Skip to main content

Data Science

MSc

Application options include:

Full-time Part-time
On campus

Course Overview

This MSc Data Science is an intensive course designed for graduates who are new to computer science and want to gain essential data science and AI skills. It offers you hands-on experience with programming languages and combines rigorous academic training with practical application. It is ideal if you are looking to transition into a data science career.

Why choose this course?

  • You will learn highly sought-after programming and data analysis skills with Python, R and Java, which are essential for careers in data science.
  • You will benefit from exclusive access to cutting-edge research and industry collaborations through Birkbeck’s Computational Intelligence Research Group.
  • We have a long history of innovation and experience in this subject area, including establishing one of the UK’s first computing departments.
  • This MSc places a strong emphasis on employability and real-world applications through your engagement in practical coursework.

What you will learn

You will learn foundational skills in data science, from programming in popular languages to specialised topics such as natural language processing and deep learning.

The course’s valuable practical focus will also equip you with the knowledge to handle real-world data challenges, providing a solid foundation for a career in data science, software development or AI.

How you will learn

This MSc Data Science offers you a blend of lectures, hands-on practical sessions and group projects, with a strong emphasis on real-world applications. You will also have the chance to develop your skills in independent research and practical problem-solving on your final project focusing on a specific data science challenge.

This course is available to study full- or part-time, so you can balance your studies with work or other commitments. You can also choose to study this course in the daytime or evening. Please note the daytime study option for this course is available only to full-time students.

Discover the career opportunities available by taking Data Science (MSc).

Key information and modules

Pathways for Data Science (MSc)

This course has additional Pathways to offer you the chance to specialise depending on your interests and career goals.

Find another course:

Highlights

  • Birkbeck has a long-established reputation as a pioneer in computing education. We set up one of the first computing departments in the UK in 1957 and our research dates back to the late 1940s, when one of the first electronic computers was developed at Birkbeck by Dr Andrew Booth. We now house the Computational Intelligence Research Group and the Information Management and Web Technologies Research Group, both of which collaborate with other research groups and with industry, in the UK and abroad, and undertake interdisciplinary research in the life, natural and social sciences, and the humanities.
  • We provide you with a stimulating teaching and research environment, with academic specialists in all fields, including information and knowledge management, web and pervasive technologies, computational intelligence, and information systems development, among others. 
  • You will have 24-hour access to laboratories of networked PCs with a range of language compilers, database and other application software. We are connected, via the SuperJANET network, to the computers of other academic institutions in London, elsewhere in the UK and abroad.
  • The Birkbeck Knowledge Lab draws on multi- and interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies from across the sciences, social sciences and the arts, to investigate how digital technologies and digital information are transforming our culture and how we learn and work.
  • Birkbeck was ranked in the top 25 universities in the UK for its Computer Science and Informatics research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
Come and meet us Request a prospectus Contact us

Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the Key Information section under Attendance.

  • Entry Requirements Entry Requirements

    Entry Requirements

    The degree is designed for graduates who are new to computer science, so the main requirement is at least a second-class honours degree (2:2) or equivalent, in any subject other than single-honours computer science. If you have not acquired this level of academic qualification, you may be considered if you have significant experience in the IT industry. If you already hold a degree in computer science, then please see our MSc Advanced Computing .

    Upon receipt of application, suitable candidates will be invited to take an online aptitude test. The details of the test will be clearly set out via email. You are expected to take the test before the deadline specified in that email and we aim to get back to you with our decision based on the results of the aptitude test within 10 working days. You can also download the aptitude test notes in advance to prepare. Please note that you can only take the aptitude test once per academic year.

    Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

    On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

    Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

    English language requirements

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, the requirement for this course is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

    Visa and funding requirements

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck's part-time courses (with the exception of some modules).

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

    Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university, you may have accumulated credits through the modules you studied. It may be possible to transfer these credits from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

  • Fees Fees

    Fees

    Data Science: January start MSc: 1 year full-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25 or 2025-26

    Academic year 2024–25, starting January 2025

    Full-time home students: £11,400 per year
    Full-time international students: £19,830 per year

    Academic year 2025–26, starting January 2026

    Full-time home students: £11,700 per year
    Full-time international students: £20,340 per year

    Data Science MSc: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2025-26

    Academic year 2025–26, starting October 2025

    Part-time home students: £5,850 per year
    Full-time home students: £11,700 per year
    Part-time international students: £10,170 per year
    Full-time international students: £20,340 per year

    Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy.

    If you’ve studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a discount on the tuition fee of this course.

    Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

    International scholarships

    We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. Discover if you are eligible for a scholarship.

  • Teaching and Assessment Teaching and Assessment

    Teaching

    At Birkbeck, most of our courses are taught in the evening and all of our teaching is designed to support students who are juggling evening study with work and other commitments. We actively encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching, to ensure our students have the best learning experience.

    Teaching may include formal lectures, seminars, and practical classes and tutorials. Formal lectures are used in most degree programmes to give an overview of a particular field of study. They aim to provide the stimulus and the starting point for deeper exploration of the subject during your own personal reading. Seminars give you the chance to explore a specific aspect of your subject in depth and to discuss and exchange ideas with fellow students. They typically require preparatory study.

    In addition, you will have access to pastoral support via a named Personal Tutor.

    Methods of teaching on this course

    Teaching consists of formal lectures which frequently incorporate practical sessions, for example in programming, and also group exercises carried out in class.

    There is a large element of practical coursework that students carry out in their own time, although some of these coursework assignments are carried out in groups. You also undertake an individual project in data science, including background research, which is supervised by a member of staff. The project provides an opportunity for you to investigate in depth an aspect of data science that particularly interests you.

    Teaching hours

    Our evening hours are normally between 6pm and 9pm (6-7.30pm and 7.30-9pm). Some programmes also offer teaching during the day and this will be clearly signposted to you where it is available.

    On our taught courses, you will have scheduled teaching and study sessions each year. Scheduled teaching sessions may include lectures, seminars, workshops or laboratory work. Depending on the modules you take, you may also have additional scheduled academic activities, such as tutorials, dissertation supervision, practical classes, visits and field trips. On our taught courses, the actual amount of time you spend in the classroom and in contact with your lecturers will depend on your course, the option modules you select and when you undertake your final-year project (if applicable).

    Alongside your contact hours, you will also undertake assessment activities and independent learning outside of class. The amount of time you need to allocate to study both for taught sessions (this might include online sessions and/or in-person sessions) and personal study will depend on how much you are studying during the year and whether you are studying full time or part time.

    Birkbeck’s courses are made up of modules and allocated ‘credit’. One credit is equivalent to ten hours of learning time. Modules are usually in 15, 30 or 60 credit units. A 15-credit module will mean around 150 hours of learning, including taught sessions and independent study or group work. This is spread out over the whole period of that module and includes the time you spend on any assessments, including in examinations, preparing and writing assessments or engaged in practical work as well as any study support sessions to help you in your learning.

    On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, discussion, collaboration and interaction with your lecturers and fellow students is encouraged and enabled through various learning technologies.

    Timetables

    Timetables are usually available from September onwards and you can access your personalised timetable via your My Birkbeck Profile online (if you have been invited to enrol).

    Indicative class size

    Class sizes vary, depending on your course, the module you are undertaking, and the method of teaching. For example, lectures are presented to larger groups, whereas seminars usually consist of small, interactive groups led by a tutor.

    Independent learning

    On our taught courses, much of your time outside of class will be spent on self-directed, independent learning, including preparing for classes and following up afterwards. This will usually include, but is not limited to, reading books and journal articles, undertaking research, working on coursework and assignments, and preparing for presentations and assessments.

    Independent learning is absolutely vital to your success as a student. Everyone is different, and the study time required varies topic by topic, but, as a guide, expect to schedule up to five hours of self-study for each hour of teaching.

    Study skills and additional support

    Birkbeck offers study and learning support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed. Our Learning Development Service can help you in the following areas:

    • academic skills (including planning your workload, research, writing, exam preparation and writing a dissertation)
    • written English (including structure, punctuation and grammar)
    • numerical skills (basic mathematics and statistics).

    Our Disability and Dyslexia Service can support you if you have additional learning needs resulting from a disability or from dyslexia.

    Our Counselling Service can support you if you are struggling with emotional or psychological difficulties during your studies.

    Our Mental Health Advisory Service can support you if you are experiencing short- or long-term mental health difficulties during your studies.

    Assessment

    Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and examinations, although this will vary from course to course - on some of our courses, assessment is entirely by coursework. The methods of assessment on this course are specified below under 'Methods of assessment on this course'. You will need to allow time to complete coursework and prepare for exams.

    Where a course has unseen written examinations, these may be held termly, but, on the majority of our courses, exams are usually taken in the Summer term, during May to June. Exams may be held at other times of the year as well. In most cases, exams are held during the day on a weekday - if you have daytime commitments, you will need to make arrangements for daytime attendance - but some exams are held in the evening. Exam timetables are published online.

    Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.

    Methods of assessment on this course

    Assessment is via coursework assignments, written examinations and the project proposal and final report.

  • Careers and employability Careers and employability

    Careers and employability

    Upon successfully completing this MSc Data Science, you will have developed a diverse skill set that can be applied across various industries, including:

    • proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R and Java
    • robust data analysis and interpretation skills, allowing for informed decision-making
    • experience in project management, particularly in leading data-driven initiatives
    • critical thinking and problem-solving skills, particularly in handling large data sets and developing machine learning models.

    Studying this course will prepare you for a career path in a range of fields:

    • data scientist: analysing complex data to drive business solutions
    • machine learning engineer: building and deploying AI models
    • data engineer: managing and optimising data pipelines and architectures
    • business intelligence analyst: providing insights to support business strategies
    • software developer: focusing on developing data-intensive applications.

    Graduates have gone on to work at leading organisations in technology, finance and consulting, including Google, Amazon, IBM, PwC and Microsoft.

    These fields and companies represent a broad array of opportunities, all of which are in high demand. This reflects the versatile and in-demand nature of data science expertise, making it a promising field for those seeking a career with excellent job prospects.

    We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

  • How to apply How to apply

    How to apply

    You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

    You will need to prove your identity when you apply - read more about suitable forms of identification.

    When to apply

    You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places on your chosen course and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

    You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

    You will also receive information about subject-specific induction sessions over the summer.

    Help and advice with your application

    Get all the information you need about the application, admission and enrolment process at Birkbeck.

    Our online personal statement tool will guide you through every step of writing the personal statement part of your application.

    Apply for your course

    Apply for your course using the apply now button in the key information section.

Visit the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences

Related courses

Pathways for Data Science (MSc)

Course structure

Course structure listing

Course structure and modules for Data Science: January start MSc: 1 year full-time, on campus, starting January 2025

You must complete modules worth a total of 180 credits, consisting of:

  • five compulsory modules (75 credits)
  • two or three option modules (45 credits)
  • a project (60 credits). 

Alternatively, you may graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma if you complete four or eight modules, respectively.

Compulsory modules
Indicative option modules
MSc Data Science project

Course structure and modules for Data Science: January start MSc: 1 year full-time, on campus, starting January 2026

You must complete modules worth a total of 180 credits, consisting of:

  • five compulsory modules (75 credits)
  • two or three option modules (45 credits)
  • a project (60 credits). 

Alternatively, you may graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma if you complete four or eight modules, respectively.

Compulsory modules
Indicative option modules
MSc Data Science project

Course structure and modules for Data Science MSc: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2025

You must complete modules worth a total of 180 credits, consisting of:

  • five compulsory modules (75 credits)
  • two or three option modules (45 credits)
  • a project (60 credits). 

Alternatively, you may graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma if you complete four or eight modules, respectively.

Compulsory modules
Indicative option modules
MSc Data Science project