UTP’s MSc in Data Science covers 14 modules, including a Microsoft Certified course in data analytics.
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS launches MSc in Data Science to meet digital age demands
DATA has been dubbed as the new oil of the digital economy, and much like oil, its value lies in its potential. Data, like oil, is useful after it has been properly refined, processed and connected to other relevant data.
It is only then that data can live up to its potential as a powerful decision-making tool, which makes the skills required to transform raw data into something that is useful and more crucial in this digital era.
In recent years, data science – the art of extracting and refining data to develop meaningful insights for business and industry – has been a domain of study that has been gaining ground.
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), the country’s leading provider of technology education is cognisant of this, and from January 2024 will be adding the MSc in Data Science to its roster of industry relevant postgraduate offerings.
“Data science is a specialised scope in the computing area, which focuses on the management of data and how to use data to produce insights for decision making,” says associate professor Dr Mohd Hilmi Hasan, who is the chair of UTP’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences.
He says that with Industry 4.0 and the advent of Industry 5.0 technologies such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, nearly all industries have already been capitalising on data science.
“Today, even without the expertise in data science, one can make decisions but it is not only time consuming and requires effort, there is also a tendency to miss important points. Using tools and techniques, data science helps to refine data so that decision-making is more insightful,” he adds.
UTP collaborates closely with industry players to provide cutting-edge data analytics solutions.
Dr Emelia Akashah Patah Akhir, programme manager for UTP’s MSc in Data Science says the added advantage of data science is the capability of offering suggestions for the next course of action.
An overlap of computer science, mathematics and domain expertise – whether in oil and gas or finance for example – data scientists use machine learning algorithms to build predictive models.
In marketing for example, data science can be used to undertake sentiment analysis to understand consumer behaviour including their likes and dislikes using data from purchasing history, customer feedback and other market trends – allowing businesses to come up with sought-after products and services.
“The algorithm can be curated to the needs of the industry, focusing on predicting and prescribing the next course of action,” she adds.
To be delivered via Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode, the MSc in Data Science, which runs for a year, is ideal for working professionals. Lectures are conducted virtually and made available offline for those unable to attend the “live” lectures.
The curriculum was developed with input from UTP’s Industry Advisory Panel, alumni and the Malaysian Digital Economy Corp (MDEC) to ensure that the course is aligned to the country’s needs, particularly given the digital transformation goals.
Dr Emilia says the MSc in Data Science will be delivered through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode, catering to working professionals.
Covering 14 modules, UTP’s MSc in Data Science is unique in that it includes a Microsoft Certified course in data analytics, which gives a leg up for those planning to earn a Microsoft Data Analyst Certification.
A postgraduate degree in data science also offers tremendous career opportunities in several fields, from oil and gas, and telecommunications to healthcare, retail as well as banking and financial services.
Another unique selling proposition of this postgraduate programme is that it is taught by the experienced teaching team at UTP’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences.
“The teaching team who are involved in many industry projects will teach not just the theory of data science but provide examples tied to real-life scenarios,” says Hilmi, pointing out that members of the faculty have innovated and commercialised several technologies in predictive analytics for industry.
“In the oil and gas industry for example, sensors generate millions of data every minute. Our team of experienced researchers have taken these data to come up with systems that predict machine failure,” he says, adding that the sharing of these real-life cases offers added insight to prospective students.
Thanks to UTP’s close links to industry, students also benefit from the insight and expertise of a pool of guest speakers.
For more information and to apply for UTP’s MSc in Data Science programme for January 2024 intake, please visit www.utp.edu.my
