MSc Data Science with Professional Placement

The techniques we use to model and manipulate data guide the political, financial, and social decisions that shape our modern society and are the basis of growth of the economy and success of businesses. Technology is growing and evolving at an incredible speed, and both the rate of growth of data we generate and the devices we use to process it can only increase.

Data science is a growing and important field of study with a fast-growing number of jobs and opportunities within the private and public sector. The application of theory and methods to real-world problems and applications is at the core of data science, which aims specially to use and to exploit big data.

If you are interested in solving real-world problems, you like to develop skills to use smart devices efficiently, you want to use and to foster your understanding of mathematics, and you are interested and keen to use statistical techniques and methods to interpret data, MSc Data Science at Essex is for you. You study a balance of solid theory and practical application including:

• Computer science
• Programming
• Statistics
• Data analysis
• Probability

A successful career in data science requires you to possess truly interdisciplinary knowledge, so we ensure that you graduate with a wide-ranging yet specialised set of skills in this area. You are taught mainly within our Department of Mathematical Sciences and our School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, but also benefit from input from our Essex Business School, and our Essex Pathways Department. Data scientists are required in every sector, carrying out statistical analysis or mining data on social media, so our course can open the door to almost any industry, from health, to government, to publishing.

Placement year

MSc Data Science with Professional Placement offers a unique opportunity for you to gain relevant work experience within an external business or organisation, giving you a competitive edge in the job market and providing you with key contacts within the industry. The placement is undertaken between the taught part of the course and the individual project. Its aim is to allow you to acquire industry experience and, especially, develop an appreciation of how the skills acquired in the taught part of the course can be applied to real world problems.

You’ll be responsible for securing your own work placement, but if you change your mind and decide not to do your placement, or if you are not able to secure a placement, you can start your dissertation earlier and complete your Masters in the first year.

Your future

With a predicted shortage of data scientists, now is the time to future-proof your career. Data scientists are required in every sector, carrying out statistical analysis or mining data on social media, so our course opens the door to almost any industry, from health, to government, to publishing.

Our graduates are highly sought after by a range of employers and find employment in financial services, scientific computation, decision making support and government, risk assessment, statistics, education, and other areas. Our recent graduates have gone onto work as data scientists and data analysts in both the private and public sectors.

We also offer supervision for PhD, MPhil, and MSc by Dissertation.

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 degree in one of the following subjects: Mathematics, Statistics, Operational research, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Biostatistics, Economic Statistics, Statistics, Economics OR a 2.2 degree in any subject which includes one module in: Calculus, Maths, Engineering Maths, Advanced Maths and one module in Statistics or Probability, Maths, Engineering Maths, Advanced Maths and one additional relevant module, from Algebra, Analysis, Programming language (R, Matlab or Python), a second module in Probability or Statistics, Numerical Methods, Complex Numbers, Differential Equations, Optimisation (Linear Programming), Regression, Stochastic Process, Maths, Engineering Maths, Advanced Maths. Applicants with a degree below 2:2 or equivalent will be considered dependent on any relevant professional or voluntary experience and previous modules studied.