Bachelor of Science in
Data Science

ITU / Programmes / BSc Programmes / Data Science

About the programme

With a BSc in Data Science, you will become the next generation analyst — a data scientist with comprehensive analytical and technical skills covering all aspects of handling and analysing data. By deriving key insights from data, you will be driving and informing decision-making of the future. You will learn to work in interdisciplinary teams and not only make sense of vast amounts of data, but also use your organisational knowledge and market understanding to make a difference.

Businesses and other organisations worldwide are accumulating enormous quantities of data for software or market research, disaster prediction, investment analysis, policy development, artificial intelligence, preventive initiatives in health and much more. However, there is a widespread lack of professionals with the know-how to harvest intelligence from this data.

During the three-year programme, you will get extensive teaching in the technical subjects mathematics and statistics for data sciences, programming, machine learning, algorithms development, and data management, as well as in social science applications, research methods, data visualisation, communication, and critical reflection.

This will ensure the comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge you will need as a data scientist. Here are some examples of potential student projects:

Twitter analysis: election prediction via social media topic modelling
Facebook analysis: detecting friends and enemies in social networks over millions of users
Language analysis: detecting contradictions in live debates
Recommendation systems: personalised automated product recommendation systems for e-commerce
Marketing design: automated accurate target group analysis for marketing campaigns over millions of users

The Data Science programme is taught in English. Courses rely on cases and examples from both Danish and international organisations.

Noncurricular events at the university may be held in Danish.

With a bachelor degree in Data Science you have direct access to the MSc in Data Science.

Meet students from Data Science

Meet Marie-Louise who studies Data Science and plays golf at an elite level. Learn more about the programme and what her studies and her elite sport have in common.

Meet Data Science student Anders who talks about how theory and practice go hand in hand in the programme.

Yasmin dreams about using her degree in Data Science to work in healthcare. At the age of 11, Yasmin was diagnosed with a chronic disease but that has not kept her from following her dreams.

Who studies Data Science?

Studying Data Science requires strong math skills, as well as an interest in analysing real-world problems in business-life, science, and society. You will be able to apply your curiosity and interest in making new discoveries when you work on the various cases.

The IT University is continuously in dialogue and collaboration with relevant industries and provides cases for the students. During your studies you will develop new technical skills within statistics and computer science. There is a great deal of group work in this programme, so you should be motivated to collaborate with other students.

Open house for BSc Data Science, 2023

See the recording from our online open house for BSc Data Science here. Therese Graversen, the Head of Programme, starts out by presenting the programme. This is followed by a Q&A session in which Therese and Altea Fogh, a Data Science student, answer questions about the programme, student life, and studying in Denmark.

Learn more about Data Science

Project example

Lisa and her group use math and programming in practice to analyse data from companies.

IT can change the world

Margrethe follows her heart. She wants to use her degree in Data Science to make a difference in the world. Hear her explain how.

A talk with: Anne-Marie Gerdes, chairperson for Council of Ethics

ITU student Nadia meets Anne-Marie Gerdes, chairperson of the Danish Council of Ethics, for a talk about artificial intelligence and how to use data in a responsible manner.

What do you learn on the programme?

Nathalie Schluter is a lecturer in the Data Science programme. Hear her explain what you learn and how you may put a degree in Data Science to good use in the real world.

Follow @itustudent on Instagram and meet more ITU students

Programme structure

The bachelor programme in Data Science is a three-year full-time study with a focus on mathematics and statistics, computer science, and applied social science. Through extensive project work, students are trained in applying these skills in realistic settings, including interacting with domain experts and decision makers in the industry to formulate relevant goals and to support data-driven decision-making processes.

See curriculum for BSc in Data Science.

	Course of study for BSc in Data Science
1^st semester	Introduction to Data Science and Programming (15 ECTS)		Linear Algebra and Optimisation (7.5 ECTS)	Foundations of Probability (7.5 ECTS)
2^nd semester	Applied Statistics (15 ECTS)		Algorithms and Data Structures (7.5 ECTS)	Projects in Data Science (7.5 ECTS)
3^rd semester	Machine Learning (15 ECTS)		Introduction to Database Systems (7.5 ECTS)	Network Analysis (7.5 ECTS)
4^th semester	Natural Language Processing and Deep Learning (15 ECTS)		Data Visualisation and Data-driven Decision-making (7.5 ECTS)	Large-Scale Data Analysis (7.5 ECTS)
5^th semester	Technical Communication (7.5 ECTS)	Security and Privacy (7.5 ECTS)	Software Development and Software Engineering (7.5 ECTS)	Elective (7.5 ECTS)
6^th semester	Bachelor Project (15 ECTS)		Reflections on Data Science (7.5 ECTS)	Elective (7.5 ECTS)

Programming content

Mathematical content

Applications to real world problems

Social science content

Electives and bachelor project
The electives and the bachelor project provide you with an opportunity to shape your own profile. As electives you may choose between a number of courses offered at the IT University at bachelor’s level or even complete coursework at a different Danish or international university. The bachelor project may be conducted in groups or individually.

See a description of all courses offered at the IT University.

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Teaching

The programme has a considerable element of "hands-on" project work allowing you to develop your skills in realistic and complex settings. The teaching will alternate between this kind of project work, lectures, and exercises.

The Data Science programme puts great emphasis on collaborations with the industry. You will have the opportunity to write projects that connect to real data and collaboration with external partners.

The Data Science programme is taught in English. Case studies will include both Danish and international examples.

Future

Further education

With a bachelor's degree in Data Science you will hold the academic title of BSc (Bachelor of Science). This qualifies you to continue your studies in a master’s programme at the IT University or a different Danish or foreign university in the areas of science, social science, and technology.

You will have direct access to the MSc programme in Data Science at the IT University. You have direct access for three years after graduation (legal right to admission).

Additionally, the bachelor degree in Data Science qualifies you for entry in the following MSc programmes at the IT University: Computer Science (provided specific CS electives), Digital Innovation & Management (provided Danish A), and Games.

Career

After you have finished your bachelor's degree in Data Science, you may choose to go straight out onto the job market. The programme provides you with skills and knowledge that are in high demand across a wide variety of industries and in both private and public sectors.

The BSc programme in its entirety qualifies you to work as a data scientist within a wide array of fields, from investigative journalism where you analyse data to find stories, to financial modelling, financial fraud prediction, urban planning, forensics, agriculture, social media analysis, remote sensing, international development, and much more.

With a BSc in Data Science you will be qualified to work as e.g.:
• Data scientist
• Machine learning engineer
• Business intelligence analyst
• Data analyst
• Digital analyst

Career portrait

Meet Jean-Marie, who studied Data Science at ITU and now is working at PwC. Hear him explain why he chose to study Data Science and how he uses the degree in his job.

What can you do as a data scientist?

Data science in a consultancy

What is a data scientist? Hear the founder of the consultancy /KL. 7, Mikkel Holm Sørensen, explain how they work with data, the current potential of the field, and future perspectives.

How data can improve our health

What role does data play in the public sector? And what does data mean to public health in the future? Hear Head of the Health Data Agency (Sundhedsdatastyrelsen), Lisbeth Nielsen, explain what data is and how they use it to develop initiatives to improve public health.

What does a data scientist do at the Danish Mental Health Fund?

How can an NGO make use of data? And how does data improve their work? Hear what Maria Tersing Kristensen, fundraiser and data scientist at the Danish Mental Health Fund (Psykiatrifonden), uses data for.

Activities for students on BSc in Data Science

Study Lab

Study Lab is open three times a week throughout the first semester. Study Lab is a place where you can get help with topics covered in your courses, e.g. by discussing academic themes that you are curious about or getting help with difficult material.

Study Lab additionally hosts interesting activities such as review sessions, minor courses on relevant but noncurricular topics, as well as professional lectures with external speakers. Study Lab is run by experienced ITU students.

Live Coding

Live Coding is a forum for first semester students in Data Science. Here you receive hands-on experience with programming through sessions where a teaching assistant will show you how coding can be done by actually writing the code with you and the other students.

Live Coding takes place once a week from the beginning of every semester.

Student exchange

You have the opportunity to complete part of your programme at a university abroad. Especially the fifth semester is well suited for an exchange. This is a chance for you to further specialise your education and gain experience working in a different culture.

The IT University has exchange agreements around the world. Students enrolled in BSc Data Science, may among other places study a semester at one of the following universities:

Australia – University of Technology Sydney
China – City University of Hong Kong
Germany – Technical University of Munich
Netherlands – Maastricht University
New Zealand – Auckland University of Technology
South Korea – Dankook University
Spain – Polytechnic University of Catalonia – Barcelona School of Informatics

Admission figures

Data Science will admit approximately 80 new students in 2023.
80 % will be accepted via qouta 1, and 20 % will be accepted via quota 2.
Indicative average mark from 2023 in quota 1: 6.8 and 2022 in quota 1: 8.8.

Study and Career Guidance

Are you interested in studying at the IT University of Copenhagen, and do you have questions about programmes, student life or the like, please contact the Study and Career Guidance.

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