Computer Science - Data Science (M.Sc./P.Grad.Dip)

Overview

Course Overview

The M.Sc. in Computer Science – Data Science programme combines statistics, cloud and security technologies with data management. It covers all key aspects of the field: how to securely store and manage data, how to visualise and analyse at scale, and how to use analysis to make decisions. Graduates of this strand will be equipped to tackle the huge challenges and opportunities that the big-data revolution is bringing to all aspects of life; in IT, health, transport, science and engineering to name but a few. The School of Computer Science and Statistics is one of the few Schools globally that has expertise in all elements of data science. Dublin is a centre for several of the major IT players, such as Google, Meta, LinkedIn, eBay and X, as well as a major centre for data science research and consulting through the presence of companies such as IBM Research, Accenture, and Deloitte.

Is This Course For Me?

This course is designed for graduates from a computing or closely related undergraduate background. Candidates with a good undergraduate Honours degree in disciplines such as engineering, mathematics, or statistics are also encouraged to apply, if they have acquired good programming skills. Candidates will be required to provide evidence of their computing skills and experience.

Career Opportunities

We expect our graduates to be in high-demand for technical positions within leading multinational companies and from startups alike. All of the major Information Technology companies, from Google to Facebook to Amazon, employ large teams of data scientists. Another important career path is management consulting with companies such as Accenture, McKinsey & Company and PwC. There will also be opportunities to progress to Ph.D. study, with many funded positions available locally.

Course Structure

The full M.Sc. programme, comprising 90 ECTS credits, takes one full calendar year to complete and leads to the qualification of M. Sc. in Computer Science – Data Science, a Level 9 award according to the Irish National Framework for Qualifications (NFQ).

Between September and April, students attend two 12-week teaching semesters, each followed by an assessment period, where they take a range of taught modules. Then, from April to August, students work full-time on their individual research dissertations.

Students may exit with an award of Postgraduate Diploma ( P.Grad.Dip.) in Computer Science – Data Science (NFQ Level 9) upon successful completion of 60 ECTS of taught modules, not including the Research Dissertation.

Course Content

Core modules are taken by all M.Sc. students on the course: Machine Learning; Data Analytics; Applied Statistical  Modelling; Optimisation Algorithms for Data Analysis; Data Visualisation; Scalable Computing; Security and Privacy; and Research Methods and Innovation.

Additionally, students take a number of individually chosen elective modules from a pool of options.

Finally, all students complete a substantial Research Dissertation which comprises a third of the entire course.

Please note that the course content is updated on an annual basis and some minor changes occur from year to year.

Click here for further information on modules/subjects.