Master in Statistics and Data Science

Master in Statistics and Data Science is one of 15 English-taught Data Science programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 13 institutions. 12 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 727 to EUR 1,453; this programme lists EUR 1,453 a year. 8 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

The Master's in Statistics and Data Science at Johannes Kepler University Linz is a four-semester degree taught entirely in English. It carries 120 ECTS and leads to an MSc. The programme is built around data literacy: getting data, judging its quantity and quality, managing it, analysing it, processing it and explaining what it means to people outside the field.

What you study

Courses fall into six subject areas: data science, mathematical statistics, recent developments in statistics and data science, statistical methods, soft skills and free electives. Statistics teaching goes deep into biostatistics and experimental design. On the data science side you work with principles and context for Big Data analyses, including how data quantity and quality interact. A cross-disciplinary strand trains you to work with experts from other fields and to build solution-oriented methods.

The programme names six things you learn to do: data acquisition, handling data quantity and quality, data management, data analysis, data processing (using existing software or programming it yourself) and communicating findings in plain terms.

How the programme is organised

You can study full time or part time at 50 percent. Teaching mixes theory with real cases: you apply what you learn in class to current problems using real data. You may write your Master's thesis at a company. You can also add the EMOS certificate, the European Master's in Official Statistics, alongside your degree.

The Institute for Applied Statistics (IFAS) works with local companies such as Hofer, Greiner, voestalpine and Pöttinger, with Statistics Austria (paid internships), and with the Faculty of Medicine, the Kepler University Hospital and the University of Veterinary Medicine. That gives you contact with practical projects in industry and medicine.

Who it suits

This suits you if you want statistics with real data rather than pure theory, and if you are comfortable in English. Small class sizes and a low student-to-faculty ratio mean you can reach classmates and staff easily. Students who want to combine statistical depth with work in other disciplines, from medicine to engineering, fit well here.

Admission, language and next steps

You need a completed Bachelor's degree in Statistics and Data Science from the JKU or a comparable degree from another higher education institution. English is required at Matura level, which the page states as Level B2. The teaching language is English throughout.

There is no central application portal: you apply directly to the JKU, and the university's own programme page sets out the application period. At a public university, EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester. Questions go to the Admissions Office or the Student Information and Academic Advising (SIBS) service.

In the course of the degree programme the students will specialise in the key areas of statistics and data science. They will learn the necessary theoretical concepts and how to apply them in practice.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Johannes Kepler University Linz. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: No. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.