Data and Decision Analytics (Online Learning) MSc

The programme is delivered fully online. Courses are composed of pre-recorded lectures and live online sessions.

Pre-recorded lectures will introduce the theoretical foundation of the given subjects. Live online sessions will mostly consist of tutorials and computer labs, in which hands-on experiences will allow you to practice the concepts covered by the videos. Even though there is a certain flexibility to watch the pre-recorded videos, the live online sessions will happen only once per week for each course i.e., there will not be multiple deliveries for each live session.

We are currently planning for these sessions to take place on Mondays and Tuesdays only. You can expect that there to be a maximum of 8 hours required during these two days a week to participate in live online sessions. The sessions will be scheduled to take place between 9am-6pm GMT. Depending on your location this may mean attending before or after your usual day of work. We appreciate though for some it may mean requesting flexible working from your employers to attend these.

You will need to set aside approximately 15 hours of time per week for reading, viewing, lectures, tutorials and assignments. This is an average across the duration of the entire year and it will vary depending on the course and also when assignments are due. Thus at peak times, you may need to put aside more time for your studies.

The programme’s materials (access to videos, slides, briefings, etc.) and resources will be available on the online platform called Learn. Each course has its own Learn webpage. Assessment will consist of coursework. You will submit their projects, essays, etc. through Learn/Turnitin. Feedback will be also provided through the same system.

You will be able to interact and engage with other students via discussion forums, group projects, and other online tools.

The online Data and Decision Analytics MSc is delivered part-time with a start date in September each year. The programme takes 24 months to complete and combines academic study with practical application.

Please note that live sessions will be scheduled to take place on Mondays and Tuesdays during term time (c. 20 weeks each year). These live sessions will be a maximum of 8 hours per week and scheduled 9am-6pm GMT.

The programme encompasses a number of core courses and your studies will culminate with a dissertation.

Core courses

80 credits of the following core courses:

• Applied Machine Learning (20 credits)
• Applied Decision Optimisation (20 credits)
• Data Analysis and Statistics for Business (20 credits)
• Storytelling in Data and Decision Analytics (10 credits)
• Python Programming (10 credits)

Option courses

40 credits of the following option courses:

• Text-Mining (10 credits)
• Deep Learning (10 credits)
• Decision Optimisation under Uncertainty (10 credits)
• Multicriteria Decision Analysis (10 credits)
• Simulation (10 credits)
• Heuristic Optimisation (10 credits)

Option courses are subject to change and demand. We cannot guarantee that all option courses will run each year and occasionally there will be last-minute amendments after this date due to unforeseen circumstances such as staff illness.

The content of individual courses and the programme for any given degree are under constant academic review in light of current circumstances and may change from time to time, with some programmes and courses being modified, discontinued, or replaced.

Dissertation

60 credits of the following compulsory course:

• Dissertation in Data and Decision Analytics

By the end of the programme, you will be able to:

• understand and critically apply the concepts and methods of business analytics
• identify, model, and solve decision problems in different settings
• interpret results/solutions and identify appropriate courses of action for a given managerial situation, whether a problem or an opportunity
• create viable solutions to decision-making problems

Organisations hold more information about their business environments than ever before. Increasingly, these organisations are recognising the role of data in gaining insights and out-thinking competitors. The worldwide big data analytics market was valued at USD 37.34 billion in 2018 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 12.3% to arrive at USD 105.08 billion by 2027. This will inevitably lead to further growth of the market for employees in the area of analytics.

The MSc in Data and Decision Analytics will offer you, from a range of degree backgrounds, the opportunity to equip yourself with an artillery of concepts, methods and applications of data analytics along with hands-on and practical experience in applying them. It is not just about being able to analyse and digest the data available but to then translate this into effective decision-making.

In sum, we expect the programme to open a range of career pathways in analytics for our graduates or to allow them to progress further within their existing career. Roles we anticipate to be amongst these pathways include:

• business consultants
• business analysts
• data analysts
• business intelligence & analytics consultants
• metrics & analytics specialists
• analytics associates
• solution architects
• business process analysts
• management consulting associates
• operational research consultants

These entry requirements are for the 2023/24 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2024/25 academic year will be published on 13 July 2023.

Entrance to our MSc programmes is strongly competitive. You can increase your chances of a successful application by exceeding the minimum programme requirements.

• Important points to note when applying for this programme

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent in an area related to management science, operational research, statistics, econometrics, mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, or business and management with a distinct quantitative content.

Your background should ideally include courses and/or experience gained in topics such as linear algebra, calculus, probability, statistics, and computer programming.

If you have a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent in an unrelated subject we may consider your application if you have relevant work experience.

Work experience is desirable but not mandatory.

All students are recommended to have their own laptop for this programme.

Credit transfer from the MicroMasters in Predictive Analytics*

We welcome applications from students who have successfully completed the University of Edinburgh's MicroMasters in Predictive Analytics. Learners who successfully completed the MicroMasters programme will be awarded 30 postgraduate credits towards our Data and Decision Analytics MSc (online).

• MicroMasters in Predictive Analytics

Learners who meet all the entry requirements and are successfully admitted onto the MSc Data and Decision Analytics can expect that their MicroMasters coursework will count towards their degree, comprising 20 credits of the total 180 credits of the masters programme. 10 credits would be recognised for the course in Python Programming where there is a strong equivalence between the course content and the other 10 credits would act as a discount towards the elective courses on the programme.

The MicroMasters must have been completed within two years of starting on the Data and Decision Analytics MSc, with September 2024 the last entry date when the credits will be accepted. Completing the MicroMasters will not guarantee acceptance and the standard University admissions process and criteria will apply. Decisions on admission to the programme lie solely with the University.

If you would like the 20 credits to count towards recognised prior learning, when applying you should upload your MicroMasters certificate to your application.

Students from China

This degree is Band B.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

(*Revised 12 January 2022 to add details of credit transfer from MicroMasters.)

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Deposit

If you receive an offer of admission, either unconditional or conditional, you will be asked to pay a tuition fee deposit within 28 days to secure your place on the programme:

• £1,500 (this contributes towards your tuition fees)

The fee does not include the cost of textbooks for core and option courses so you should budget an additional amount for this required expenditure.

As this is an online programme, you will also require, and need to budget for, relevant IT equipment and broadband internet in order to pursue your studies.

See the programme website for more information on fees and deposits.

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s government loan schemes.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Tuition fee discounts

We offer a 10% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for alumni who have graduated with an undergraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh.

We also offer a 10% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for students who have previously matriculated on a "Visiting Programme" as an undergraduate student and completed a minimum of one semester of study at the University of Edinburgh.

The Scholarship and Student Funding site provides a list of programmes not covered by the discount scheme.

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding