MSc Data Analytics
Overview |
Start date: September 2018 The MSc in Data Analytics is designed for students with a numerate background (for example a first degree in Mathematics, Economics, Accounting, Psychology, Physics or Chemistry) as well as graduates already working in industry. The programme will enable you to utilise and apply your previous academic experience to gain the skills required to work with the large quantities of data that need to be analysed in the modern world. What is Data Analytics?
Around 200 million tweets are sent per day. Google receives over 2.4 million search requests per minute. The UK’s Department of Health plan to sequence 100,000 genomes, each of which generates 200 GB for data. Walmart’s database contains over 2.5 petabytes of data from the retailer’s 1 million customer transactions per hour. Who will analyse all this data? Being able to quickly and efficiently analyse large amounts of electronic data is becoming increasingly important for a wide range of org anisations. Huge amounts of data are currently available and the volume being produced is growing rapidly. Data is generated from a wide range of sources including medicine, use of social media, scientific experiments and sensor networks. This data exists in a variety of formats ranging from structured (e.g. spreadsheets and sensor data) to unstructured (e.g. text, images, video and speech). Deriving information from this data has become one of the key challenges within Computer Science. Data Analytics focuses on managing vast amounts of information and transforming it into actionable knowledge. The programme teaches the key skills that are required to carry out practical analysis of the types of data sets that need to be interpreted in the modern world. The types of data sets encountered include large data sets as well as structured and unstructured data. The programme makes use of techniques developed within a range of disciplines, including computer science, artificial intelligence, mathematics and statistics. Why Data Analytics at Sheffield?
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Content |
Course outlineThe course covers key techniques for analysing and interpreting data. It is taught collaboratively by two departments - Computer Science, and Mathematics and Statistics. The Department of Computer Science manages the course and teaches a range of topics, including the Python programming language. Modules in Machine Learning show how information can be derived from data using statistical learning and how these approaches can be applied on large scale using open source technologies. Modules in Natural Language Processing introduce techniques for analysing unstructured data. A module in mathematics introduces key statistical concepts and the R programming language, while another covers topics about the handling and governance of digital information. A team project provides the opportunity to apply techniques learned in other modules to an industrially relevant problem. There are also options to study modules on parallel computing (including GPUs and CUDA) and computer security. You will have the opportunity to put these techniques into practise with the data analytics project in which you can explore a problem of your own choosing in depth. Projects are carried out in collaboration with providers of data (either internal or external) and completed over the summer. The MSc Data Analytics consists of taught and research components. The taught component consists of two 15 week semesters from late September until the following June. A research project is then carried out over the summer until mid-September. Course contentPlease note that the course details set out here may change before you start, particularly if you are applying significantly in advance of the course start date. Core modules
Optional modules
Dissertation project
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Careers |
Be in demandMcKinsey & Company have projected a global demand for 1.5 million new data scientists. Data from IT Jobs Watch shows a strong demand within the UK, with average salary of £37,500. The MSc in Data Analytics will equip you with the key skills valued by employers, enabling you to progress rapidly within your chosen profession.
What employers are saying"There is an increasing demand for graduates with the skill sets that the MSc in Data Analytics will deploy not just for Amazon but across the new digital landscape and industry." - Ralf Herbrich, Director of Machine Learning (Amazon) "The rapid explosion of E-commerce means everyone now has data, so everyone has to manage it and wants to get value from it. The demand for data scientists outstrips the current supply. There is a need for a new breed of Data Scientists- people who have a broader range of Data Analytics experience and skills, with maths one part, and computer science much more important." - Adrian Lingard, CEO (Jaywing PLC) "There is a severe shortage of graduates with the requisite computational and statistical skills. The MSc in Data Analytics provides the necessary statistical and computational background to ensure that graduates are 'data ready'." - Alfredo Kalaitzis, Data Scientist (Microsoft) |
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Entry |
Academic entry requirementsApplicants are expected to have an upper second class degree, or better, in a subject with a significant mathematical component (e.g. mathematics, economics, accounting, physics, chemistry or engineering). English Language requirementsIELTS 6.5 (with no less than 6.0 in each component) |
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Scholarships and funding |
10% discount for Sheffield graduatesAs a Sheffield graduate, you can take advantage of our Alumni Rewards which entitles you to 10% off your tuition fees. Find out more about Postgraduate Masters Alumni Rewards. Find out more about the University's full range of funding options. |