Master of Data Science

The Master of Data Science program is designed for graduates of computing, science, engineering or health bachelors programs with or without industry experience who want to become data scientists.

It will prepare you for a career in data science, an emerging area driving economic growth, public policy and corporate strategy through management of very large collections of data to derive insights that ultimately improve efficiency, boost profitability and/or benefit society.

Job titles for data scientists in this new field are very diverse, for example:

analytics specialist, business intelligence analyst, business intelligence developer, data analyst, data architect, data engineer, data miner, data scientist, research scientist, web analyst.In this program you will undertake a capstone project in the 24 credit point course COSC2667 Data Science Postgraduate Project.

This capstone project course provides you with hands on practical experience analysing data in a project environment.

The emphasis is on understanding and working within a corporate environment and integrating all the skills and knowledge that you have acquired from your previous courses into a solid base to progress from into your professional life.This program must be undertaken on-campus requiring in person attendance, some courses may be available online.

Year One of Program

Complete the following Seven (7) Courses:

Select and Complete One (1) of the following Courses:

AND

Year Two of Program

Select and Complete One (1) of the following Courses:

Select and Complete Two (2) of the following Courses that you have not previously completed:

AND

Year Two of Program - Program and Research Options

Program Option: Complete the following One (1) Course:

Select and Complete Three (3) Courses from Data Science Program Option Courses:

Research Option 1: Complete the following Three (3) Courses:

Research Option 2: Complete the following Four (4) Courses:

Program Entry Requirements:

An Australian Bachelor degree or equivalent with a grade point average (GPA) of at least of 2.0 out of 4.0, in one of the following disciplines: computing, science, engineering, health or statistics.

OR

You may also be considered if you have an Australian Bachelor degree or equivalent with a GPA of at least 2.0 out of 4.0 in another discipline and; relevant completed higher education courses in programming and statistics or a minimum three years’ of current, relevant work experience or professional practice in programming and statistics or equivalent. These applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis

English Language Requirements: A minimum IELTS (academic module) overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0; or equivalent. For equivalents to English entry requirements, see the English equivalents web page.

You are expected to develop the following Program Learning Outcomes:

Enabling Knowledge (PLO1)

You will gain skills as you apply knowledge with creativity and initiative to new situations. In doing so, you will:

• Demonstrate mastery of a body of knowledge that includes recent developments in computer science and information technology;
• Understand and use appropriate and relevant, fundamental and applied mathematical and statistical knowledge, methodologies and modern computational tools;
• Recognise and use research principles and methods applicable to data science.

Critical Analysis (PLO2)

You will learn to accurately and objectively examine, and critically investigate computer science, information technology (IT) and statistical concepts, evidence, theories or situations, in particular to:

• Analyse and model complex requirements and constraints for the purpose of designing and implementing software artefacts and IT systems;
• Evaluate and compare designs of software artefacts and IT systems on the basis of organisational and user requirements;
• Bring together and flexibly apply knowledge to characterise, analyse and solve a wide range of statistical problems.

Problem Solving (PLO3)

Your capability to analyse complex problems and synthesise suitable solutions will be extended as you learn to:

• Design and implement software solutions that accommodate specified requirements and constraints, based on analysis or modelling or requirements specification;
• Apply an understanding of the balance between the complexity / accuracy of the mathematical / statistical models used and the timeliness of the delivery of the solution.

Communication (PLO4)

You will learn to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences through a range of modes and media, in particular to:

• Interpret abstract theoretical propositions, choose methodologies, justify conclusions and defend professional decisions to both IT and non-IT personnel via technical reports of professional standard and technical presentations.

Team Work (PLO5)

You will learn to work as an effective and productive team member in a range of professional and social situations, in particular to:

• Work effectively in different roles, to form, manage, and successfully produce outcomes from collaborative teams, whose members may have diverse cultural backgrounds and life circumstances, and differing levels of technical expertise.

Responsibility (PLO6)

You will be required to accept responsibility for your own learning and make informed decisions about judging and adopting appropriate behaviour in professional and social situations. This includes accepting the responsibility for independent life-long learning and a high level of accountability. Specifically, you will learn to:

• Effectively apply relevant standards, ethical considerations, and an understanding of legal and privacy issues to designing software applications and IT systems;
• Contextualise outputs where data are drawn from diverse and evolving social, political and cultural dimensions;
• Reflect on experience and improve your own future practice;
• Locate and use data and information and evaluate its quality with respect to its authority and relevance.

Research and Scholarship (PLO7)

You will have technical and communication skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise about developments that contribute to professional practice or scholarship, specifically you will have cognitive skills to:

• Demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and to reflect critically on theory and professional practice or scholarship;
• Plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship.