Data Analytics - Athlone

Take the guesswork out of decision making with the TUS Athlone MSc in Data Analytics.

Data Analytics is the process of examining vast quantities of data, often referred to as Big Data, in order to draw conclusions and insights about the information they contain. Some examples of Data Analytics applications include real-time fraud detection, complex competitive commercial analysis, website optimisation, intelligent air, road and other traffic management and consumer spending patterns.

Big Data presents three primary problems: there's too much data to handle easily; the speed of data flowing in and out makes it difficult to analyse; and the range and type of data sources are too great to assimilate. With the right analytics and techniques, these big data can deliver hidden and unhidden insights, patterns and relationships from multiple sources using Data Analytics techniques.

TUS Athlone, has developed an industry-focused, contemporary masters programme that will equip graduates with the skills and aptitudes necessary to excel in the emerging field of Big Data and Data Analytics. This programme will ensure that you will be able to understand the data context, apply appropriate techniques and utilise the most relevant tools to generate insights into such data.

What will I experience?
The programme runs over one calendar year, commencing in September, consisting of three semesters. Semesters 1 and 2 will incorporate three key pillars of data analytics: Data, Tools & Techniques and Analysis. Each pillar overlaps with the other to provide a coherent and unified set of core skills in data analytics. Semester 3 will consist of a substantive research project.

At the core of the discipline is data. In this pillar, students will develop their skills in areas including database technologies, data manipulation languages including SQL and the R programming language. In order to understand the data, a range of techniques will be taught, including programming for Big Data, statistics and probabilities and the interpretation of data. Interwoven within these modules is the use of industry-standard data analytics software tools. The final pillar of the programme is analysis. In these modules, students will develop skills to become data-savvy practitioners, gaining insights into data from which strategic decisions can be made.

Applied Research Project

In Semester 3 of the programme, students will be required to undertake a data analytics project and associated thesis of 20,000 words.

Course Award: Master of Science
Course NFQ Level: Level 9
Department: Dept of Accounting & Business Computing

Year 1

Semester 1 (September):
Relational Databases (5 credits)
Programming for Data Analytics (10 credits)
Data Analytics (5 credits)
Statistics for Data Analysis (5 credits)
Interpretation of Data (5 credits)

Semester 2 (January):
Advanced Analytics (5 credits)
Research Methods (5 credits)
Advanced Databases (10 credits)
Data Visualisation (10 credits)

Semester 3 (May):
Applied Research Project (30 credits)

Minimum Entry Requirements:
A Level 8 or equivalent honours degree in Business, Science or Engineering, with a minimum grade of 2.1 (60%), comprising of at least 30 ECTS credits in any combination of maths, computer science or engineering. In line with institute policies, non-native English speakers are required to have an IELTS level of 6.5 or higher.

All applicants will be subject to an interview.

Update 5/1/23: Applications for September 2023 will open in February 2023. International applicants should contact the International Office directly - international@ait.ie

12 Months full-time.

What opportunities might it lead to?
The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs report identified Data Analytics as an area of skills deficit. Given the wide range of industries in which Data Analytics can be utilised, the demand for Data Analytics graduates continues to soar. According to careers website, indeed.ie, in Ireland the average salary is for a Data Analyst is €45,757.

Career Prospects
As Data Analytics is a relatively new and emerging field, the application of analytics spans a vast range of industries including finance, marketing, healthcare and biopharma. Career opportunities for graduates of this programme include:

Data Analyst
Data Scientist
Performance and Analytics Analyst
Data Operations Analyst
Financial Market Analyst
Business Intelligence Analyst
Customer Insight Analyst