Data Science
MJRH-ADDSC

Data Science (Advanced)

Undergraduate major

In this major you will gain multidisciplinary skill sets from studies in computing, statistics, and media and emerging internet technologies.

This offering version is phasing out and no longer taking applications. You may be able to apply for a later version.

Course outline
  • ATAR

    ATAR

    Guaranteed ATAR 95
  • Qualification
    Data Science Major (BAdvSci) (Honours)
  • Credit

    Credit

    800
Course outline

Outline

Outline

Every industry is using the increasing availability of large volumes of data to grow - from predicting weather patterns and optimising harvesting in agriculture, to improving patient diagnosis and treatment in the health industry and enhancing the management of remote infrastructure in mining. Central to harnessing the power of data to drive innovation is the Data Scientist. This Data Science major is multidisciplinary with fields of study in computing, statistics, emerging internet technologies and media studies.

This major is part of the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours), a course designed for high-performing students to pursue their interest in Science through a core of research, leadership and entrepreneurship. The flexible and personalised approach to studying data science enables you to explore the field through for-credit immersive research experiences, industry placement and/or interdisciplinary team-based projects.

In your capstone experience you'll have the opportunity to pursue data science projects based anywhere from pure research through to translational (entrepreneurial) science.

The Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) provides opportunities through second and third year to undertake internal and external internships and immersive work experience (sourced by the student), which can be used for course credit.

You'll gain practical experience programming in both R and Python and exposure to data science professionals. Work-based learning is ensured through the requirement to engage in immersive industry and/or research experience.

Foundational studies in programming and statistics form the basis of higher level studies in data mining, data security and computer simulation. The major builds students’ capacity to extract, analyse and visualise large volumes of data and communicate analytical outcomes to a range of audiences.

See our handbook for additional course overview information. 

How this course will make you industry ready

This course has been developed in collaboration with industry. Data science is a dynamic field, and the course is reviewed regularly by external advisors to ensure that the course's skills and knowledge content are up-to-date and industry-relevant.

You'll have opportunities to undertake internal and external internships and immersive work experience, which can be used for course credit.

What jobs can the Data Science (Advanced) course lead to?

Careers

  • Data analyst
  • Data scientist

Industries

  • Agriculture and environment
  • Arts
  • Economics, business, banking and finance
  • Geographic information science
  • Government
  • Health science
  • Media
  • Mining 
  • Oil and gas
  • Supply chain logistics
  • Technology

What you'll learn

  • Extract valid and meaningful conclusions from various types of large data sets that can support evidence based decision making, and incorporate them into the planning, conduct and communication of their own work.
  • Communicate approaches, ideas, findings and solutions to data science problems in a variety of modes to informed professional audiences.
  • Identify, select and use appropriate open source and proprietary data management and analysis tools to identify patterns or relationships in large volumes of data and address complex research questions.
  • Demonstrate intellectual independence and engage in self-driven continuous discipline and professional education and training as a data scientist.
  • Participate in the generation and application of science in addressing global problems while understanding the global nature of data science; apply appropriate international standards in data science and data analytics.
  • Work collaboratively and respectfully with data scientists from a range of cultural backgrounds and understand the importance of the cultural diversity and individual human rights that impact data science.
  • Be able to work as an independent data scientist and collaboratively within teams either as a professional leader or collaborator using effective problem solving and decision making skills within a professional context.
  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the nature of science, its methods and processes, and an advanced knowledge of the theoretical background to processes for efficient collection, management, secure storage and analysis of large data sets.
  • Critically analyse challenging and multi-faceted problems in data science, formulating hypotheses about data and developing innovative strategies for testing them; implement appropriate algorithms to analyse both large and small datasets.

Admission criteria

What you need in order to get into this course. There are different pathway options depending on your level of work and education experience.

Select an option that best suits you:

You’re considered a high school leaver if you:

  • Completed year 12 in Australia or overseas in the past two years, or
  • Completed TAFE or VET studies in the past two years.

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 95

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 95

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Mathematics Methods ATAR

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    Mathematics Specialist ATAR

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

StepUp Entry

StepUp Entry

Successful StepUp Entry and StepUp Equity Adjustment Admission Pathway (StepUp Bonus) applicants will be eligible to be considered for admission into this course.

Alternative pathways

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    STAT is not accepted for this course

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Reading

7.0

Listening

7.0

Overall band score

7.0

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

How others gained admission

View the ATAR breakdown to see the low, median and high ATAR scores of students who started studying this course recently.

To see the other pathways students have taken, see the pathway breakdown.

You’re considered someone with work and life experience if:

You have left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.

How we define ‘experience’
‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education such as mature-age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience. Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study.

Pathways

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    STAT is not accepted for this course

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 95

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 95

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Mathematics Methods ATAR

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    Mathematics Specialist ATAR

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Reading

7.0

Listening

7.0

Overall band score

7.0

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

You’re considered someone who studied at TAFE or have done an apprenticeship if:

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. This includes study at a public TAFE or other VET provider, whether a qualification was completed or not. Applicants with VET study may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.

Pathways

  • TAFE entry

    Not accepted. VET study cannot meet the equivalent ATAR requirement.

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    STAT is not accepted for this course

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 95

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 95

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Mathematics Methods ATAR

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    Mathematics Specialist ATAR

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Reading

7.0

Listening

7.0

Overall band score

7.0

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

You’re considered someone who has recently left university if:

Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This may include applicants who are currently studying a higher education course at another education provider and want to transfer to Curtin University, or applicants who are currently studying at Curtin but want to switch to a different course. It may also include applicants who have completed past study with university and non-university higher education providers.

Curtin course switcher criteria

To switch into this course, you need to have:

  • Attained an ATAR of 95; or
  • Completed 200 credits over one year, with a course weighted average (CWA) of 80% or higher; and
  • Met the prerequisites.

Maths Methods prerequisites can be met with:

  • Maths Methods ATAR or
  • MATH1014 Foundations of Calculus
  • MATH1015 Linear Algebra 1 or
  • MATH1016 Calculus 1.

Higher education course switcher criteria

This course has a semester one intake only. Please refer to the TISC website for more information.

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 95

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 95

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Mathematics Methods ATAR

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    Mathematics Specialist ATAR

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Reading

7.0

Listening

7.0

Overall band score

7.0

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Unsure what option suits you?

We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of university admission. Choose the support you need from the options below.

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool
Credit for recognised learning (CRL)

Use your experience to get credit towards your degree

Finish your course sooner with credit for your previous study or work experience.

Fees and charges

Please view the degree for indicative fees.

Looking for more detail on the course structure?

View course structure

Frequently asked questions

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  • The offering information on this website applies only to future students. Current students should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information.

    The information on this page may be subject to change. In particular, Curtin University may change the content, method or location of delivery or tuition fees of courses.

    While Curtin uses reasonable efforts to ensure that the information provided on this page is accurate and up to date, errors and omissions sometimes occur. Curtin makes no warranty, representation or undertaking (expressed or implied) nor does it assume any legal liability (direct or indirect) for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information.

    View courses information disclaimer.

  • Curtin course code: MJRH-ADDSC
  • Last updated on: 11 October 2024

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