A degree in AI and data science will equip you with the knowledge and skills to acquire, curate, manage, analyse, and make inferences from data for solving real-world problems.

In your first year, you will study core computing topics such as programming and databases, as well as specialist subjects such as mathematics, statistics, and the principles and practice of data science. As you move into your second year you’ll progress onto more advanced topics, such as applied predictive modelling, algorithms and data structures, machine learning (a key topic in artificial intelligence), and the theory and implementation of alternative database models. In your final year, you’ll be ready to meet complex subjects such as deep learning, high-performance computing and big data, and you’ll turn your hand to a large-scale technical project. Alongside these subjects, you will be developing your communication and team working skills.

Study artificial intelligence and data science with us and you’ll gain essential, transferable computational and statistical thinking skills to create and deploy data-driven products. We’ll equip you with the knowledge for solving challenges in a range of potential data-rich application domains, such as medicine, health, climate, transportation, marketing and sales.

Placement options

The four-year placement route provides the opportunity to go on a placement for at least 36 weeks, where you’ll get a taste of professional life. A placement not only gives you the opportunity to develop your core skills and experience, but also shows employers that you’re ready to get to work. We offer a wide range of services to help you find the right placement, including employer presentations, advice and fairs. But it’s also up to you – the more proactive you are about applying for placements, the better. This is subject to national lockdown restrictions.

A degree in artificial intelligence and data science will equip you with essential, transferable computational and statistical thinking skills to create and deploy data-driven products and knowledge for solving challenges in a range of data-rich application domains. You’ll be ideally placed to apply for a range of roles, including as a data analyst or data scientist. 

In addition, the skills you learn on this degree are highly valued by a range of employers and opportunities may exist in areas such as project management, e-commerce and social media marketing, scientific research, education and many more.

Manchester is a major hub for the digital technology industry. The close proximity of MediaCity and a large number of both established companies and innovative tech start-ups means that the opportunities for technological collaboration are huge. Situated in the 'Oxford Road Corridor' innovation district of Manchester, the University and the Department of Computing and Mathematics are perfectly placed to work with key players in the digital technology and new media sectors, making it the perfect destination for your studies and beyond.