Master of Data Science (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning)

What you will study

The program consists of 16 units comprising of:

• Eight Units of Core ICT Courses
• Four Units of Specialisation
• Four Units of Elective Courses

Entry requirements

Find the entry requirements most relevant to you.

• Three-year bachelor's degree from an Australian university, or equivalent, in any area or
• A minimum of five years of professional work experience equivalent to an AQF Level 7 qualification (bachelor).

To complete this degree successfully, students must meet inherent requirements. Inherent requirements are fundamental skills, capabilities and knowledge that students must demonstrate to achieve the degree's essential learning outcomes while maintaining the degree's academic integrity. Please read and understand the inherent requirements specific to the Master of Data Science before applying.

Suppose you think you may experience any problems meeting inherent requirements. In that case, you can talk to a Student Equity Officer about reasonable adjustments that may be put in place to assist you. Any reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement.

English language requirements

To meet the English language requirements for this degree, we accept the combined level and duration of study specified below or the minimum English language proficiency scores from one of the following tests. Your test must be completed within two years of applying to UniSQ.

• Tertiary study (Diploma level or higher): One-plus years of full-time tertiary study in a country from the Accepted English-speaking countries list.
• IELTS (Academic) Minimum overall score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each subscore (speaking, listening, writing, reading).
• Pearson Test of English: Minimum overall score of 50 with a minimum of 50 in each subscore.
• TOEFL iBT: Minimum overall score of 80 with a minimum of 19 in each subscore.

If you do not meet the English language requirements, you can apply to study with our English language partner, the Union Institute of Language (UIL).

Recognition of Prior Learning

If you have previously studied or have relevant work experience, you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning. This will help reduce the number of courses you need to take to finish your program.

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

• Autonomously apply key ICT and data science professional knowledge, technologies and programming skills to critically investigate and analyse contemporary core issues in a global market and to develop big data analysis and evidence-based decision-making skills.
• Select, adapt and apply specialised quantitative and technical skills to work independently and collaboratively to process and interpret major theories and concepts associated with big data to solve and analyse complex and real-life problems.
• Work under broad direction within a team environment, manage conflict and take a leadership role for a project task.
• Apply and communicate ethical, legal and professional standards related to big data privacy, build a security culture and assess and evaluate risks to comply with customer organisational requirements.
• Investigate, critically analyse, evaluate and communicate research findings and problem solutions associated with applied data theories and methodologies to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Career outcomes

Career paths you may consider include:

• Intelligence Analyst
• AI Consultant
• Deep Learning Engineer
• Web Developer
• AI Ethics Specialist
• Programmer
• Games Developer
• AI Research Scientist
• Machine Learning Engineer
• Robotics Engineer
• Computer Vision Engineer
• Computer Engineer
• Data Scientist

Fees and CSP

Indicative annual fee in 2026: $9,536 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of eight units (normally eight courses) per year.

Student annual fees may vary in accordance with:

• The number of courses studied per term.
• The choice of major or specialisation.
• Choice of courses.
• Credit from previous study or work experience.
• Eligibility for government-funded loans.

You may also need to pay the student services and amenities fee.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate programs.

Your student contribution amount is:

• Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
• Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
• Reviewed and adjusted each year.

HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.