Master in Data Science and Engineering

The offer is structured around a set of compulsory curricular units that introduce knowledge and develop advanced disciplinary skills in the fields of engineering and data science, their advanced technologies and their transversal applications, such as data mining, modelling and forecasting, and a wide range of curricular units that provide a strong interdisciplinary character by introducing a set of skills in specific application domains.

The MECD aims to offer highly complex contexts that allow students, from an early stage, to come into contact with the typical constraints of real contexts, both in scale and complexity. The most relevant technological components in the industry for developing effective advanced solutions, preparing the student both for further advanced study and for working in the profession. In this way, the master's programme makes it possible to meet engineering and data science needs in various fields of activity, both in the national and international markets and in the different research subfields.

The MECD thus ensures that master's students demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, advanced principles, theories, methods and practices of Data Engineering and Data Science and can express them through an integrated set of instrumental, systemic and interpersonal skills. With this in mind, a high-quality master's degree, based on international standards, has been designed to fulfil the two fundamental aims of the MECD: (i) to train Data Science engineers for the global market who are capable of designing advanced and innovative solutions for systems based on data analysis and (ii) to provide solid training and intellectual development for students who wish to pursue a research career.

The career paths of the MECD are transversal to all companies active in the data economy, including spin-off companies, medium-sized and large companies and multinationals in the ICT, e-commerce, health, telecommunications, consultancy, banking, industry and services sectors in the global space, where the need for skills in the area of Data Science and Engineering is increasingly pressing. There is a great shortage of professionals with specific skills in this area.

The demand for professionals with skills in these areas has been growing exponentially. According to the study "Final Results of the European Data Market Study Measuring the size and trends of the EU Data Economy", published by the European Commission in May 2017 [1], in the European market, the number of companies active in Data Science will increase to 359,000 in 2020, generating a turnover of more than 739 billion euros, which corresponds to an increase of more than 150% compared to the turnover recorded in 2016.

Realising this potential implies creating 769,000 jobs in data science professions. These indicators are in line with projections made by other organisations: according to IBM, the annual demand for professionals with data analysis skills will be 700,000 in 2020 [2], and according to the World Economic Forum, the data analyst profession will be among the Top 10 most needed professions in 2020 [3].

[1] ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/final-results-european-data-market-study-measuring-size-and-trends-eu-data-economy
[2] www.morningfuture.com/en/article/2018/02/21/data-analyst-data-scientist-big-data-work/235/
[3] careersportal.ie/careerplanning/story.php?ID=2501203060

The most common professions will be:
- Data Analyst;
- Data Scientist;
- Computer Learning Engineer;
- Computer Learning Scientist;
- Business Intelligence Engineer;
- Data Architect;
- Data Engineer.

Required documentation
Workload and programmes of the curricular units already taken in the course of origin, if you want accreditation; (MANDATORY, except if the course of origin is a course taught at the University of Coimbra under the Bologna Process (after 2007/2008));

Letter of Motivation; (MANDATORY)

Degree certificate with final average (diploma). If you want credit, you must include a certificate proving that you passed the course units taken, with the respective marks (transcript); (MANDATORY unless the course you are studying on was taught at the University of Coimbra)

Curriculum vitae, in EuroPass format; (MANDATORY)

Simple photocopy of ID document; (MANDATORY for international applicants only)

Official document issued by the institution awarding the degree, with the certified grade indicating the overall coefficient of return or weighted average; (MANDATORY for foreign applicants only)

NOTE: Submission of the authenticated original documents is required for students who are placed for enrolment and registration and must be done by 31st December in order to complete the student's individual file. The documents referred to above must be recognised by the local Portuguese consular agent and/or legalised by the Apostille system under the terms of the Convention on the Abolition of the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Acts (better known as the Hague Convention), signed in The Hague on 5 October 1961, with the exception of documents issued by Higher Education Institutions in European Union countries. However, if there is any doubt about the documentation presented, any applicant may be asked to have the aforementioned documents recognised or to provide additional documentation. Whenever the aforementioned documents are in a foreign language other than Spanish, French or English, a translation must be provided. The translations must be duly certified by the relevant authorities.

Admission Conditions for Applicants
You can apply for admission to the Master's programme in Engineering and Data Science:

Holders of a bachelor's degree or legal equivalent in: Engineering and Data Science, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering and Informatics, Communications and Telematics, Communications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering, Mathematics and Physics;
Holders of a bachelor's degree or legal equivalent in other areas of Engineering and Exact and Natural Sciences;
Holders of a foreign higher academic degree that is recognised as satisfying the objectives of the degree in one of the areas referred to in the previous paragraphs by the Scientific Committee of the Department of Computer Engineering;
In duly justified cases, holders of an academic, scientific or professional curriculum recognised by the Scientific Committee of the Department of Computer Engineering as attesting to their ability to complete this cycle of studies.

Criteria for Grading Applicants
A. Quality of academic and professional career, (Weighting 4/6);
B. Commitment to the new course, (Weighting 1/6);
C. Duration of training at the University of Coimbra, (Weighting 1/6).

NOTE: Applications with a score below 9.5 in any criterion will automatically be rejected.

Other information
The application is subject to the payment of a fee of €50.00, which cannot be refunded, including in the event of invalidation of the application, non-placement or when the study programme does not open due to a lack of the minimum number of applicants.
Enrolment and registration of the International Student are only confirmed after a single payment corresponding to 30% of the total basic tuition fee (3 monthly instalments) plus the registration fee. For more information, contact the Course Coordinator (coord-mecd@dei.uc.pt).

Recognition of prior learning
Applicants can request that relevant previous training and experience be assessed for possible accreditation. At the University of Coimbra, the Regulations on the Accreditation of Previous Training and Professional Experience apply. Under no circumstances is approval of the public defence of the Dissertation, Project Work or Internship Report waived.

Tuition fee/price
National Student or equivalent: 1063.47€ (annual amount);
International student: €7000 (annual fee).

Language
Portuguese or English.

Legal Framework for the Qualification
Article 3 of Decree-Law no. 74/2006, of 24 March, as amended by Decree-Law no. 65/2018, of 16 August.