Computational Big Data Analytics

The analysis of data has a central role in the modern information society. Organizations in both the public and private sector are collecting vast data sets, and an increasing amount of public sector data is made open.

However, data - assumed to be an important asset for organizations - is useless unless it is analyzed. Analysis is needed to find regularities such as trends or groupings, and to relate the data to other data sets within an organization or in scattered online repositories.

• Coordinating school: School of Information Sciences
• Duration: two academic years
• Extent: 120 credits/ECTS credits
• Programme period: autumn semester 2015 - spring semester 2017
• Specialization: Statistics or Computer Science

Number of study places

• 0-20

The analysis needs activities such as data cleansing, data integration, modeling and prediction, interactive and iterative visualization of data and models for the refinement of hypotheses and models, and the presentation of intermediate and final results to the decision-makers using visualization and reporting methods. Successful analysts need skills in both computational and statistical topics.

This programme educates top-level experts in computational and statistical data analysis, who possess knowledge and skills for the aforementioned tasks and understand the overall processes of data analysis.

Such analysts can be employed, for example, in dedicated analysis firms, as in-house analysts in companies producing big data, and in numerous types of companies and organizations that gather and analyze public and private data, such as government, journalism, insurance, law enforcement, and finance, as well as in public and private research.

Eligible to apply is an applicant who has a completed suitable university level Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Science or in a closely related field. The degree needs to include a sufficient amount of studies in Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics.The Bachelor's degree or equivalent must be completed by the time the programme begins. If the degree is not completed by the end of the application period, an applicant can be accepted to the programme on the condition that s/he sends an attested copy of the degree certificate to the School office by the end of July. A successful applicant will, in this case, first receive a notification on conditional acceptance and later an official letter of acceptance once an attested copy of the degree certificate has reached the School office.Language requirementsApplicants must submit evidence on a good command of English for academic purposes.The programme accepts the following ways of indicating English language proficiency: TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language: Minimum score: 90/Internet-based, 575/paper-based IELTS Academic, International English Language Testing System: Minimum score: 6.5 with no individual score below 5.5 PTE, Academic English Language Proficiency test by Pearson: Minimum score: 62For information on how to submit a language test score, please see the UTA Admissions webpage http://www.uta.fi/admissions/degreeprog/applying/language_requirements.html.Other acceptable ways of indicating English language proficiency: A Bachelor's degree in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States, excluding online degrees, with the applicant having stayed in the respective country when studying for the Bachelor's degree. Secondary education in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States. Applicants who have taken their pre-university education (yläaste, lukio) in the Finnish language are not required to submit an international language test score but they must provide other sufficient evidence of their English language proficiency (for example information on studies conducted in English or work experience with English as the working language). It is possible to take some exams and complete the Master's thesis in Finnish. NB: a Bachelor's degree taken in English in Finland does not alone exempt from sending a language test score.Admission criteria by admission groupCandidates for admission should be well qualified and capable of benefiting from the programme of study. The selection of new students is based on the success and the relevance of the applicant's overall study record in the completed Bachelor's degree and other studies evidence of a good command of English for academic purposes the quality of the statement of purpose (motivation letter)In addition, work experience relevant to the programme, and other relevant merits and qualifications may be taken into account.A number of students may be chosen among those applicants with a Bachelor's degree and a good knowledge of English who have been exchange students at UTA studying Statistics or Computer Science course units relevant to the programme.Applicants with a Bachelor's degree from a Finnish AMK university of applied sciences must have a thesis graded no less than 3/5.Relevance of prior studies and the applicant's motivation are carefully considered. Applicants are expected to explain their reasons for applying to this programme specifically.Applicants who have not yet completed a Master's Degree or equivalent will be given priority in student selection.Complementing studies may be required depending on the student's previous studies. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 575 TOEFL iBT® test: 90