Master in Data Science

Master in 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 same programme title is offered at 6 institutions, so compare the content, campus and requirements before you choose.

What you study

The Data Science master's at TU Wien is about turning data into decisions. You learn to collect, process, analyse and visualise data. The programme covers anomaly detection, complex system modelling, trend forecasting and machine learning. It combines technical depth with the ability to act on what the data shows.

The first semester builds your foundations in four modules: Fundamentals of Data Science, Machine Learning and Statistics, Big Data and High Performance Computing, and Visual Analytics and Semantic Technologies. In the second and third semesters you go deeper in two or more key areas through core and extension modules that build on those foundations. A module called Domain-Specific Aspects of Data Science lets you explore how other disciplines use data science. Open electives and extension courses run throughout the programme, so you can pick up secondary skills or work in interdisciplinary areas.

How the programme is organised

The degree is 120 ECTS and takes four semesters. The fourth semester is for developing and writing your master's thesis. Teaching is in English. The degree awarded is Dipl.-Ing., which is internationally comparable with a Master of Science. The full structure and content are set out in the curriculum and the course list in TISS.

Who it suits

This programme suits students who already have a bachelor's degree covering algorithms and data structures, an introduction to programming, algebra, calculus, and statistics and probability theory. If your previous degree did not cover these subjects at the expected level, you may need supplementary examinations worth up to 30 ECTS. Graduates of several TU Wien bachelor's programmes are admitted without supplementary examinations: Informatics, Business Informatics, Computer Engineering, Technical Mathematics, Statistics and Mathematical Methods in Economics, and Financial and Actuarial Mathematics. The same applies to certain named programmes at other Austrian universities, such as Informatics at the University of Vienna, TU Graz, JKU Linz, the University of Innsbruck and the University of Salzburg, Business Informatics at the University of Vienna, JKU Linz and the University of Klagenfurt, Software Engineering and Management at TU Graz, and Applied Informatics at the University of Klagenfurt.

Admission, language and next steps

You need an eligible bachelor's degree from an accredited national or international post-secondary institution. Applications go directly to TU Wien, not through a central portal. The university's admission page gives the application period and the documents you need. The teaching language is English. As a public university, TU Wien charges no tuition to EU/EEA and Swiss students within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester. After the master's you can continue to a doctoral programme at TU Wien in Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Social and Economic Sciences. For advice before applying, contact the Student Union Informatics or the Student Union Business Informatics and Data Science.

Data Science deals with large, heterogeneous data (big data) from different application areas to obtain valuable findings and generate meaningful and actionable information. Tasks in Data Science include gaining a thorough understanding of the problem domain (business undestanding), processing and fusion of heterogeneous data from different sources (data gathering), analysis and statistical modelling of the data (data analytics) and interactive visualization of the data (visual analytics) and use of the results (decision support and deployment).

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here TU Wien. 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: Admission procedure. 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.