Why Study / Key Benefits

The Master of Applied Data Science (MADS) is a conversion master's designed to accommodate graduates from a wide range of academic backgrounds, not only Mathematics, Statistics or Computer Science.

Key benefits include:

• Develop advanced data science and business analytics capabilities.
• Suitable for students coming from diverse undergraduate disciplines.
• Learn how large datasets can be analysed to support business, industry, science, health and other applications.
• Develop practical programming, data management, data mining and scalable data science skills.
• Build broader professional capabilities including problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork and communication.
• Complete an applied Data Science project, with industry-project options available.
• Potential work-integrated learning through an industry data science project.
• Option to study on campus, by distance or fully online.
• UC has several research centres relevant to data science, including the Geospatial Research Institute, HIT Lab NZ and Wireless Research Centre.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The programme contains four principal components.

Foundation courses:

• DATA401 – Introduction to Data Science
• COSC480 – Computer Programming
• MBIS623 – Data Management

These total 45 points. Exemptions may be available where students can demonstrate prior learning in the relevant fundamentals, subject to Programme Director approval.

Advanced Data Science Competencies:

• DATA420 – Scalable Data Science
• DIGI405 – Texts, Discourses and Data: the Humanities and Data Science
• STAT448 – Big Data
• STAT462 – Data Mining

These provide 60 points of advanced data science study.

Recommended preparation/prerequisites include:

• DATA401 or an appropriate statistics background before STAT462 and STAT448.
• COSC480 or Python programming knowledge before DATA420 and DIGI405.

Data Science Project:

Students complete one of:

• DATA601 – Applied Data Science Project
• DATA603 – Applied Data Science Industry Project
• DATA605 – Applied Data Science Industry Research Project

The project component is worth 45 points.

Electives:

At least 30 points can be selected from relevant 400- or 600-level courses in areas including:

• Biological Sciences
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Data Science
• Digital Humanities
• Economics
• Environmental Science
• Finance
• Geography
• Geology
• Geospatial Data Science
• Health
• Information Systems
• Mathematics
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Project Management
• Psychology
• Statistics

Disciplines / Specialisations

The MADS has no formal majors, minors or endorsements. The 2026 regulations explicitly state that there are no majors, minors or endorsements for this qualification.

However, students can create a particular area of emphasis through electives.

Possible areas include:

• Data science
• Data analytics
• Machine learning
• Deep learning
• Computer vision
• Big data
• Data mining
• Geospatial data science
• Business intelligence
• AI in business
• Health data
• Finance
• Economics
• Environmental data
• Computational psychology
• Digital humanities

Programme Highlights

• 180-point master's degree.
• Designed as a conversion programme.
• Accepts students from a broad range of undergraduate disciplines.
• 45 points of foundation study.
• 60 points of advanced data science competencies.
• Minimum 30 points of relevant electives.
• 45-point applied Data Science project.
• Options for an industry project or industry research project.
• Strong emphasis on practical data science.
• Programming and data management included.
• Big data and data mining included.
• Opportunity to study machine learning and deep learning through electives.
• Potential work-integrated learning.
• On-campus, distance and fully online study options.
• UC identifies data science as a field experiencing international skills shortages.

Career Outcomes

Graduates can work across a wide range of industries because data analytics is increasingly used in organisational decision-making.

UC identifies potential employment areas including:

• Government
• Corporate organisations
• Information technology
• Market research
• Finance
• Agriculture
• Transport.

Potential job directions include:

• Data Scientist
• Data Analyst
• Data Analytics Specialist
• Business Analytics professional
• Data Science Consultant
• Data Science Project Specialist
• Data/Business Intelligence Analyst
• Machine Learning-related roles
• Data Management roles
• Applied data science roles in industry or government.

UC identifies the graduate skill profile as including:

• Advanced knowledge of data science and business analytics
• Ability to use data to inform workplace solutions
• Planning and implementing data-informed projects
• Multidisciplinary teamwork
• Understanding of programming and its applications.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

The current MADS regulations came into force on 1 January 2026.

Current important requirements include:

• Relevant bachelor's degree.
• 90 relevant 300-level points.
• Minimum B GPA across those relevant 300-level courses.
• Appropriate prerequisites for advanced-level study.
• Approval by the relevant UC authority.
• Foundation-course exemptions require evidence of prior learning and Programme Director approval.
• Substitutions for advanced courses require appropriate approval.
• No formal majors, minors or endorsements.
• Maximum qualification completion period: 60 months.

International Student Visa Requirements

An international student physically studying the MADS in New Zealand will generally require a Fee Paying Student Visa unless another visa category applies.

Immigration New Zealand currently requires applicants to:

• Have an offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Demonstrate sufficient funds for tuition fees or have an acceptable scholarship.
• Demonstrate sufficient living funds or have an acceptable sponsor.
• Have acceptable medical and travel insurance.
• Meet applicable health and character requirements.
• Demonstrate genuine intentions to study.
• Provide evidence of onward travel or sufficient funds to purchase onward travel.
• Provide medical examination/chest X-ray or police certificates where applicable.