Data Science

Mature applicants are those aged 23 years, or above, on 1 January in the year of entry. All candidates (presenting with EU/Non EU qualifications) applying on the grounds of mature years should apply ONLY through the CAO by 1 February.

For many DCU courses, mature application assessment is based on the CAO application and in some instances, an assessment and/or interview. ‘Other’ experience, apart from performance in examinations, may be taken into consideration - this may be work experience, further studies, or other such experience deemed to be relevant to the application. Interviews will take place in April either in person or remotely.

For more information, please contact the Mature Student Officer, orla.stafford@dcu.ie or dcu.ie/mature-students
For general and admission enquiries, please visit dcu.ie/registry/ug-admissions

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Entry 2024

Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm

Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm

Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm

Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm

Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm

Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.

LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.

Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.

If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.

Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.

Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.

Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.

Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:

General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices

Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course

Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants

Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR

Why DCU?
− This course will equip you with the skills to deal with the challenges that large bodies of data present and how to help others understand it

− DCU is home to some of the greatest computing minds in the field, hosts the largest ICT research centres in Ireland, and state-of-the-art lecture theatres and labs

− The Faculty of Engineering and Computing educates a diverse student community, has strong industry links and a range of exciting scholarship opportunities

− 9 month paid work placement (INTRA) in Year 3

− In Year 4, you will put into practice the skills and knowledge you have gained during the course, and create a robust final year project which you will showcase to industry at a student event

About You
Fancy a career that combines problem-solving, investigation and storytelling? Are you seeking a versatile career that can grant access to various industries? From retail and sports science to journalism and fintech, data scientists are increasingly at the heart of business and government.

If you like maths, creative problem solving and collaborative work, data science could really appeal to you.

Understanding: Data Science
The course, which is the first of its kind in Ireland, is aimed at the study of information, where it comes from, what it tells us and how to turn it into a resource for business, government and social strategies. Decision making based on data collection, processing, analysis and communication has become a huge part of daily life involving crucial choices such as financial investments to government strategy to leisurely decisions like recommending a movie or choosing the best sports person to join your team. DCU is the perfect place to study this course due to our strong reputation in computing, engineering, business and mathematics. Our focus on innovation and applied problem solving means that we are always looking for ways to make a difference in the world. By studying with us, you will gain the skills needed to fill the ICT skills gap and meet employer demands both at home and abroad.

Course Structure
BSc in Data Science combines the 3 key skill sets of computing, mathematics and enterprise to provide the core knowledge needed to succeed in this growing area. The course will introduce you to the major concepts in data analytics, management, processing, modelling, visualisation and enterprise. You will learn to program, to study mathematics and learn to apply these skills to data from the real world, communicating the results to different audiences.

The degree has been developed in close collaboration between the University, global centres of research excellence (Insight, ADAPT), and major industry players such as Accenture, Intel and Fidelity.

In Year 1, you will learn programming from first principles using Python and R. You will also study foundational mathematics for data science which includes calculus, probability, and linear maths. Furthermore, you will gain knowledge of databases and computer structures.

As you progress to Year 2, you will build on your programming skills in both Python and Java. Additionally, you will delve deeper into advanced mathematical concepts such as statistics and calculus. Furthermore, this year’s curriculum will introduce topics related to data warehousing.

In Year 3, you will focus on data science specific topics in machine learning operations, ethics and research skills, information retrieval, graph databases and a practical project. You then have the opportunity to acquire invaluable experience by undertaking a 9 month paid work placement (INTRA) in Year 3 this is usually with a business in Ireland but there are also opportunities to work abroad.

Year 4 focuses on the latest technologies and cutting-edge advancements in areas such as machine learning, natural language processing, scalable systems, computational modelling, fintech, sports science, multimedia, etc. Additionally, students have the freedom to explore their own concepts throughout a year-long project. This year-long project will be showcased in an annual event known as the Final Year Projects Expo. This event is a chance to present your skills acquired during your studies to industry professionals who are interested in employing DCU graduates.

INTRA
In Year 3, you will have the opportunity to spend 9 months paid work placement (INTRA). The INTRA programme integrates academic study with closely related jobs. It will give you an understanding of the professional and practical business world and will help you to stand out in the graduate employment market. For more information, please visit dcu.ie/intra.

Internship: Yes.

What Will I Study?
Year 1
Linear Mathematics | Calculus | Probability | Computer Programming (Python & R) | Data Science and Databases | Computer Structures

Year 2
Statistics | Calculus of Several Variables | Computer Programming (Data Structures and Algorithms) | Data Processing and Visualisation | Computer Programming (Object Oriented Programming) | Data Warehousing and Data Mining | Introduction to Machine Learning | Programming for Data Analysis | Developing Internet Applications

Year 3
Professional and Research Practice for Data Science | Data Exploration Using Graph Theory | Software Engineering: Building Better Software | Search Technologies | Application Domains Project | INTRA

Year 4
Application Domains | Data Analytics at Speed and Scale | Natural Language Technologies | Advanced Machine Learning | Building Complex Computational Models (inc. Time Series) | Final Year Project

Contact Details
Tel: +353 (0) 1 700 5936
E: alessandra.mileo@dcu.ie
E: studenthelp@dcu.ie
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