The document, presented by Dr. Thomas Lancaster, outlines the essentials of studying data science in the UK, including job roles, course options, and key skills required in the field. It highlights the growing demand for data scientists, particularly in finance and insurance, along with various career pathways and relevant course structures. The text emphasizes the importance of evaluating course content, teaching quality, and employability support when selecting a data science program.

1. Studying Data Science at
University in the UK
Dr. Thomas Lancaster
Staffordshire University
http://thomaslancaster.co.uk
Based on a presentation previously delivered at the Staffordshire UCAS Conference 2017

2. Background

3. Questions To Consider
• What is Data Science?
• Is Data Science a good choice of course?
• Will a career in Data Science be a sensible choice?
• What options are there to gain skills in Data Science?
• What types of Data Science courses are there?

4. Dr. Thomas Lancaster
• Associate Dean
• Computer Science specialist by profession
• Researcher, speaker and technology enthusiast
• Have worked and studied at a variety of
universities (Staffordshire, Coventry, Birmingham
City, London South Bank, York, Oxford)
• Connected with the sector
http://thomaslancaster.co.uk
@DrLancaster

5. Data Science

6. What Do Data Scientists Do?
• Manipulate data
• Predict trends
• Help organisations to run more efficiently
• Communicate messages
• Consult with businesses
• Work out which questions need answering
The
glamorous
part ?

7. What Might A Data Scientist Actually Do?
• Spend a lot of time in front of a computer!
• Work out how to predict when someone is desperate for a cab (so
they can put up the price?)
• Make tiny changes to how data is stored to make big data systems
run more efficiently
• Predict which political party will win the General Election and how
many seats they will get

9. Data Science Jobs
Source: https://www.cwjobs.co.uk/jobs/data-scientist
Data collected: 7 June 2017

10. The Role Of A Data Scientist?
0
50
100
150
200
250
What else
would a
Data
Scientist
want to
know?

11. Two Sample Jobs
Data Analyst
(retail company)
Birmingham
£28,000 - £30,000 per annum
Role requirements
Develop reports and dashboards
Proactively develop new business solutions
Work with Microsoft Excel and other tools
Manipulate data from multiple sources
Insights & Innovations Analyst
(transport company)
Birmingham
£30,000 per annum
Role requirements
Provide “timely and meaningful facts/data”
about what customers say
Make continued improvements
Juggle many projects
https://www.cwjobs.co.uk/job/data-analyst/robert-walters-job74340861 https://www.cwjobs.co.uk/job/insights-analyst/virgin-trains-job74116632

12. Data Scientist Prospects
(May 2017)
“Employers are already struggling to fill DSA [Data
Science and Analytics] jobs, as evidenced by the length
of time unfilled roles remain open. On average, DSA
jobs remain open for 45 days—five days longer than the
market average.”
IBM predict 28% growth in demand by 2020
Largest market sector – Finance and Insurance
Highest salaries for skills in MapReduce, PIG and
Machine Learning
39% of Data Science positions require an MSc or PhD
https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=IML14576USEN&

13. Data Science Courses

14. Data
Science
Data
Analytics
Big Data
Business
Intelligence
Similar
course
titles to
consider

15. Data Science – The Study Options
• Traditional 3 or 4 year degree (BSc)
• Extended degree (integrated masters) – e.g. MSci,
MComp
• Non-specialist course, followed by a specialist MSc
…or, teach yourself?

16. Data Science – The Content Mix
Business
Maths
Programming
Courses
typically
mix these
areas in
different
proportions

17. Typical Content
Computing programming
Problem solving
Computer hardware
Computer networks
The Internet
Web development
Professional development
Databases
Data management
Data visualisation
E-commerce
Statistics
Artificial intelligence
Machine learning
Research methods
Business modelling
Business decision making
Software engineering
User-centred design
Problem solving techniques
These are just
a few module
titles collated
from typical
courses in the
field

18. Course Questions To Ask
• Is the content unique to the course, or shared with other courses?
• What industry links does the course have?
• Who is teaching the course and what are their credentials?
• What extra activities are available alongside the course?
• What options are there if I don’t enjoy Data Science?
• How is my future employability supported on the course?
• Do the teaching styles and assessment styles match my preferred styles?
• What technologies are taught on the course and are they in demand?
• Are the skills future proof?

19. Is Data Science The Right
Course?

20. Check The Subject Is Right For You…
Try out some
MOOCs
(Massive Open
Online Courses)
(these are a few sample
courses – not
recommendations)

21. Thank You and Discussion

22. For Further Information
Contact details:
thomas.lancaster@staffs.ac.uk
thomas@thomaslancaster.co.uk
Website: http://thomaslancaster.co.uk
Blog: http://thomaslancaster.co.uk/blog