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Data Science and Analytics

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,B,C

112-120 points from 2 or 3 A levels, including an A level in a relevant subject.

112-122 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject.

Cambridge Pre-U score of 54-56, to include a Principal Subject in a relevant subject.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English and Mathematics/3 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English and Mathematics.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

29

29 points from the IB Diploma. 655/754 at Higher Level, with one relevant subject at Higher Level - 29 points from the IB Diploma. 664 at Higher Level, with one relevant subject at Higher Level.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H3,H3,H3,H3,H3


To include a Higher Level in a relevant subject.

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM-DMM

Must be in a relevant subject.

112-120 Tariff points, including an Advanced Higher in a relevant subject.

T Level

M

Acceptable T Level Subjects: T Level in Digital: Digital Production, Design and Development, T Level in Construction: Design, Surveying and Planning, T Level in Digital Business Services, T Level in Digital Support and Services, T Level in Science, T Level in Engineering and Manufacturing Design and Development, T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing, T Level in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control

UCAS Tariff

112-120

112-120 points from 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including an A level in a relevant subject.

112-120 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 2 A levels one of which must be a relevant subject, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Computer science

**This is a Connected Degree**

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

**Overview**

The World Economic Forum estimated there to be 40 times more data in the world than observable stars in the universe in 2020. Global businesses, social media companies, financial institutions, the healthcare sector and governments all rely on this data, and those who analyse it, to inform business-critical decisions at the highest level.

On this BSc (Hons) Data Science and Analytics degree course, you’ll learn to confidently analyse the vast amounts of data available – a highly desired skill in all sectors. You'll learn to use databases, systems and analytical tools, such as the Relational Model and structured query language (SQL), to identify insights and trends to benefit businesses, like targeting new products or increasing sales. You'll find out how the same systems can be used to identify patterns in medical data, to predict disease or recovery, or in the fight against climate change.

You'll develop a deep understanding of modern big data, machine learning and data mining methods, preparing you for key roles such as data analyst, data scientist, systems developer and systems analyst.

**Course highlights**
- Apply your analytical skills to practical problems and real-world datasets collected from our extensive research in areas such as cosmology, health information and cyber security

- Develop commercial skills alongside technical data analysis, such as how to present and visualise your findings

- Choose specialist modules that match your interests and career ambitions, such as ethical hacking, 3D computer graphics and animation, malware forensics, robotics and cryptography

- Apply your skills through our work with charities and organisations such as Code Club, where you'll help 9-13-year-olds with their Scratch, HTML/CSS, and Python projects

- Benefit from our Student Union clubs and societies, such as the IT Society, AI and Robotics Club and Gaming Society

**Accreditation**

This course is accredited by the British Computer Society, partially meeting the educational requirement for CITP.

**Careers and opportunities**

Data scientist was identified as the 7th top emerging job role in the UK in LinkedIn's emerging jobs report 2020 and The Royal Society revealed a 231% growth in demand for data scientists and engineers between 2014 and 2019. The Government have also reported that UK companies are recruiting for 178,000 to 234,000 roles that require 'hard' data skills, including data ethics, programming, database management, data processing and visualisation.

When you finish this course, you'll be equipped for a career in the data analytics and deep learning industry. With the high demand for data scientists, you can expect a starting salary from £25,000–£30,000, with the opportunity to earn up to £60,000 once you're experienced in the field.

What jobs can you do with a data science and analytics degree?

Previous students have gone on to work as:

- data analysts

- data engineers

- data architects

- information analysts

Other graduates have continued their studies at postgraduate level or set up successful businesses with help and support from the University.

After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.

"Data Warehousing and Mining were my favourite subjects – learning how big data is stored and utilised was deeply interesting and engaging. The staff here are friendly and knowledgeable and my course provided a me with the skills I needed to land my dream job." Azdean Smith, BSc (Hons) Computing Student

Modules

Year 1

Core modules in this year include:
- Architecture and Operating Systems – 20 credits
- Core Computing Concepts – 20 credits
- Database Systems Development – 20 credits
- Practical Data Science – 20 credits
- Programming – 40 credits

There are no optional modules in this year.

Year 2

Core modules in this year include:
- Applied Machine Learning and Data Mining – 20 credits
- Big Data – 20 credits
- Data Structures and Algorithms – 20 credits
- Database Principles – 20 credits
- Software Engineering Theory and Practice – 20 credits

Optional modules in this year currently include:
- 3D Computer Graphics and Animation – 20 credits
- Computing Undergraduate Ambassador – 20 credits
- Ethical Hacking – 20 credits
- Modern Foreign Language (Institution-wide Language Programme) – 20 credits
- Web Programming – 20 credits

Exhange study abroad or placement year (optional)

After your second year, you can do an optional study abroad or work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry. Previous students have completed work placements at well-known companies, such as IBM, UKCloud and Intel.

We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.

Year 3

Core modules in this year include:
- Business Analytics – 20 credits
- Final Year Study Project / Individual Project – 40 credits
- Open Innovations in Data Science – 20 credits

Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Artificial Intelligence – 20 credits
- Distributed Systems and Security – 20 credits
- Internet of Things – 20 credits
- Malware Forensics – 20 credits
- Robotics – 20 credits
- Security and Cryptography – 20 credits

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment methods

You’ll be assessed through:

- written assignments
- presentations
- group and individual lab-based assessments
- projects

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:

- Year 1 students: 33% by written exams and 67% by coursework
- Year 2 students: 58% by written exams, 3% by practical exams and 39% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 22% by written exams and 78% by coursework

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£9,250
per year
International
£19,200
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Portsmouth

Department:

Faculty of Technology

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

67%
Computer science

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

Teaching and learning

66%
Staff make the subject interesting
80%
Staff are good at explaining things
65%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
70%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

82%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
60%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

78%
UK students
22%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
63%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£23,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
72%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

44%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
16%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
7%
Information technology technicians

This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Computer science

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£27k

£27k

£31k

£31k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

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Same University
University of Portsmouth | Portsmouth
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BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-128

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here