Human and Social Data Science
(MSc) Human and Social Data Science
Entry for 2026
FHEQ level
This course is set at Level 7 (Masters) in the national Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.
Course Outline (May Be Used in Prospectus)
Students attend a series of seminars (11) from (mainly) external speakers, where they are exposed to the problems that data scientists have to face in an academic and non-academic environment. Seminars are structured in such a way to have a 50 minutes talk from an expert in data science or in topics related to data science (data preservation, laws on data science/big data, etc), followed by a 1 hour Q&A session, where students are invited to discuss with the expert. Seminar speakers are invited to discuss real-life cases where the expertise of data scientists has been crucial, and to discuss how students can ‘market’ what they have learned in the Data Science MSc to external employers.
The assessment for this module is a 3000 word essay (to be submitted in A2) on a data science topic that the students are encouraged to decide and research independently. Guidance is given at the start of the module on possible suitable projects. Students have to submit an abstract of their essay to the module convener by the end of Week 4 in the Spring term. Essays are marked by the module convener, second marked by a separate colleague in MPS, and finally the marks are moderated by a third colleague. The resit mode for this module consists of re-submitting in A4 an improved essay following the feedback received by module convener and second marker in A2.
For information on the composition of this course please see either the on-line Undergraduate prospectus for undergraduate related courses or the on-line Postgraduate prospectus for postgraduate related courses.
More detailed information on the course structure and modules within this degree will be available on this page shortly.
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