gaining skills in data management, data analytics and data processing – skills needed in this fast-growing field.

The MDS expands your knowledge of the analytical, organisational and computational aspects of data. You learn to manage data and gain an understanding of its impact on society.

The MDS caters to students from a variety of backgrounds by including foundation units in programming, databases and maths or statistics. However, if you have this background from previous studies or work experience, you may accelerate your study with an exemption from these units, or choose to take more data science electives.

The core coursework covers data science objectives, data analysis and data management. You then select data science electives such as applied data analysis, visualisation, data pre-processing, big data handling and data in society. You can also choose to take the Advanced Data Analytics stream where you build deeper skills in data analytics and machine learning.

Our highly regarded faculty takes great pride in developing the most up-to-date material while maintaining a solid core of established theory and platforms, including Python and R (two of the most popular open-source programming languages for data analysis), Hadoop and Spark (for distributed processing). You also gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art tools and get exposure to key industry players.

In your final semester, you may take part in an Industry Experience team project, working with industry mentors to develop data-driven IT solutions. Or you may undertake a minor-thesis research project, investigating cutting-edge problems under the supervision of internationally recognised researchers.

Visit the website http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2016/data-science-c6004?domestic=true

Course Structure

The course is structured in three parts, A, B and C. All students complete Part B (core studies). Depending upon prior qualifications, you may receive credit for Part A (foundation studies) or Part C (advanced studies) or a combination of the two.

Note that if you are eligible for credit for prior studies you may elect not to receive the credit.

PART A. Foundations for advanced data science studies
These studies will provide an orientation to the field of data science at graduate level. They are intended for students whose previous qualification is not in a cognate field.

PART B. Core Master's study
These studies draw on best practices within the broad realm of data science practice and research. You will gain a critical understanding of theoretical and practical issues relating to data science. Your study will focus on your choice either of data science or advanced data analytics.

PART C. Advanced practice
The focus of these studies is professional or scholarly work that can contribute to a portfolio of professional development. You have two options.

The first option is a program of coursework involving advanced study and an Industry experience studio project.

The second option is a research pathway including a thesis. Students wishing to use this Masters course as a pathway to a higher degree by research should take this second option.

Students admitted to the course, who have a recognised honours degree in a discipline cognate to data science, will receive credit for Part C, however, should they wish to complete a 24 point research project as part of the course they should consult with the course coordinator.

For more information visit the faculty website - http://www.study.monash/media/links/faculty-websites/information-technology

Find out how to apply here - http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2016/data-science-c6004?domestic=true#making-the-application

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The world is awash with data and much more is on the way, creating a tidal wave of Big Data. Data Engineers develop the infrastructure to store, manage, analyse this wave of data, to bridge the gap between Data and Computer Science. This unique course will give you the skills you’ll need to succeed as a Data Engineer.

Why study Data Engineering at Dundee?

The role of “Data Scientist” has been described as the “sexiest job of the 21st Century. However, there is a emerging a new role, that of Data Engineer as more companies are realising they need employees with specific skills to handle the amount of data that is being generated and the coming tidal wave from the Internet of Things.

This MSc has been created with industry input to prepare its students with the skills to handle this wave of data and to be at the forefront of its exploitation. Students on the sister programmes (“Data Science” and “Business Intelligence”) have gone on to work for some of the biggest companies in the industry and we are confident that graduates from this MSc will have the same success.

The School of Computing at the University of Dundee has been successfully offering related MSc programmes such as Business Intelligence and Data Science since 2010. These innovative programmes attract around 40 students per year, drawn from across Europe and Overseas.

What's so good about Data Engineering at Dundee?

Our facilities:
You will have 24-hour access to our award winning and purpose-built Queen Mother Building. It has an unusual mixture of lab space and breakout areas, with a range of conventional and special equipment for you to use. It's also easy to work on your own laptop as there is wireless access throughout the building. Our close ties to industry allows us access to facilities such as Windows Azure and Teradata, and university and industry standard software such as Tableau for you to evaluate and use.

Special features

The University of Dundee has close ties with the Big Data industry, including Teradata, Datastax and Microsoft. We have worked with SAS, Outplay, Tag, GFI Max, BrightSolid and BIPB, and our students have enjoyed guest lectures from Big Data users such as O2, Sainsbury’s, M&S and IBM.

You will be able to work with a range of leading researchers and tutors, including top vision and imaging researchers and BI experts. Our honorary staff include legal experts, entrepreneurs and renowned industry experts such as John Richards of the newly formed IBM Watson Group.

How you will be taught

The course will be taught by staff of the School of Computing. Depending on the modules you take this will include Andy Cobley, Professor Mark Whitehorn, and Professor Stephen McKenna.

What you will study

The course will be taught in 20 credit modules with a 60 credit dissertation. Students will require to complete 180 credits for the award of the MSc (including 60 credits for the dissertation). Students completing 120 credits (without the dissertation) will be eligible for a Postgraduate Diploma.

Course content

Each module on the course is designed to give the student the skills and understanding they need to succeed in the Data Engineering/ Science field. Content on the course includes (but is not limited to):

CAP theorem
Lamda Architecture
Cassandra, Neo4j and other nosql databases
The Storm distributed real time computation system
Hadoop, HDFS, MapReduce, and other Hadoop/SQL technologies
Spark and Shark frameworks
Data Engineering languages such as Python, erlang, R, Matlab
Vision systems, which are becoming increasingly important in data engineering for extracting features from large quantities of images such as from traffic, medical and industrial
RDBMS systems which will continue to play an important role in data handing and storage. You will be expected to research the history of RDMBS and delve in to the internals of modern systems
OLAP cubes and Business Intelligence systems, which can be the best and quickest way to extract information from data stores
Goals of machine learning and data mining
Clustering: K-means, mixture models, hierarchical
Dimensionality reduction and visualisation
Inference: Bayes, MCMC
Perceptrons, logistic regression, neural networks
Max-margin methods (SVMs)
Mining association rules
Bayesian networks

How you will be assessed

The course is assessed through a combination of examinations, coursework, presentations and interviews. Each module is different: for instance the Big data module has 40% coursework, consisting of Erlang programming and a presentation on nosql databases, along with an examination worth 60%.

Careers

Our experience suggests that graduates of this course will have most impact in the following areas:

Cloud and web based industries that handle large volumes of fast moving data that need to be stored, analysed and maintained. Examples include the publishing industry (paper, TV and internet), messaging services, data aggregators and advertising services

Internet of Things. A large amount of data is being generated by devices (robotic assembly lines, home power management, sensors etc.) all of which needs to be stored and analysed.

Health. The NHS (and others) are starting to store and analyse patient data on an unprecedented scale. The healthcare industry is also combining data sources from a large number of databases to improve patient well-being and health outcomes

Games industry. The games industry records an extraordinary amount of data about its customers' play activities, all of which needs to be stored and analysed. This course will equip students with the knowledge and skill to engage with the industry.

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Have you ever wanted to ‘Mung’ data? Apply Machine Learning techniques? Search for hidden patterns? Be part of Big Data?

This course is your opportunity to specialize as a Data Scientist, one of the most in demand roles across all sectors including health, retail, and energy. Companies such as Google and Microsoft, and also public organisations such as the NHS are struggling to fill their vacancies in this field due to a lack of suitably qualified people. This course is unique in the UK in that it has been developed as a MSc conversion course – if you have a good honours degree in any discipline with a demonstrable mathematical aptitude, an enquiring mind, a practical and analytical approach to problem solving, and an ambition for a career in data science; then this course is for you.

Key benefits

• We welcome applications from students who may not have formal/traditional entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully.

• The Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process could help you to make your work and life experience count. The APL process can be used for entry onto courses or to give you exemptions from parts of your course.

• Two forms of APL may be used for entry: the Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) or the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

Visit the website: http://www.salford.ac.uk/pgt-courses/msc-data-science

Course detail

During your time with us, you will develop an awareness of the latest developments in the fields of Data Science and Big Data including advanced databases, data mining and big data tools such as Hadoop. You will also gain substantial knowledge and skills with the SAS business intelligence software suite due to the partnership of the University with the SAS Student Academy.

This course covers a very comprehensive range of topics split in to four large modules worth 30 credits each plus the MSc Project. External speakers from blue-chip and local companies will give seminars to complement your learning, that will be real-world case studies related to the subjects you are studying in your modules. These are designed to improve the breadth of your learning and could lead to ideas that you can develop for your MSc Project.

Suitable For

Students who want to become trained professionals in:

• Data Science and Analysis Consultancy
• Implementing and designing Big Data platforms ie Data Warehouses, Hadoop, NoSQL databases
• Modelling and Visualisation of data

Format

The course is focused around the underpinning knowledge and practical skills needed for employment within the data sciences industry. There will be 22 hours of lectures; 11 hours of tutorials and 22 hours workshops; 2 hours of examination-based assessment; and 245 hours of independent study, assessed coursework and preparation for examination. This makes a total of 300 hours total learning experience.

• Lectures will be used to introduce ideas, and to stimulate group discussions.
• Tutorials will be used to develop problem solving strategies and to provide practice and feedback with scenarios to help with exam preparation.
• Workshops will be used to develop expertise in SAS tools, by analysing example datasets of increasing complexity.

Modules

• Principles of Data Science
• Advanced Databases
• Applied Statistics and Data Mining
• Big Data Tools and Techniques

Assessment

• 50% of the assessment will comprise a practical project where students will be given some data, will devise and carry out an analysis strategy and will present their interpretations and explain their strategy.
• 50% will comprise an examination, which will assess more theoretical aspects of the course and will explore students’ immediate response to unseen scenarios or data.

Career Prospects

A recent report by e-Skills and SAS (Big Data Analytics: An assessment of the demand for labour and skills, 2012-1017) indicates the demand forecast for staff with big data skills is predicted to ”rise by 92% between 2012 and 2017, and by 2017 there will be at least 28,000 job openings for big data staff in the UK each year…”

With this qualification, you’ll be equipped with the skill set and technical knowledge relevant for the data science and big data job market.

How to apply: http://www.salford.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying

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Data science is an emerging new area of science. With City’s MSc in Data Science you can develop the skills and knowledge to analyse data in many forms and communicate insights.

Who is it for?

This programme is for students who have a numerate first degree or can demonstrate numerate skills. Students are often at the early stages of their careers in diverse professions including economics, statistics and computer science.

Students will have a curiosity about data, and will want to learn new techniques to boost their career and be part of exciting current industry developments. The MSc in Data Science includes some complex programming tasks because of the applied nature of the course, so many students have a mathematics or statistics background and enjoy working with algorithms.

Objectives

The demand for data scientists in the UK has grown more than ten-fold in the past five years *. The amount of data in the world is growing exponentially. From analysing tyre performance to detecting problem gamblers, wherever data exists, there are opportunities to apply it.

City’s MSc Data Science programme covers the intersection of computer science and statistics, machine learning and practical applications. We explore areas such as visualisation because we believe that data science is about generating insight into data as well as its communication in practice.

The programme focuses on machine learning as the most exciting technology for data and we have learned from our own graduates that this is of high value when it comes to employment within the field. At City, we have excellent expertise in machine learning and the facilities students need to learn the technical aspects of data analysis. We also have a world-leading centre for data visualisation, where students get exposed to the latest developments on presenting and communicating their results – a highly sought after skill.

Placements

There is the opportunity to do an internship as part of the programme. The final project, which is normally three months for a full-time student, can be extended to six months if you want to study within a specific organisation. When it comes to the big data and data science area, we have established relationships with organisations including the BBC, Microsoft and The British Library so you can be confident that with City, your access to professional experience is unparalleled. One recent student undertook an internship with Google and has since secured a job within the company.

Academic facilities

The School's computer science laboratories are equipped with the latest up-to-date hardware and software. From Oracle’s leading commercial object-relational database server to PCs with state-of-the-art NVidia GPUs for computer graphics, you will have access to an array of tools to support your learning.

The MSc Data Science programme offers two (three by mid 2016) dedicated computer servers for the Big Data module, which you can also use for your final project to analyse large data sets. We give you the opportunity to undertake training in MATLAB, the most popular numerical and technical programming environment, while you study.

Scholarships

A scholarship for the full fees of the MSc will be offered to an outstanding applicant. The scholarship is available to UK/EU and overseas students, studying full-time. To be considered for the scholarship, please include with your full application a one-page essay with your answer to the question:

'What are the challenges that Data Science faces and how would you address those challenges?'

The submission deadline for anyone wishing to be considered for the scholarship is: 1 MAY 2017

Teaching and learning

The teaching and learning methods we use mean that students’ specialist knowledge and autonomy increase as they progress through each module. Active researchers guide your progress in the areas of machine learning, data visualization, and high-performance computing, which culminates with an individual project. This is an original piece of research conducted with academic supervision, but largely independently and, where appropriate, in collaboration with industrial partners.

Taught modules are delivered through a series of 20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of tutorials/laboratory sessions. Lectures are normally used to:
-Present and exemplify the concepts underpinning a particular subject.
-Highlight the most significant aspects of the syllabus.
-Indicate additional topics and resources for private study.

Tutorials help you develop the skills to apply the concepts we have covered in the lectures. We normally achieve this through practical problem solving contexts.

Laboratory sessions give you the opportunity to apply concepts and techniques using state-of-the-art software, environments and development tools.

In addition to lectures, laboratory sessions and tutorial support, you also have access to a personal tutor. This is an academic member of staff from whom you can gain learning support throughout your degree. In addition, City’s online learning environment Moodle contains resources for each of the modules from lecture notes and lab materials, to coursework feedback, model answers, and an interactive discussion forum.

We expect you to study independently and complete coursework for each module. This should amount to approximately 120 hours per module if you are studying full time. Each module is assessed through a combination of written examination and coursework, where you will need to answer theoretical and practical questions to demonstrate that you can analyse and apply data science methods and techniques.

The individual project is a substantial task. It is your opportunity to develop a research-related topic under the supervision of an academic member of staff. This is the moment when you can apply what you have learnt to solve a real-world problem using large datasets from industry, academia or government and use your knowledge of collecting and processing real data, designing and implementing big data methods and applying and evaluating data analysis, visualisation and prediction techniques. At the end of the project you submit a substantial MSc project report, which becomes the mode of assessment for this part of the programme.

Course content

Data science is the area of study concerned with the extraction of insight from large collections of data.

The course covers the study, integration and application of advanced methods and techniques from:
-Data analysis and machine learning
-Data visualisation and visual analytics
-High-performance, parallel and distributed computing
-Knowledge representation and reasoning
-Neural computation
-Signal processing
-Data management and information retrieval.

It gives you the opportunity to specialise so, once you graduate, you can apply data science to any sector from health to retail. By engaging with researchers and industrial partners during the programme, you can develop your knowledge and skills within a real-world context in each of the above areas.

Core modules
-Principles of data science (15 credits)
-Machine learning (15 credits)
-Big Data (15 credits)
-Neural computing (15 credits)
-Visual analytics (15 credits)
-Research methods and professional issues (15 credits)

Elective modules
-Advanced programming: concurrency (15 credits)
-Readings in computer science (15 credits)
-Advanced databases (15 credits)
-Information retrieval (15 credits)
-Data visualisation (15 credits)
-Digital signal processing and audio programming (15 credits)
-Cloud computing (15 credits)
-Computer vision (15 credits)
-Software agents (15 credits)

Individual project - (60 credits)

Career prospects

From health to retail, and from the IT industry to government, the Data Science MSc will prepare you for a successful career as a data scientist. You will graduate with specialist skills in data acquisition, information extraction, aggregation and representation, data analysis, knowledge extraction and explanation, which are in high demand.

City's unique internships, our emphasis on machine learning and visual analytics, together with our links with the industry and Tech City, should help you gain employment as a specialist in data analysis and visualization. Graduates starting a new business can benefit from City's London City Incubator and City's links with Tech City, providing support for start-up businesses.

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This Masters degree provides you with a strong conceptual and theoretical understanding of big data analytics. You will gain the essential skills and confidence required to apply and produce knowledge and understanding of issues surrounding big data analytics in a range of contexts. This will enable you to evaluate, adapt, create and utilise appropriate models, methods, practices, theories and computational techniques in the face of changing and evolving technology. There is the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of visualisation concepts, modelling and algorithmic foundations, as well as to develop and evaluate new or advanced bespoke solutions for processing, analysing and making sense of big and/or complex data. The programme enables you concentrate on a specific practical area within computer science and is suitable whether you are a recent graduate or already working in the IT industry and looking to change career paths.

What will I study?

Gaining an in-depth and systematic knowledge of big data management theories, concepts, methodologies and professional practice, you will develop a systematic and critical understanding of algorithms and programming techniques for processing, storing, analysing, visualising and interpreting data.

You will learn the practical skills of mathematics that underpin the processing of data, the programming applications required to manage big data, and the visualisation techniques necessary to make sense of large data sets. There will also be the opportunity to work with emerging technologies derived from industry.

How will I study?

The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials with a mixture of daytime and evening classes. Sessions will frequently be highly interactive with a focus on the practical application of concepts and the use of case studies drawn from real life. An emphasis on small group sizes ensures that you will have plenty of opportunities for individual discussions with your tutors. Typically, you will study for approximately nine hours a week if you are studying on a full-time basis.

How will I be assessed?

Your vocational capability, academic critical thinking and intellectual development will be assessed throughout the course. This is achieved through a combination of coursework, case studies, problem-solving exercises and examinations. You may be assessed individually or as part of a group.

Who will be teaching me?

You will be taught by highly qualified, experienced and enthusiastic academic staff who are research-active and fully engaged with the wider business and academic community. The programme team specialise in a variety of subjects so you will benefit from a wide range of expertise. There will also be occasional input from external IT professionals who will be invited to teach particular sessions.

What are my career prospects?

As organisations become ever more dependent on data, there are increasing opportunities in specialist positions related to obtaining, processing and visualising data.

The MSc Big Data Analytics provides you with the skills and knowledge to develop your interests for a career in data science. You will be ideally placed to progress into roles where you will work as a data scientist or data analyst.

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Big data is becoming more and more important in fields from science to marketing, engineering medicine and government. This programme will equip you with specialist knowledge in this exciting field and allow you to explore a range of advanced topics in computer science.

You’ll gain a foundation in topics like systems programming and algorithms, as well as the basics of machine learning and knowledge representation. You’ll also choose from optional modules focusing on topics like image analysis or text analytics, or broaden your approach with topics like cloud computing.

As one of the few schools with expertise covering text, symbolic and scientific/numerical data analysis, we can provide a breadth of expertise to equip you with a variety of skills – and you’ll work as an integral member of one of our research groups when you develop your main project. We also have close links with the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics which is at the forefront of big data research.

Specialist facilities

You’ll benefit from world-class facilities to support your learning. State-of-the-art visualisation labs including a powerwall, a benchtop display with tracking system, WorldViz PPT optical tracking system and Intersense InertiaCube orientation tracker are all among the specialist facilities we have within the School of Computing.

We also have Ascension Flock of Birds tracking systems, three DOF and 6DOF Phantom force feedback devices, Twin Immersion Corp CyberGloves, a cloud computing testbed, rendering cluster and labs containing both Microsoft and Linux platforms among others. It’s an exciting environment in which to gain a range of skills and experience cutting-edge technology.

Course content

Core modules in Semester 1 will lay the foundations of the programme by giving you an understanding of the key topics of algorithms and systems programming, as well as the basic principles of automated reasoning, machine learning and how computers can be made to represent knowledge.

From there you’ll have the chance to tailor your studies to suit your own preferences. You’ll choose from a wide range of optional modules on diverse topics such as image analysis, cloud computing, semantic technologies and developing mobile apps.

Over the summer months you’ll also work on your research project. This gives you the chance to work as an integral part of one of our active research groups, focusing on a specialist topic in computer science and selecting the appropriate research methods.

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the Advanced Computer Science (Data Analytics) module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Machine Learning 10 credits
• Big Data Systems 15 credits
• Data Science 15 credits
• MSc Project 60 credits

Optional modules

• Web Services and Web Data 10 credits
• Distributed Systems 10 credits
• Mobile Application Development 10 credits
• Information Visualization 10 credits
• User Adaptive Intelligent Systems 10 credits
• Data Mining and Text Analytics 10 credits
• Combinatorial Optimisation 10 credits
• Secure Computing 10 credits
• Graph Algorithms and Complexity Theory 10 credits
• Bio-Inspired Computing 15 credits
• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning 15 credits
• Algorithms 15 credits
• Parallel and Concurrent Programming 15 credits
• Data Mining and Text Analytics 15 credits
• Cloud Computing 15 credits
• Semantic Technologies and Applications 15 credits
• Image Analysis 15 credits
• Scheduling 15 credits
• Scientific Computation 15 credits
• Graph Theory: Structure and Algorithms 15 credits

Learning and teaching

Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings.

Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.

Projects

The professional project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.

Recent projects for MSc Advanced Computer Science students have included:

• Text mining of e-health patient records
• Java-based visualization on ultra-high resolution displays
• Data mining of sports performance data
• Contour topology
• Efficient computation for simulating tumour growths

A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and can include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.

Career opportunities

Computing is an essential component of nearly every daily activity, from the collection, transformation, analysis and dissemination of information in business, through to smart systems embedded in commodity devices, the image processing used in medical diagnosis and the middleware that underpins distributed technologies like cloud computing and the semantic web.

This programme will give you the practical skills to gain entry into many areas of applied computing, working as application developers, system designers and evaluators; but further, links between the taught modules and our research provide our students with added strengths in artificial intelligence, intelligent systems, distributed systems, and the analysis of complex data. As a result, you’ll be well prepared for a range of careers, as well as further research at PhD level.

Graduates have found success in a wide range of careers working as business analysts, software engineers, wed designers and developers, systems engineers, information analysts and app developers. Others have pursued roles in consultancy, finance, marketing and education, or set up their own businesses.

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Programme description

Animation is a fantastically diverse medium, and its possibilities are expanding continually. Animators are dealing with new platforms for delivery, new technologies for production and new audiences as the theories and contexts of animation are being developed and understood.

Animation has become an integral element of most feature production through VFX pipelines, documentary production through the use of data visualisation and improved compositing techniques, and a vital part of any interactive production.

In order to address the wide range of potential interests within the discipline of animation, our courses are non-prescriptive in terms of methodology and output and take advantage of extensive classical and digital technical resources.

A large part of your research work on the course will relate to both your chosen way of working and how to position yourself in the wider milieu of animation. You will develop an awareness of how to affect dynamic transformation and movement, whether it’s upon a product, an environment, a data set or a film narrative. You will be required to be resourceful, critical, and above all independent.

Programme structure

*Please note that the one year MA is under review for 2017/18. Applications are currently being accepted for the two year MFA only.

The main focus of your programme, whether you apply for the one year MA or the two year MFA, will be the production of a short animated film. Although there is no set limit, most students produce a piece of between five and 12 minutes in length. This will be part of a substantive body of practical and written work that will also be submitted for assessment.

The one year MA is best suited to candidates who already have experience of studying at ECA.

The two year MFA allows more time to experiment, and importantly, to explore the new opportunities that Edinburgh offers as a location in which to base your studies, and to allow possible participation in the events of the Edinburgh Festival.

While the MA can be completed as a standalone degree in one year, continuation to the MFA is possible. Both programmes include a combination of practical studio work, theory, written studies, professional practice preparation, and a lecture/seminar series, which explores the wider context of your discipline.

It is important to mention that neither of our postgraduate programmes are focused on a particular piece of software, or a particular technique. To this end it is vital that you have some experience of film making before you consider studying with us for either an MA or MFA, we would expect this to be evident in your application portfolio.

Career opportunities

Our graduates find work in four main arenas: animation for cinema, broadcast and web platforms; interactive animation; compositing and visual effects; and data visualisation. Many of our graduates have gone on to careers as award winning independent filmmakers or have followed the studio route and worked with companies such as the BBC, Channel 4, Rushes, Aardman, Laika, Passion Pictures, KoLik, and Nexus Productions, or with directors such as Tim Burton and Sylvain Chomet.

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About the Course

1. Big Challenges being addressed by this programme – motivation

• Globally, there is a reported shortage of data analytics talent, particularly of individuals with the required deep technical and analytical skills.
• Accenture, Gartner and McKinsey have all identified Data Analytics as one of the fastest growing employment areas in computing and one most likely to make an impact in the future.
• The Irish Government’s policy is for Ireland to become a leading country in Europe for big data and analytics, which would result in 21,000 potential new employment opportunities in Ireland alone.
• CNN has listed jobs in this area in their Top 10 best new jobs in America.

2. Programme objectives & purpose

This is an advanced programme that provides Computing graduates with advanced knowledge and skills in the emerging growth area of Data Analytics. It includes advanced topics such as Large-Scale Data Analytics, Information Retrieval, Advanced Topics in Machine Learning and Data Mining, Natural Language Processing, Data Visualisation and Web-Mining. It also includes foundational modules in topics such as Statistics, Regression Analysis and Programming for Data Analytics. Students on the programme further deepen their knowledge of Data Analytics by working on a project either in conjunction with a research group or with an industry partner.

Graduates will be excellently qualified to pursue careers in national and multinational industries in a wide range of areas. Our graduates currently work for companies as diverse as IBM, SAP, Cisco, Avaya, Google, Fujitsu and Merck Pharmaceuticals as well as many specialised companies and startups. Opportunities will be found in:
• Multinational companies, in Ireland and elsewhere, that provide services and solutions for analytics and big data or whose business depend on analytics and big data technologies;
• Innovative small to medium-sized companies and leading-edge start-ups who provide analytics solutions, services and products or use data analytics to develop competitive advantage
• Companies looking to extend their research and development units with highly trained data analytic specialists
• PhD-level research in NUI Galway, elsewhere in Ireland, or abroad

3. What’s special about CoEI/NUIG in this area:

• The MSc in Computer Science (Data Analytics) is being delivered by the Discipline of Information Technology in collaboration with the Insight Centre for Data Analytics (http://insight-centre.org) and with input from the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics in NUI Galway
• The Discipline of Information Technology at NUI Galway has 25-year track record of education, academic research, and industry collaboration in the field of Computer Science
• The Insight centre at NUI Galway is Europe’s largest research centre for Data Analytics

4. Programme Structure – ECTS weights and split over semester; core/elective, etc.:

• 90ECTS programme
• one full year in duration, beginning September and finishing August
• comprises:
- Foundational taught modules (20 ECTS)
- Advanced taught modules (40 ECTS)
- Research/Industry Project (30 ECTS).

5. Programme Content – module names

Sample Foundational Modules:

• Tools and Techniques for Large Scale Data Analytics
• Programming for Data Analytics
• Machine Learning and Data Mining
• Modern Information Management
• Probability and Statistics
• Discrete Mathematics
• Applied Regression Models
• Digital Signal Processing

Sample Advanced Modules:

• Advanced Topics in Machine Learning and Information Retrieval
• Web Mining and Analytics
• Systems Modelling and Simulation
• Natural Language Processing
• Data Visualisation
• Linked Data Analytics
• Case Studies in Data Analytics
• Embedded Signal Analysis and Processing

6. Testimonials

Ms. Gofran Shukair, MSc, Research Engineer at ZenDesk, Ireland

After graduating with an MSc at NUI Galway, Gofran worked with Fujitsu’s Irish Research Lab as a research engineer before moving to a software engineering position at Zendesk, Ireland.

“The mix of technical and soft skills I gained through my Masters studies at NUI Galway is invaluable. I had the chance to work with great people and to apply my work on real world problems. With the data management and analysis skills I gained, I am currently pursuing my research in an international research project with one of the leading IT companies. I will be always thankful for studying at NUI Galway, a great historic place based in a culturally-rich vibrant city with an international mix of young and ambitious students that made me eager to learn and contribute back the moment I graduated.”

For further details

visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/msc-in-computer-science-data-analytics.html

How to Apply:

Applications are made online via the Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC) https://www.pac.ie
Please use the following PAC application code for your programme:

M.Sc. Computer Science – Data Analytics - PAC code GYE06

Scholarships :

Please visit our website for more information on scholarships: http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/internationalpostgraduatestudents/feesandscholarships/

Visit the M.Sc. Computer Science – Data Analytics page on the National University of Ireland, Galway web site for more details!

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The field of computer science has produced some of the most significant advances in modern technology over the last three decades and radically transformed business and industry practices on a global scale. There is a profound need for postgraduate-level practitioners in this discipline.

Why Study Advanced Computer Science with us?

Taught at our Thornton Science Park near Chester, this course focuses on the Department of Computer Science’s strengths, providing a cutting-edge curriculum in medical graphics, data visualisation, cybersecurity, discrete optimisation and image processing, in addition to core computer science topics such as algorithm design.

There is also a monthly seminar programme in which leading experts present recent findings and introduce contemporary developments in the above and other areas.

The Department’s commitment to part-time, evening delivery (as an additional alternative to full-time delivery) is particularly attractive to those in employment wishing to gain a postgraduate qualification. This provision is rare among competing institutions and one that has been successfully delivered at Chester for many years.

What will I learn?

The course has a core theme addressing advanced issues in software and algorithmic development, which will equip you to deal with complex problems using a wide range of contemporary techniques. Additionally, the development of a rigorous approach to research and original enquiry will be fostered in our Research Methods and Research Dissertation modules.

Optional modules cover a range of applied topics where the Department has expertise, including data visualisation, virtual reality, computer vision and cybersecurity.

How will I be taught?

The course will be delivered at our modern facilities at Thornton Science Park, which include a VR laboratory, high performance computing facility and cybersecurity laboratories.

You will be taught using a mixture of lectures, workshops, seminars and case studies.
There are 7½ contact hours per week, and you will be expected to undertake 30 hours of private study per week.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment takes place using roughly 30% exams and 70% coursework, although the precise ratio depends on module choices.

Postgraduate Visit Opportunities

If you are interested in this courses we have a number of opportunities to visit us and our campuses. To find out more about these options and to book a visit, please go to: https://www1.chester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-visit-opportunities

Request a Prospectus

If you would like to know more about the University please request a prospectus at: http://prospectus.chester.ac.uk/form.php

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Train to become a data analyst in a growing industry by studying techniques such as data mining, statistical modelling, business intelligence and data visualisation. Study on a course which has been developed with direct input from industry experts who will bring real life business case scenarios to you.

More about this course

This specialist advanced course will equip students with the theoretical, technical and practical data analytics competencies required in an area of economic growth. The course curriculum content has been developed with direct input from industry experts and utilises specialist software tools and techniques. Students’ experience of the course will be enriched with exposure to real life business case scenarios brought to them by skilled professionals in industry.

The specialist nature of the course will allow students to explore and experience advanced techniques in data science. Students will acquire practical skills, often first-hand from an external practitioners, preparing them for employment as data analysts. Students will also be trained in the use of software tools and environments currently used by the industry sector. For example, students on this course will have exposure to R and Python programming, IBM SPSS, SAS®, Tableau, Oracle and Hadoop.

A range of assessment methods are used on the course, including written reports, practical and research assignments, demonstrations, presentations, group work and examinations.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2016/17 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:
-Data Analysis and Visualization (core, 20 credits)
-Data Mining for Business Intelligence (core, 20 credits)
-Data Modelling and OLAP Techniques for Data Analytics (core, 20 credits)
-MSc Project (core, 60 credits)
-Programming for Data Analytics (core, 20 credits)
-Statistical Modelling and Forecasting (core, 20 credits)
-Financial Mathematics (option, 20 credits)
-Work Related Learning (option, 20 credits)

After the course

On completion of the course graduates will be well equipped to work in some of the fastest growing sectors of the data science and big data industries. The course offers wide-ranging career opportunities in the commercial industry, public and financial services, especially in areas requiring big data analysis such as consumer, healthcare, scientific, financial, security intelligence, business and social sciences.

Job roles include data scientist, data analyst, digital analyst, big data consultant, statistical analyst and data modeller. Graduates will be eligible to work as data analysts or data scientists in a multitude of areas where skills such as R or Python programming, machine learning and statistical modelling, SAS® and SPSS experience, data visualisation and data-driven decision-making are required.

The course also provides an excellent basis for further study for those wishing to pursue a higher-level research degree or embark on an industry-based research career.

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Our IT systems and devices are constantly creating data and the amount of data created and stored grows exponentially. Data, and in particular patterns and trends within data, have the ability to inform and provide valuable insights, that help us predict and diagnose specific outcomes. Whilst the amount of data grows, the science of gaining insights from this data grows with it. Industry, research institutions and government all seek to extract value from data to improve products and services, serve their customers better and run more operationally efficient organisations. Specialists in Business Intelligence use their mathematical, computational and presentational skills to mine data from enterprise information systems and elsewhere for value and their skills are highly sort after. There is a significant shortage of skilled Business Intelligence specialists and so there are many job opportunities available.

We have designed this MSc course in consultation with industry partners.

Having this close understanding of what industry needs makes this course relatively unique and the very best suited to those looking for a career in helping businesses to make better decisions.

The course will be of specific interest to :

A mathematics graduate wishing to use your skills in a vocational business based environment
A computer science graduate wishing to follow a vocational route
Individuals currently working in Business and looking to grow their career through gaining Data Science and Business Analytics skills
We have developed a number of modules to make up this MSc:

Business Intelligence Foundation
Managing Data and Data Warehousing
Data Exploration and Analysis
Statistics and Operational Research
Operations Management and Performance Improvement (option)
Data Visualisation and Presentation (option)
Business Decision Making (option)
The 1 year full time MSc course will be stimulating and interactive, making use of lectures, self-learning, workshops and hands-on projects.

You will be assigned a Personal Tutor from the start of your course who will work with you throughout your studies to help you achieve your academic best.

The knowledge we provide you with in these areas will give you all of the essential know-how on methods, tools and techniques to deliver in your career in Business Intelligence.

The modules will be focused on the practical application of theoretical concepts using a range of contemporary enterprise management knowledge systems.

The project work we have imbedded within the course has been chosen and developed based on real-world scenarios across a range of industry and government sectors and is specifically designed to:

Provide an essential link between your theoretical learning and real-world challenges
Create an environment where you decide the methods and tools best suited to the challenge based on what you have learnt
Recreate some of the challenges facing industry today and those very similar to what you will encounter in the workplace
Be adaptable to reflect new methods / tools and scenarios in this fast developing discipline
Be able upon completion of the projects to reference your experience in working with such challenges
Fees for 2017

Home fees - 1 year full-time: £8000.00

International fees: £10,920.00

Our facilities
You will undertake your workshops in training rooms that are bang up-to-date with design features, touch screen electronic white boards and high speed wifi; housed across three stunning Georgian mansions.

All of our current students love the learning environment, the culture, camaraderie and the fact that tutors know them by name so they are more than just a ‘face in the crowd’.

You will have access to the very best IT facilities in order to support your studies.

These range from computer labs to access to cloud analytics from the leading providers.

We will use software from the academic programs of the major enterprise I.T. vendors such as IBM and SAP as well as commonly used open source programs and frameworks.

From September 2018, many of the teaching sessions will take place in the purpose-built Engineering and Digital Technology building in the Bognor Regis campus.

What's more, you have lots of other facilities on this dedicated university campus including latest books, journals and online data in a truly modern library, an IT centre, a student zone complete with Costa Coffee, a gym and much more.

Where this can take you
The course has been designed to provide you with a very practical understanding of the issues associated with sourcing, curating, analysing and presenting data in business and other public sector and not-for-profit organisations. On completion of your MSc studies and successful graduation, you will have very transferable skills and can choose to move directly in to the workplace.

Indicative modules
Business Intelligence Foundation (20 Credits)
Managing Data and Data Warehousing (20 Credits)
Data Exploration and Analysis (20 Credits)
Statistics and Operational Research (20 Credits)
Operations Management and Performance Improvement (option) (20 Credits)
Data Visualisation and Presentation (option) (20 Credits)
Business Decision Making (option) (20 Credits)
Dissertation/Project (60 Credits)
Teaching and Assessment
Our approach to supporting your learning, and how your learning is assessed, is designed to mirror the workplace environment. With this in mind, key features of our approach to learning and assessment include the following:

We place a lot of emphasis on course work related activity.
Opportunities to work with organisations on current commercial/business problems and projects. These experiences are used to provide the basis for assessments that enable you to apply your learning within authentic commercial situations.

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Our IT systems and devices are constantly creating data and the amount of data created and stored grows exponentially. Data, and in particular patterns and trends within data, have the ability to inform and provide valuable insights, that help us predict and diagnose specific outcomes. Whilst the amount of data grows, the science of gaining insights from this data grows with it. Industry, research institutions and government all seek to extract value from data to improve products and services, serve their customers better and run more operationally efficient organisations. Data Scientists use their mathematical, computational and presentational skills to mine data for value and their skills are highly sort after. There is a significant shortage of skilled Data Scientists and so there are many job opportunities available.

Course content
We have designed this MSc course in consultation with industry partners.

This has enabled us to understand their needs for Data Scientists, what skills will be required and on successful completion of this course individuals will be highly employable within businesses.

Having this close understanding of what industry needs makes this course relatively unique and the very best suited to these looking for a career in the Data Sciences.

The course will be of specific interest to :

A mathematics graduate wishing to use your skills in a vocational business based environment
A computer science graduate wishing to follow a vocational route
Individuals currently working in Business and looking to grow their career through gaining Data Science and Business Analytics skills
Six modules go to make up this MSc:

Data Science Foundation
Managing Data
Data Exploration and Analysis
Mathematics
Machine Learning & Cognitive Computing
Data Visualisation and Presentation
The 1 year full time MSc course will be stimulating and interactive, making use of lectures, self-learning, workshops and hands-on projects.

You will be assigned a Personal Tutor from the start of your course who will work with you throughout your studies to help you achieve your academic best.

The knowledge we provide you with in these areas will give you all of the essential know-how on methods, tools and techniques to deliver in your career as a Data Scientist.

We believe Data Science is very much an intellectual ‘contact sport’ and through this course we provide you with every opportunity to put your theoretical knowledge into practice.

The project work we have imbedded within the course has been chosen and developed based on real-world scenarios across a range of industry and government sectors and is specifically designed to:

Provide an essential link between your theoretical learning and real-world challenges
Create an environment where you decide the methods and tools best suited to the challenge based on what you have learnt
Recreate some of the challenges facing industry and Government today and those very similar to what you will encounter in the workplace as a Data Scientist
Be adaptable to reflect new methods / tools and scenarios in this fast developing discipline
Be able upon completion of the projects to reference your experience in working with such challenges

Fees for 2017

Home fees - 1 year full-time: £8000.00

International fees: £10,920.00

Our facilities
You will undertake your workshops in training rooms that are bang up-to-date with design features, touch screen electronic white boards and high speed wifi; housed across three stunning Georgian mansions.

All of our current students love the learning environment, the culture, camaraderie and the fact that tutors know them by name so they are more than just a ‘face in the crowd’.

You will have access to the very best IT facilities in order to support your studies. These range from computer labs to access to cloud analytics from the leading providers.

We will use software from the academic programs of the major enterprise I.T. vendors such as IBM and Amazon as well as commonly used open source programs and frameworks.

From September 2018, many of the teaching sessions will take place in the purpose-built Engineering and Digital Technology building in the Bognor Regis campus.

What's more, you have lots of other facilities on this dedicated university campus including latest books, journals and online data in a truly modern library, an IT centre, a student zone complete with Costa Coffee, a gym and much more.

Where this can take you
The course has been designed to provide you with a very practical understanding of the issues associated with sourcing, curating, analysing and presenting data in business and other public sector and not-for-profit organisations.

On completion of your MSc studies and successful graduation, you will have very transferable skills and can choose to move directly in to the workplace perhaps in retail, banking, government or transport.

Indicative modules
Data Science Foundation (20 Credits)
Managing Data (20 Credits)
Data Exploration and Analysis (20 Credits)
Mathematics (20 Credits)
Machine Learning & Cognitive Computing (20 Credits)
Data Visualisation and Presentation (20 Credits)
Dissertation/Project (60 Credits)


Teaching and Assessment
Our approach to supporting your learning, and how your learning is assessed, is designed to mirror the workplace environment. With this in mind, key features of our approach to learning and assessment include the following:

We place a lot of emphasis on course work related activity.
Opportunities to work with organisations on current commercial/business problems and projects. These experiences are used to provide the basis for assessments that enable you to apply your learning within authentic commercial situations.

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With the rapid development of smart sensors, smartphones and social media, "big" data is ubiquitous. This new MSc teaches the foundations of GIScience, database, spatial analysis, data mining and analytics to equip professionals with the tools and techniques to analyse, represent and model large and complex spatio-temporal datasets.

Degree information

Students will be equipped with computational foundations and skills needed for big data analytics including visualisation, prediction, clustering and simulation with statistical and machine learning approaches, as well as retrieving and mining big (open) data, web services and cloud computing, web and mobile applications, by practising with real case data and open software.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of four core modules (60 credits), four optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation/report (60 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma, four core modules (60 credits), two optional modules (60 credits), full-time nine months is offered.

Core modules
-GIS Principles and Technology
-Principles of Spatial Analysis
-Spatial Databases and Data Management
-Spatio-temporal Analysis and Data Mining

Choose four options from the following:
-Introductory Programming (requires Applied Machine Learning option)
-Complex Networks and Web
-Representation, Structures and Algorithms
-Mapping Science
-Supervised Learning (requires Applied Machine Learning)
-Web Mobile GIS
-Information Retrieval & Data Mining (requires Introductory Programming)
-Geographic Information System Design
-Applied Machine Learning (requires Introductory Programming, and Supervised Learning)

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and laboratory practicals. Assessment is through examination, coursework, practicals, dissertation, and poster presentation.

Careers

Graduates from this programme are expected to find positions in consultancy, local government, public industry, and the information supply industry, as well as in continued research. Possible career paths could include: data scientist in the social media, finance, health, telecoms, retail or construction and planning industries; developer of spatial tools and specialised spatial software; researcher or entrepreneur.

Employability
Graduates will be equipped with essential principles and technical skills in managing, modelling, spatial and spatial-temporal analysis, visualising and simulating "big" spatio-temporal data, with emphasis on real development skills including: Java, JavaScript, Python and R. Business Intelligence (BI) skills will also be taught via practical case studies and close collaborations with leading industrial companies and institutions. All these skills are highly valued in big data analysis.

Why study this degree at UCL?

As one of the world’s top universities, UCL excels across the physical and engineering sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Spanning two UCL faculties, this interdisciplinary programme exploits the complementary research interests and teaching programmes of three departments (Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, Computer Science, and Geography).

Students on the Spatio-Temporal Analytics and Big Data Mining programme will be part of a vibrant, enthusiastic, and international research environment in which collaboration and free-ranging debate are strongly encouraged. This is supported by weekly research seminars and industrial seminars from top employers in the field.

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