Data Science and AI
Entry requirements
This 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. Applicants with less than the required level of academic qualification may be considered if they have significant experience in the IT industry. Applicants who already hold a degree in computer science are referred to the 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.
Months of entry
January, October
Course content
Our MSc Data Science and AI offers you an intensive course to help you gain important skills and knowledge in data science and artificial intelligence.
Why choose this course?
- This course is ideal if you are new to the subject of computer science and wish to gain the foundations for a successful career in IT as a data scientist or analyst, or wish to gain a deeper understanding of how current AI methods work.
- If you are already working in IT, this course provides you with the opportunity to strengthen and update your knowledge and skills in data science as well as equipping you with important new practical skills in the dynamic and growing area of artificial intelligence.
- The modules you will take on both data science and AI are taught by experts in the field who regularly publish their research in these areas.
What you will learn
You will gain a broad knowledge of data science including tools, techniques and applications, and acquire valuable practical problem-solving and analytical skills. You will also acquire strong programming and data analysis skills using Python and R - the most popular programming languages used by data scientists today.
Your training in artificial intelligence will involve machine learning, neural networks and natural language processing, so that you can gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of current AI techniques and applications. You will benefit from the chance to investigate specific areas of current research more deeply too.
How you will learn
This MSc Data Science and AI is available to study full- or part-time. If you choose full-time study, you will be able to start in either January or October. Part-time study starts in October. Both involve a mixture of daytime and evening classes and you will be taught via lectures, group exercises and practical sessions, for example in programming.
To complete the course, you will undertake your own individual project, supported by a member of our academic team, to investigate in depth an aspect of data science and AI that particularly interests you.
Highlights
- You will study at our Bloomsbury campus in the heart of London, a city fast becoming one of the major European hubs for AI research and development.
- Birkbeck established one of the first computing departments in the UK in 1957. Our research dates back to the late 1940s, when one of the first electronic computers was developed at Birkbeck by Dr Andrew Booth. We are now home to the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Research Group.
- We provide a stimulating teaching and research environment, with academic specialists in all fields, including information and knowledge management, web and pervasive technologies, computational intelligence, information systems development and artificial intelligence.
- 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.
Careers and employability
On successfully completing this MSc Data Science and AI, you will have gained an array of valuable transferable skills, including the ability to:
- demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems
- act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level
- conduct a critical appraisal of material synthesised from research papers
- communicate conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
- deal with complex issues systematically and creatively.
You will find data science and AI graduates following career paths in the following kinds of roles:
- data scientist
- data analyst
- programmer
- software developer
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.
Information for international students
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.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MSc
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Student Advice Service
- studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 3907 0700