Data Science

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 not only holds the Chair of Analytics at the University of Dundee but 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 may be a bias towards the implementation details of dealing with data, and understanding how data is stored in the system. A data scientist will be less concerned with the physical implementation and more interested in the message the data can deliver.

However, without an understanding of the implementation the data scientist will find it difficult to interrogate the data for its secrets. For this reason the two courses will be linked.

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.

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.

Postgraduate culture

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.

We are looking for students with:

• Insatiable curiosity
• Interdisciplinary interests
• Excellent communication skills

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."

• All Postgraduate Computing courses