If you enjoy computing and programming you will find this course exciting and rewarding. It is intended for students who have already studied Computer Science, Computer Engineering or a closely related subject as their first degree and who aim at taking a leading role in the digital transformation of our society and culture. Data Science and Big Data are the next frontier for innovation, competition and productivity. The course will provide you with advanced computing and deep analytical skills to make discoveries in the world of Big Data. Practical activities in our research labs will support and reinforce the study of theoretical aspects. This course is also available on a flexible modular basis up to five years.

Career prospects for the students of this course tend be strong as the knowledge and skills acquired are very relevant to the current and future IT industry and digital society. Computing is now the Science underpinning most industrial and academic areas with the advent of data-intensive discovery as the fourth scientific paradigm. Moreover, digital information has penetrated into almost every aspect of today's society. The graduates are expected to be employed in a large variety of sectors. Some graduates will join large multinational companies; others join smaller companies and consultancies; and some may well choose to further their research interests either in the School of Systems Engineering or at other Universities. Reading is in the Royal County of Berkshire and lies at the centre of the Thames Valley on the M4 corridor, a major high-technology hub often referred to as the 'Silicon Valley of Europe'.