Hours for taught courses

If you plan to study part-time, we recommend you take no more than 30 credits per term.

15 credits

• Around 150 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
• You’ll study 8 – 10 hours per week per term, plus more at assessment times.

30 credits

• Around 300 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
• You’ll study 15 – 20 hours per week per term, plus more at assessment times.

You can also study this degree full-time. You can take a maximum of 60 credits per term.

60 credits

• Around 600 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
• You’ll study around 40 hours per week per term, plus more at assessment times.

This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes.

You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.

Activities at fixed times

There may be some activities that are scheduled at a fixed time, such as online meetings with your tutor, or assessments with deadlines. But otherwise, you can access and work through each course at your convenience.

Hours for 60-credit project

A 60-credit project is around 600 hours of study time. This is around one term of full-time study.

You can dedicate a full term to your project and work on it full-time. Or you can complete it part-time, spreading the hours you dedicate to it over two or more terms.

When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.

But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.

Your most important commitment to your course will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.

Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your course each week:

• Be realistic
• Create a weekly schedule as a guide

If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.

Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your tutors via MyAberdeen and email. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.

We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:

• Careers and Employability Service – including one-to-one advice sessions
• Disability support
• IT support
• Library support
• Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
• Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
• Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
• Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier

Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.

Pay as you go allows you to spread payments over several terms.

When you pay

You make a payment before the start of each term.

How much you pay

You only pay for the credits you want to study in the upcoming term.

It’s up to you how many credits you take each term. This gives you control over your costs and your workload.

• Taking fewer credits will increase the length of your studies.

We break down the total cost of this qualification into cost per 15-credit course and per project.

Costs for this degree, starting in academic year 2021/22

15-credit courses

• £1,280 in academic year 2021/22.
• £1,345 in academic year 2022/23.

60-credit project

• £2,900 in academic year 2021/22.
• £3,040 in academic year 2022/23.

Tuition fees typically rise a little each academic year. These quoted fees include our confirmed fee rise of 5% for 2022/23.

This is an example payment schedule for tuition fees. It’s based on the typical route through the degree.

You can take more or fewer credits per term than is shown in this example.

Term 1) September – December 2021 | Academic year 2021/22

• Take two 15-credit courses @£1,280 each.
• Fee for term = £2,560.
• Payment due in September.

Term 2) January – April 2022

• Take two 15-credit courses @£1,280 each.
• Fee for term = £2,560.
• Payment due in January.

PgCert exit point

With 60 credits earned, you now have the option to exit with a PgCert.

Total fee for this route to your PgCert = £5,120.

Term 3) May – August 2022

• Summer break. There is no teaching in the first summer of your degree.
• No payment due.

Term 4) September – December 2022 | Academic year 2022/23

• Take two 15-credit courses @£1,345 each.
• Fee for term = £2,690.
• Payment due in September.

Term 5) January – April 2022

• Take two 15-credit courses @£1,345 each.
• Fee for term = £2,690.
• Payment due in January.

PgDip exit point

With 120 credits earned, you now have the option to exit with a PgDip.

Total fee for this route to your PgDip = £10,500.

Term 6) May – August 2023

• Embark on your 60-credit project.
• Fee for project = £3,040.
• Payment due in May.

Term 7) September – December 2023 | Academic year 2023/24

• Complete your project.
• No further payment is due.

MSc complete

On passing your project, you’ll have earned 180 credits and will be awarded an MSc.

Total fee for this route to your MSc = £13,540.

Learning resources

All books and resources you need are included in your tuition fee. They will be available online and you do not have to you buy your own copies.

External hard drive

Because this degree involves handling large data sets, you may have to purchase an external hard drive, if you do not already have one, for storing data and coursework.

Printing

You may wish to set aside a small budget for printing, depending on how you like to work.

There are several ways you may be able to get help funding your studies:

• Employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors
• Student loans
• Scholarships – search our funding database for scholarships
• Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

Find out more about funding options.

Student card

All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.

20% Community Discount

If you live in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire or Moray, you can apply for our Community Discount. You’ll get 20% off this degree, or any of our online postgraduate degrees, diplomas or certificates starting in September 2021 or January 2022. View Community Discount details and eligibility criteria.

20% Alumni discount

You’re entitled to 20% off our postgraduate taught degrees and short courses if you have a degree from the University of Aberdeen. View Alumni discount details and eligibility criteria.

Discounts are applied during your application process. Only one discount can be used per application.

Entry requirements

We welcome students from all over the world. You do not need a visa to study online with us.

See the minimum entry requirements above. If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check equivalent qualifications from your country.

English language requirements

Teaching is delivered in English.

We accept the following English language qualifications. You need to provide proof of your qualifications when you apply:

Duolingo English Test (taken from July 2019)

• 115 overall

LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator (Written and Spoken)

• All skills – B2

IELTS Academic – 6.5 overall

• 5.5 for listening, reading and speaking
• 6.0 for writing

TOEFL iBT – 90 overall

• 17 for listening
• 18 for reading
• 20 for speaking
• 21 for writing
• TOEFL DI code is 0818

PTE Academic – 62 overall

• 51 for listening, reading and speaking
• 54 for writing

Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency – 176 overall

• 162 for listening, reading and speaking
• 169 for writing

If you hold a degree from a UK university then evidence of proficiency in English may not be required.

For more information about language qualifications see our English Language Requirements page.

You apply through our online Applicant Portal. It allows you to upload relevant qualifications and documents.

Applying to the University of Aberdeen is always free.

What you need to apply for this degree

• Degree transcript
• Personal statement
• Degree certificate
• CV / Resume

You also need to apply on time

Apply as early as you can. Please apply at least two weeks before the degree start date. This is because we need time to review your application and get a decision to you. If you’re successful, we also want to enrol you before teaching starts.

Apply now

Start with our step-by-step guide. It explains degree transcripts, what to write in your personal statement and how to use our Applicant Portal.

Studying Data Science involves storing and processing large datasets. You will need:

A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) operating on:

• Windows 8 or later; in this case you would ideally have a secondary Linux system installed.
• Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra) or later.

Computer specifications

Any desktop or laptop should be the highest spec you can afford, with:

• a minimum of 16GB RAM (ideally 32GB or more); 8GB will suffice for most content, but will not be sufficient for the analysis of some datasets.
• a good graphics card (ideally, but not necessarily, NVIDIA).
• a fast processor (ideally Intel i5, i7 or i9).
• a sizeable hard drive or SSD (ideally 1TB or above).

External hard drive and memory stick

For storing and backing up your data and coursework, we suggest using an external hard drive with at least 1TB of storage space.

Reliable internet access

With reasonable download and upload speeds. We broadly estimate at least 6Mbps download and 2Mbps upload so that you can take part fully in live sessions. We will occasionally download large datasets or connect to databases, requiring fast connection speeds.

Speakers or headphones

• A headset with built-in microphone and earphones is useful if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
• A webcam may be desirable for some interactive sessions; a webcam built in to a laptop will suffice.

Software

We will give you access to Office365 applications. This means that you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and install these programs on up to five personal devices.

If your course requires any specialist software, then we’ll provide you with copies of this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.

See our detailed IT requirements for more information.