Online application website opens	07 March 2023
Last date for submission of online applications (Final)	30 May 2023
Entrance test – Afternoon Session (tentative)	18 June 2023
Announcement of list of candidates called for interview (tentative)	22 June 2023
Date of Interview (tentative)	28/29 June 2023
Announcement of Result (tentative)	05 July 2023
Commencement of academic session	TBD

Data science is a “concept to unify statistics, data analysis, machine learning and their related methods” in order to “understand and analyze actual phenomena” with data. In other words, the detailed study of the flow of information from structured and unstructured data available with an organization is called data science. It primarily involves obtaining the meaningful insights from the data which is processed through analytical study. The current era is becoming a digital space where each organization deals with large amount of structured and unstructured data on a daily basis. Evolving technologies are leading to cost saving solutions for storage and analysis of such large data. In the current era, for the career progression, one needs to understand the language of data through analytical skill. Hence, it is absolutely necessary nowadays, to develop manpower with a skill to perform data analysis to get meaningful information from the data of different domains such as banking and finance, insurance, agriculture, healthcare, retail, education, social media, manufacturing, transportation, entertainment and so on. As reported recently, with nearly 100,000 vacancies, India is the second biggest data analytics jobs hub after the US and demand for data science skill sets is increasing at a very fast pace.

The field of data science has witnessed an immense growth in recent years particularly due to the rise of internet and social media. The exploration of data science by the business world initially started with analysis of business data and hence emphasis was given for financial data analytics. With the increase of multimedia data such as image, video, audio and text, each domain as mentioned above, many a times needs to perform analysis of such multimedia big data. Hence the study of data science includes analysis of multimedia data along with other types of data such as business data and unstructured social media data. In our daily life, now we are capturing data from sources such as i) sensors used in various places like agricultural fields, shopping malls, ii) posts on social media, iii) digital images and videos captured in cell phones and iv) purchase transactions made through e-commerce. Analysis of such big data which could be multimodal in nature is a huge challenge. Modern technologies in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are now extensively used to get insights of such big data.

With the availability of modern technologies of data storage, cleaning and computing, the study of data science expanded beyond the boundaries of mathematics and statistics. In modern days the study of data science is constituted with the knowledge of mathematics, statistics and computer science. Data science brings together a lot of skills of these disciplines with adequate domain knowledge to help any organization find ways to i) take major business decisions, ii) reduce costs, iii) get in to new markets, iv) launch a new product or service, v) find the sentiment of the customers, vi) recruiting the best talent and so on.

With all these in mind, our new master’s program in Data Science starting July 2020, will not only include traditional data analysis skills but also incorporates other crucial skills to perform multimedia and big data analysis. The courses will focus on acquiring fundamental knowledge of mathematics, statistics and computer science. The curriculum will also include domain specific knowledge by incorporating courses in multimedia, business and finance. Techniques such as data processing, database management, machine learning along with tools such as Python, R and SAS are also included to enhance the technical and analytical skills. Value Added Courses are offered during the program to make the students hands-on with the challenges of data science and to enable students with industry ready skills. In essence, MSc. in Data Science program has been designed to provide students with a strong foundation in data management and analysis, and the necessary skills to succeed in data science and data-analytics related job.

Based on student requests, optional Value Added Courses such as comprehensive SAS training which has variety of tools and applications may be also offered during summer/winter breaks. The SAS based training will also enable the students to obtain SAS global certification in many fields and the skills can be ratified and showcased through SAS international certification badges. More details regarding the SAS training/ certifications can be found here.

Detailed program structure (2023) can be found here.

Degree Name: MSc. in Data Science

Duration: 2 Years (Four Semesters)

Characterization of the Program: Intersection of Mathematics, Statistics, Programming, Big-Data and Machine Learning

Uniqueness of the Program: Hands on and Case Study based Program

The program primarily aims to cater to the following audience:

• Traditional Science/ Economics/ Engineering Graduates with good mathematical aptitude, basic programming skills and inclination towards data science.
• Professionals in the workplace who wish to improve their skills for the emerging jobs in data-science related fields

The primary objective of the MSc. in Data Science program is to develop skilled professional workforce that is prepared to address the increasing needs in the rapidly expanding area of big data analytics. The program aims to provide skills in quantitative data analysis, data mining, data modeling and prediction, data storage and management, big data processing, data visualization, multimedia big data, programming and communication skills. Value Added Course / training and a large number of practical case studies have been integrated in the program to boost the learner confidence and market acceptability.

M.Sc. (Data Science) 2021-23 Batch

Placement Statistics:

Highest Package: 18.4 LPA

Median Salary: 8 LPA

Top Recruiters:

*Updated till 01^st March 2023

Total seats: 60

• A Bachelor’s degree in Science from a recognized university with an aggregate of 60% or its equivalent as per the norms set by the degree granting institute/university in Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Economics, Econometrics and Operational Research OR
• A Bachelor’s degree Engineering or Technology from a recognized University with an aggregate of 60% or its equivalent as per the norms set by the degree granting institute/university in Computer Science, Information Technology and Electronics/Electronics and Communication/Electrical Engineering.
• Candidates with BCA, B.Sc. (IT), B.Sc. (AI/ML) and B.Sc. (Data Science)

Candidates appearing in their final Degree examination and expecting to complete it by July 2023 may also apply. However, their final admission will be subject to the condition that they obtain an aggregate of 60% marks, or its equivalent as per the norms set by the degree granting institute/university. All admitted candidates have to submit their degree certificates or proof of completion of Degree, before 30 October 2023 failing which their admission is liable to cancellation.

The decision of the concerned authorities of DA-IICT regarding eligibility of any candidate shall be final.

Age: There is no age limit applicable to this program.

At the time of admission an amount of Rs. 1,55,000 (Rs. 1,25,000/- towards Tuition Fee for the First Semester, Rs. 5,000 for Value Added Courses and Rs. 25,000/- towards a Caution Deposit) - The registration fee is payable at the time of registration and hostel rent on allotment of the hostel room.

Tuition fee	Rs. 1,25,000 per Semester
Value Added Courses	Rs. 5,000 per Semester
SAS training (optional)	Rs, 2,00,000**
Registration Fee	Rs. 2,500 per Semester (including summer semester)
Examination and Semester Grade Report Charges	Rs. 1,500 per Semester
Caution Deposit	Rs. 25,000 (Refundable at the end of the program)
Hostel Rent	Rs. 23,000 per semester
Food	On actuals. There are multiple food options available in the campus (The expense will be approximately Rs. 5,500 per month)

*Subject to revision

**SAS Training (optional) Fee includes the cost of on-campus SAS based training to be imparted primarily during winter/ summer breaks by Faculty from SAS/ industry experts and one attempt of 5 global certifications (cost of 5 exams to be held in the institute is USD 900) in the framework of SAS – DA-IICT academic partnership. The optional SAS training and certification is subject to a minimum number of applicants interested in pursuing the training. SAS Training Fees has to be paid after registering for the training and before the start of the training.

Details of optional SAS based training / certifications provided on-campus can be found here

Education Loan

The Institute will facilitate the students to avail educational loan from selected Banks. The bank officials will be present on campus at the time of registration of admitted students so as to enable the students to obtain details on procedures and terms and conditions of the loan. The students can also avail loan from banks of their choice and in either of the case; the Institute will extend support in completing the loan documentation process.

Financial Support

The Institute provides financial support in the form of scholarships to eligible students. More details of it can be seen here.

Refund Policy

The refund policy for the withdrawing candidates will be in accordance with the UGC/AICTE rules.

There will be two components to the process: (1) a computer based entrance test and (2) an interview. The entrance test will carry 70% weightage and the interview 30% weightage.

The candidates are shortlisted for the interview on the basis of an entrance test to be conducted through the online proctored test.

In online proctored mode, the candidate will be remotely administered the test at any location of his/her choice. While proctoring online, the candidates will be monitored by a software assisted mechanism. This is a browser based test through a URL facilitated by a strict authentication process. The candidates will be assigned a fixed time slot on the day of the test. The entire test will be constantly monitored for any suspicious activity using advanced video and audio analytics. While the candidate takes the test, a qualified proctor monitors the candidates, the audio-video, and screen and shares feeds in real time throughout the duration of the test. System requirements for online proctored test would be a working computer system (Desktop or Laptop) with webcam and mic. A stable internet connection with minimum upload speed of => 512 kbps and updated web browsers chrome or firefox.

Interview will be held for the shortlisted candidates based on their performance in the entrance test.

The final merit list for admission will be prepared on the basis of the scores obtained in the entrance test and interview.

Entrance Test

The test will evaluate the candidates on their mathematical aptitude, logical reasoning, and basic programming.

Pattern: Multiple choice questions (MCQ) from four sections – Mathematics, Statistics, basic Computer Science (programming) and Quantitative Aptitude.

Exam Duration: 90 minutes

Weightage: All questions will carry equal weightage.

Negative Marking: The correct answers for each question will be awarded 4 marks; each incorrect answer will be assigned a negative mark of -1. There will be no section wise cutoffs.

Exam Syllabus:

The detailed syllabus can be found here (PDF).

Sample Question Paper:

A sample question paper can be found here (PDF).

• Candidates submit online application by clicking on the link given below. Application fee (non-refundable) is Rs. 1200/- plus GST@ 18% (Total: Rs. 1416/-).
• The Candidate has to satisfy the eligibility criteria in order for her/his application to be considered for final admission.
• Eligible Candidates have to appear for a computer based entrance test followed by interview.
• Final merit list is prepared on the basis of the aggregate score of the entrance test and the interview. The top 60 scorers will be offered confirmed admission. There will also be a waitlist. The candidates who have been offered confirmed admission will be given five days’ time to accept the admission offer by paying the relevant fees. If a candidate fails to pay the fees within the stipulated period, the offer of admission will stand withdrawn and the eligible candidate on the waiting list will be offered admission and she/he will be given five days’ time to pay the fees and accept the offer of admission.
• The candidates who have accepted admission offers will be notified to appear for registration, followed by counseling, document verification, payment of fees and on confirmation of admission, the orientation program.

Admission Offer

Final merit list of confirmed and wait-listed candidates, based on their combined performance in the entrance test and the interview, will be posted on the website of the institute. Offer/intimation of the admission letter will be sent by post and/or email to candidates accordingly. In case multiple candidates have same combined scores (of the entrance test and interview), the candidate who has higher positive marks in entrance exam will be awarded higher rank.

The frequently asked questions (FAQs) for the M.Sc. (DS) program can be found here

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