MSc in Data Science (Two Years)

The study programme is provided by the University of Skövde and is named Data Science - Master's Programme (Data Science - master program). It comprises 120 credits and is a second-cycle programme. The main field of study is informatics.

The study programme provides wide and deep knowledge and understanding of the area of education, with considerable in-depth knowledge within the computer science specialisation of informatics. The main focus of the study programme is data science, which can be described as the science concerned with the development and use of information systems for extracting knowledge from big data. The programme, which contains a large amount of practical assignments, provides a holistic perspective on data science. This entails the study of different theories, methods and techniques that aim at using all relevant, most often, complex and heterogeneous, data to support and provide insight to a decision-maker. The main contents of the programme are artificial intelligence (AI), data mining, programming, visual data analysis, business intelligence, and decision support for big data (large quantities of complex data).

The study programme has a main theme that focuses on a basic and wide understanding of informatics, the main area of education, and central areas of data science, e.g., programming and AI. This fundamental knowledge is deepened and applied through different methods of visual data analysis and data mining and in an individual project in which the students can solve a chosen problem within data science. Application and synthesis of analysis methods and theories within decision-making and analysis of complex data structures, in particular within the area of business intelligence, constitute a third theme. The study programme ends with a master's degree project where the student is trained in identifying and approaching a problem within data science from a scientific perspective. The student can extend and elaborate upon a problem encountered in the previous courses or formulate a new problem based on what has been learned throughout the programme.

The study programme comprises the following courses

• Artificial Intelligence A1N, 7.5 credits
• Data Mining A1N, 7.5 credits
• Introduction to Data Science A1N, 15 hp
• Visual Data Analysis A1N, 7.5 credits
• Big Data Programming A1F, 7.5 credits
• BusinessIntelligence A1F, 7.5 credits
• Data Science Project A1F, 15 credits
• Explainable AI A1F, 7,5 hp
• Information Fusion A1F, 7.5 credits
• Predictive Analytics A1F, 7,5 hp
• Master's Degree Project in Informatics with Specialization in Data Science A2E, 30 credits

Objectives for Master's degree according to the Higher Education Ordinance

• Knowledge and understanding
• Competence and skills
• Judgment and approach
• Local Objectives for the Study Programme according to the University of Skövde

The career opportunities are almost endless. With a degree in Data Science, you can work, for example, as a data analyst, a software developer, or a technical specialist. There is an extensive and increasing demand, nationally and internationally, for data scientists who master this subject and who understand all the links in the chain of processing, analyzing, and extracting knowledge from big data. Glassdoor has ranked Data Scientist as the no. 1 job in the USA, and 5 of the top 10 US jobs are related to Analytics, Big Data, and Data Science.

When? Where? How?

• Study period: 1 September 2025 - 6 June 2027
• Location: Skövde, Campus
• Pace of study: 100%