Overview

This is a a four year honours degree programme delivered jointly by the School of Computer Science and the School of Mathematical Sciences. This programme includes a six-month work placement/project (CS3220 Work Placement DSA) in Third Year.

First Year - Data Science and Analytics

To be admitted to the First University Examination in Data Science and Analytics a student must have satisfactorily attended modules amounting to 60 credits comprising core modules to the value of 55 credits, and elective modules to the value of 5 credits.

Second Year - Data Science and Analytics

To be admitted to the Second University Examination in Data Science and Analytics a student must have satisfactorily attended modules amounting to 60 credits comprising core modules to the value of 55 credits, and elective modules to the value of 5 credits.

Third Year - Data Science and Analytics

To be admitted to the Third University Examination in Data Science and Analytics a student must have satisfactorily attended modules amounting to 60 credits.

Fourth Year - Data Science and Analytics

To be admitted to the Fourth University Examination in Data Science and Analytics a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits comprising core modules to the value of 45 credits, and elective modules to the value of 15 credits.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Year 1
Students take 60 credits as follows – all listed core modules (55 credits) and 5 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
CS1106	Introduction to Relational Databases	5
CS1112	Foundations of Computer Science I	5
CS1113	Foundations of Computer Science II	5
CS1117	Introduction to Programming	15
AM1054	Mathematical Software	5
MA1058	Introduction to Linear Algebra	5
MA1059	Calculus	5
ST1050	Statistical Programming in R	5
ST1051	Introduction to Probability and Statistics	5
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 5 credits from the following:
AM1053	Introduction to Mathematical Modelling	5
or ST1402	Modelling and Systems for Decision Making
Year 2
Students take 60 credits as follows – all listed core modules (55 credits) and 5 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
CS2208	Information Storage and Management I	5
CS2209	Information Storage and Management II	5
CS2513	Intermediate Programming	5
CS2514	Introduction to Java	5
CS2515	Algorithms and Data Structures I	5
CS2516	Algorithms and Data Structures II	5
MA2055	Linear Algebra	5
MA2071	Multivariable Calculus	5
ST2053	Introduction to Regression Analysis	5
ST2054	Probability and Mathematical Statistics	10
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 5 credits from the following:
AM2052	Mathematical Modelling	5
or ST2403	Time-to-Event Analysis
Year 3
Students take 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
CS3204	Cloud Infrastructure and Services	5
CS3205	Data Visualization for Analytics Applications	5
CS3220	Work Placement DSA	10
CS3306	Workplace Technology and Skills	10
CS3318	Advanced Programming with Java	5
CS3509	Theory of Computation	5
ST3053	Stochastic Modelling I	5
ST3061	Statistical Theory of Estimation	5
ST3069	Generalised Linear Models	5
ST3071	Risk Prediction Modelling	5
Year 4
Students take 60 credits as follows – all listed core modules (45 credits) and 15 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
CS4701	Analytics Project for Computer Science	15
or ST4092	Data Analytics Project
CS4704	Algorithms and Data Structures for Analytics	5
CS4705	Computational Machine Learning	5
ST4060	Statistical Methods for Machine Learning I	5
ST4061	Statistical Methods for Machine Learning II	5
ST4069	Multivariate Methods for Data Analysis	10
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 15 credits from the following:		15
AM2061	Computer Modelling and Numerical Techniques (5)
AM3064	Topics in Applied Mathematics (5)
CS4150	Principles of Compilation (5)
CS4405	Multimedia Compression and Delivery (5)
CS4614	Introductory Network Security (5)
CS4626	Constraint Programming and Optimisation (5)
ST3054	Survival Analysis (5)
ST4064	Time Series (5)
Total Credits		240

Examinations

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for BSc (Hons) (Data Science and Analytics) (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

1
1-1
Analyse problems of a computational and/or quantitative nature, encountered in a range of types of large-scale data, and construct solutions to such problems using the tools and skills of modern data analytics, including the use of machine learning, statistical and mathematical computer packages, and the use of database programmes;
1-2
2
Describe the fundamental theories, models and principles of statistical methods, and carry out a wide range of calculations involved in statistical decision making, modelling, hypothesis generation and inference;
1-3
3
Describe the fundamental theories, models and principles of computational methods for storing, processing and performing inference on large data sets; examples include machine learning, data mining and probabilistic methods;
1-4
4
Manage large amounts of data using modern database tools, and understand the management implications of hardware, software and bandwidth constraints;
1-5
5
Apply data management tools to data sets from a range of application domains, such as biology, business, and science, in order to gain exposure to working with different types of data;
1-6
6
Analyse data selected from a range of domains such as insurance, bio-informatics, marketing, social networking, finance, fraud detection, and drug discovery;
1-7
7
Perform computational/statistical analyses and create visualizations to aid in understanding heterogeneous data;
1-8
8
Summarize and communicate computational and statistical models and techniques, and be able to visualise this information in order to best present such summaries to technical and non-technical audiences;
1-9
9
Apply visualisation and summarization techniques to application domains, to demonstrate ability to highlight outcomes from different types of data with respect to different objectives (e.g., profit-making vs. health-outcomes);
1-10
10
Develop skills in analytical fields, with the ability to significantly contribute in a broad range of industries (and moreover to society as a whole) in using skills and education to identify, assess, manage and quantify key findings (e.g., trends, risk, uncertainty) in various situations;
1-11
11
Work independently on a research project, collating, analysing and reporting on the findings with the capacity to present the results to a broad audience.

*** Only for Incoming First Years and Repeat First Years 2024/2025 ***
*** Click here for Marks and Standards for all other years ***

Marks and Standards

These Marks and Standards should be read in conjunction with the Programme Requirements and the Book of Modules.

Fitness to Practise

All students on programmes subject to Fitness to Practise in UCC will be required to comply with the Fitness to Practise Policy and meet the relevant Fitness to Practise standards, in order to progress to the next year of his/her/their programme. Click here for a list of programmes subject to the Fitness to Practise Policy.

Marks and Credits

Students are required to take modules to the value of 60 credits.
Total Marks for year: 1200.

First Year - Pass and Progression Criteria

To pass first year and progress to second year, students must achieve:

1. An aggregate mark of 40% across all modules,
2. A pass mark in modules to the value of at least 50 credits, and
3. A module mark of at least 30% in any remaining modules.

Pass by Compensation: Students who satisfy each of the above criteria are allowed to compensate in modules to the value of 10 credits and pass the year overall.

Examination Boards

• Provisional marks for Semester 1 examinations are released in January/February of each year. These marks are subject to approval at the University Examination Board.
• Marks for all modules taken in Semester 1 and 2, including those wholly assessed by Continuous Assessment, will be presented to the University Examination Board at the end of Semester 2.

Supplemental Examinations and Assessment

• Students who fail to achieve the progression standard for the year at the Summer Examination Board must complete Supplemental Examinations and/or Continuous Assessment for those specific module(s), where there is provision to do so.
• Please refer to the Book of Modules for requirements governing the Supplemental Examination and Assessment for individual modules. Note: For some modules there is no Supplemental Examination and Assessment.
• The marks achieved in the Supplemental Examinations and/or Continuous Assessment of a repeat module are considered at the Autumn Examination Board.
• The actual mark achieved by the candidate in the Supplemental or Repeat Year Examination will be recorded on the student record (Academic Transcript).
• The maximum mark that will be taken into account for aggregation and progression purposes is a pass level, unless the student has been granted a cap waiver or deferral by the University Mitigation Committee, or a University Examination Board, or has been approved to defer the previous attempt by the University Mitigation Committee.
• At the Autumn Examination Board, marks from all passed modules approved at the Summer Examination Board are carried forward and are combined with the marks achieved in Supplemental Examinations and/or Assessments. The pass and progression criteria are applied to the aggregate mark achieved.

Note: The mark achieved at the last examination/assessment attempt is the mark that is included in the calculation of the aggregate mark for pass and progression purposes.

Study Abroad

• When students study abroad as part of his/her/their degree programme, they will be assessed by his/her/their host university.
• To pass the study abroad period and progress to the subsequent year, a student must achieve a pass standard as applied by the host institution.
• A Pass/Fail judgement will be presented to the UCC Examination Boards:
  • At the Summer Examination Board for students spending Semester 1 abroad.
  • At the Autumn/Winter Examination Board for students spending the full academic year abroad or Semester 2 only.
• For students failing to achieve a pass mark, Supplemental Assessment will be prescribed by the School in UCC, and these results will be presented at a Winter Examination Board.

Exemptions

All passed modules carry an exemption, which is limited to a period of five academic years (or two in the case of Computer Science modules) subsequent to the award of the exemption.

Repeat Year Examinations

Students repeating the year may do so choosing one of the following mechanisms:

1. Students retain module exemptions, if any, and must repeat all failed/absent modules, including those modules where the failing mark previously achieved was greater than the level of compensation (≥ 30%) but who failed to achieve the progression standard for the year (see above). The pass and progression criteria are then applied to the combination of full marks achieved in modules passed at the first attempt, plus capped marks achieved in modules in the Repeat Year Examinations.​

Note: For students selecting different modules not previously taken, there are no restrictions on the marks awarded for those modules at the first attempt in a repeat year. The selection of different modules by the student means that the student foregoes any previous marks achieved in the original modules (including previously passed modules).

2. Students may forego all module exemptions achieved and repeat the year choosing modules to the value of the full 60 credits. In determining pass and progression, there is no restriction on the marks awarded for modules taken at the first attempt of the Repeat Year. Modules taken at the subsequent Supplemental Examination and Assessment are capped at the pass mark.

Subject to capacity, all students - whether they have failed or passed - are allowed to choose this second option, in an attempt to improve his/her/their grade.

Students repeating the final year are eligible for the award of Honours in the first Repeat Year only. Final year students wishing to repeat the year with a view to improving his/her/their degree result may do so only if they have not been conferred.

Three Year Rule

Students must pass/progress within three academic years of the date of first registration for a year, otherwise they cannot continue in the programme.

Terms and Definitions

Programme Description

• The programme description is outlined in the Programme Requirements tab.

Module Descriptions/Assessment

• Module descriptions, including the pass standard for a module, special requirements to pass a module, and assessment elements and their weightings, are contained in the Book of Modules.

Marks and Credits

• A maximum of 100 marks may be awarded for every five credits of a programme.
• Some modules are assessed on a Pass/Fail basis only, i.e. marks are not awarded.

Pass and Progression

• Progression is defined as the permission granted to a student to register in the subsequent academic year for the next set of modules within his/her/their programme of study.
• Compensation is defined as the process by which a student, who fails to satisfy some of the regulations for credit in a specific module, is nevertheless recommended for credit to be awarded on the grounds that the failure is offset by his/her/their performance in the other modules on his/her/their programme of study.