Data science has been called the “sexiest job of the 21st century”, and those who can manage and make sense of big data will undoubtedly take on some of the most important roles in the information age.

We live in a data-driven world that’s generating huge volumes of information at ever-increasing rates via social media, financial transactions, transportation, and even scientific discovery. As a consequence, an understanding of data is a top priority for all of us – whether you’re in business, industry and government, or individually as citizens and consumers.

The new interdisciplinary field of data science combines areas of computer science with mathematical statistics and domain expertise to manage and analyse data. Specialists develop the capability to derive insight and opportunity from the vast repositories of information that organisations collect. Data science also puts a greater emphasis on the specialised computational skills required to manage and analyse big data from sources such as social media, massive sensors, mobile and transaction data. It enables businesses to gain a competitive edge, governments to deliver more targeted services, and research teams make new discoveries.

Data science and its analysis could appeal to people from a broad range of backgrounds, such as graduates from computing, mathematics, science, engineering or health.

Through this degree, you'll build mix of skills in analytics, statistics and computer science that will enable you to be central to business decision-making, corporate strategy and government planning. This prepares graduates for a career in a field that is driving scientific research, economic growth, public policy and corporate strategy, using cloud technologies to aid the management and analysis of very big data sets.

This course also provides opportunities to experience an industry project where you’ll undertake a capstone project giving you hands-on, practical experience analyzing data in a business setting. Working within a corporate environment, you’ll integrate the knowledge you’ve acquired throughout the course into a solid skills base to take into your professional life.

Exposure to theoretical knowledge and practical expertise means that graduates of the Master of Data Science have the potential to become influential leaders within their organisations.

Any organisation handling large volumes of data needs qualified data scientists. Organisations in all sectors of the economy – IT, business, banking and finance, science and engineering, government, health and medical – can gain a competitive edge by better managing and analyzing their data.

As data science is still a new and emerging field, the roles available are consequently quite varied and diverse.

As well as the title of Data Scientist, other positions include analytics specialist, business intelligence analyst/developer, data analyst, data architect, data engineer, data miner, research scientist and web analyst.

While industry expertise is at the heart of program delivery, studying at RMIT also means you are physically located close to Melbourne’s data professionals in the central business district, with many opportunities for developing links to local industry and jobs, including meet-ups, events and seminars, as well as other networking occasions.

After being exposed to the latest theoretical and practical expertise, graduates are expected to become influential leaders within their organisations.

There is also a research stream in this course, in which students work with a data science researcher on more technical data science innovation.