Faculty of Engineering

School of Computer Science

Master of Data Science (2025)


Note: This course version applies only to students first enrolling in 2025.
WARNING: This course version is currently under review and is subject to change.


1. Overview

Course: Master of Data Science (2025)
CP Required: 72
Min FT Duration: 1.50 Years
Min PT Duration: N/A
Faculty/School: School of Computer Science
Years Offered: 2025, 2024, 2023

2. Requirements

Summary

Students must complete 72 credit points as follows:

(a) for the Professional Pathway:

► 18 credit points of Data Science Core units

► 12 credit points of Professional Core units

► 12 credit points of Capstone project units

► A minimum of 18 credit points of Specialisation units or Data Science Specialist units

► A maximum of 12 credit points of Elective or Foundation units

(b) for the Research Pathway:

► 18 credit points of Data Science Core units

► 12 credit points of Professional Core units

► 24 credit points of Research pathway units

► 18 credit points of Specialisation units of study or Data Science Specialist units

► no credit points of Elective or Foundation units

The completion of a specialisation is not mandatory. If a student chooses to do a specialisation, it must be completed within the Specialist units credit points described above.

Faculty Resolutions

Details of relevant Faculty resolutions are available via the university handbook site at: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/

3. Semesters

Year 1 - Semester 1

Type CP CP From
6 Select from COMP5310: Principles of Data Science
6 Select from STAT5003: Computational Statistical Methods
List
12 Select from Unit Blocks:
Data Science Foundation Units
Data Science Elective Units


Note: Students in the Research Pathway are advised to enrol in Specialisation units instead

Note: This order of units is a guide only. Where core units are available in both Semester 1 and Semester 2, they can be switched with an alternative unit in this guide.

Year 1 - Semester 2

Type CP CP From
6 Select from COMP5048: Visual Analytics
6 Select from INFO5990: Professional Practice in IT
12 Select from Unit Block:
Data Science Specialisation Units


Note: Students in the Research Pathway are advised to enrol in INFO5993 + DATA5704 instead.

To enrol in Research Pathway units, students who have a 75 WAM after completing 24CP of Data Science core and/or specialisation units may apply for Departmental Permission for the units.

Year 2 - Semester 1

Type CP CP From
6 Select from INFO5992: Understanding IT Innovations
6 Select from Unit Block:
Data Science Specialisation Units
12 Select from Unit Block:
Data Science Project and Research Units


Note: Students in Professional Pathway are advised to enrol in their Capstone Project unit DATA5703 or DATA5709. Those in Research Pathway are advised to enrol in DATA5702

4. Pathways

1. Specialisation in Data Engineering

Type CP CP From
18 Select from COMP5338: Advanced Data Models
COMP5339: Data Engineering
COMP5349: Cloud Computing

Note: In your enrolment portal, please choose the 18cp of Specialisation units from the relevant specialisation collection.

2. Specialisation in Machine Learning

Type CP CP From
18 Select from COMP5318: Machine Learning and Data Mining
COMP5328: Advanced Machine Learning
COMP5329: Deep Learning

Note: In your enrolment portal, please choose the 18cp of Specialisation units from the relevant specialisation collection.

3. Unspecified Specialisation

Type CP CP From
18 Select from Unit Block Data Science Specialisation Units


Note: Unspecified Specialisation requires the completion of 18 credit points from the Data Science Specialist units of study table.

Note: In your enrolment portal, please choose the 18cp of Specialisation units from the relevant specialisation collection.

5. Unit Blocks

Block 1 - Data Science Core Units (Min CP: 18,Max CP: 18)

Unit Code Unit Name CP Sessions Offered
COMP5048 Visual Analytics 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
COMP5310 Principles of Data Science 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
STAT5003 Computational Statistical Methods 6 Semester 1
Semester 2

Block 2 - Professional Core Units (Min CP: 12,Max CP: 12)

Unit Code Unit Name CP Sessions Offered
INFO5990 Professional Practice in IT 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
INFO5992 Understanding IT Innovations 6 Semester 1
Semester 2

Block 3 - Data Science Specialisation Units (Min CP: 18,Max CP: 30)

Unit Code Unit Name CP Sessions Offered
COMP5046 Natural Language Processing 6 Semester 1
COMP5313 Large Scale Networks 6 Semester 1
COMP5318 Machine Learning and Data Mining 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
COMP5328 Advanced Machine Learning 6 Semester 2
COMP5329 Deep Learning 6 Semester 1
COMP5338 Advanced Data Models 6 Semester 2
COMP5339 Data Engineering 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
COMP5349 Cloud Computing 6 Semester 1
COMP5425 Multimedia Retrieval 6 Semester 1
INFO5060 Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 6 Int July
QBUS6810 Statistical Learning and Data Mining 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
QBUS6840 Predictive Analytics 6 Semester 1

Note: Completion of a Specialisation is optional for the Master of Data Science.

A Specialisation requires the completion of18 credit points of Specialisation Core units, and completion of a minimum of 12 credit points of capstone or research project units in the same area as the specialisation for the Master of Data Science.

The specialisations available are: Data Engineering, and Machine Learning

Candidates who choose not to take a specialisation sequence complete 18 credit points of Unspecified specialisation units of study.

See Majors/Pathways tab for details. In your enrolment portal, please choose the 18cp of Specialisation units from the relevant specialisation collection.

Block 4 - Data Science Foundation Units (Max CP: 12)

Unit Code Unit Name CP Sessions Offered
COMP9001 Introduction to Programming 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
COMP9017 Systems Programming 6 Semester 1
COMP9110 System Analysis and Modelling 6 Semester 1
COMP9120 Database Management Systems 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
COMP9121 Design of Networks & Distributed Systems 6 Semester 2
INFO6007 Project Management in IT 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
STAT5002 Introduction to Statistics 6 Semester 1
Semester 2

Block 5 - Data Science Elective Units (Max CP: 12)

Unit Code Unit Name CP Sessions Offered
COMP5047 Pervasive Computing 6 Semester 2
COMP5216 Mobile Computing 6 Semester 2
COMP5347 Web Application Development 6 Semester 1
COMP5348 Enterprise Scale Software Architecture 6 Semester 2
COMP5416 Advanced Network Technologies 6 Semester 2
COMP5425 Multimedia Retrieval 6 Semester 1
COMP5426 Parallel and Distributed Computing 6 Semester 1
COMP5427 Usability Engineering 6 Semester 1
CSYS5010 Introduction to Complex Systems 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
DATA5207 Data Analysis in the Social Sciences 6 Semester 1
Int December
ELEC5514 IoT Wireless Sensing and Networking 6 Semester 2
ELEC5517 Software Defined Networks 6 Semester 2
ELEC5618 Software Quality Engineering 6 Semester 1
PHYS5033 Environmental Footprints and IO Analysis 6 Semester 1
Semester 2

Block 6 - Data Science Project and Research Units (Min CP: 12,Max CP: 24)

Unit Code Unit Name CP Sessions Offered
DATA5702 Data Science Research Project A 12 Semester 1
Semester 2
DATA5703 Data Science Capstone Project 12 Semester 1
Semester 2
DATA5704 Data Science Research Project B 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
DATA5707 Data Science Capstone A 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
DATA5708 Data Science Capstone B 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
DATA5709 Data Science Capstone Project – Individual 12 Semester 1
Semester 2
INFO5993 IT Research Methods 6 Semester 1
Semester 2

Note: All candidates for the Master of Data Science are required to complete a substantial project that will allow the student to apply and demonstrate their knowledge and skills from the program.

Professional Pathway Project Units

The minimum requirement for the Professional Pathway is 12 credit points of Data Science Capstone Project units.

Candidates can complete either DATA5707 and DATA5708 (6+6 credit points - two semesters available for part-time students) or DATA5703 or DATA5709 (12 credit points - single semester).

The remaining 12 credit points in the Professional Pathway may be taken from Specialist, Foundation or Elective units.

Research Pathway Units

Candidates in the Research Pathway must take all 24 credit points of the Research Pathway units of study (DATA5702, DATA5704 and INFO5993).

Candidates who choose the Research Pathway will be required to undertake a project in an area related to the specialisation.

Block 7 - Specialisation - Data Engineering (Max CP: 18)

Unit Code Unit Name CP Sessions Offered
COMP5338 Advanced Data Models 6 Semester 2
COMP5339 Data Engineering 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
COMP5349 Cloud Computing 6 Semester 1

Block 8 - Specialisation - Machine Learning (Max CP: 18)

Unit Code Unit Name CP Sessions Offered
COMP5318 Machine Learning and Data Mining 6 Semester 1
Semester 2
COMP5328 Advanced Machine Learning 6 Semester 2
COMP5329 Deep Learning 6 Semester 1

Block 9 - Specialisation - Unspecified Specialisation (Max CP: 18)

Note: Unspecified Specialisation requires the completion of 18 credit points from the Data Science Specialist units of study table.