MSc Business Analytics vs Data Science in the UK: Which Fits Your Background

TL;DR: Choose an MSc Business Analytics in the UK if you want to use data to make business decisions, and an MSc Data Science if you want to build the models and code behind them. Business analytics courses usually want a degree with some quantitative content. Many data science courses are conversion degrees for graduates of other subjects, but they teach programming from week one. Pick by the work you want to do in five years, not by the course title.

Both degrees sit under the same "data" label on university websites, and both are one year full time. That is where the similarity ends. One trains you to ask the right business question and turn the answer into a decision. The other trains you to build the tools that produce the answer.

I spent about 15 years as a senior business analyst at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac, Suncorp and Nokia, working beside data scientists every day. The two roles need each other, and they hire very different people.

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The short comparison

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What a business analytics master's looks like

The University of Birmingham's Business Analytics MSc is a good example. It asks for a 2:1 honours degree in a subject with quantitative content, such as business, economics, finance, engineering or computing, and accepts a strong quantitative A-level as evidence if your degree had little maths. Its core modules include data analytics and predictive modelling, data management, analytics for operations and supply chains, and a 60-credit business analytics capstone project. Applications for the September intake next year opened on 1 October.

In practice, business analytics graduates spend much of their time with stakeholders: defining the problem, choosing the data that answers it, and explaining the result to people who will act on it. In the banks I worked in, the analysts who moved up fastest were the ones who could do both the numbers and the conversation.

What a data science master's looks like

Data science master's degrees come in two kinds. Some expect a computing or maths degree. Many are conversion courses for graduates of other subjects.

• The University of Birmingham's Data Science MSc is designed for graduates with a 2:1 in any subject other than computing. Its modules include programming for data science, algorithms, storing and managing data, data analytics and visualisation.
• The University of Surrey's Data Science (Conversion) MSc asks for at least a 2:2 in any subject, with some prior study of maths, statistics or programming. Programming Foundations is a compulsory first-semester module, and the international fee for full-time study is £26,900.

"Conversion" does not mean easy. You will write code every week. If you have never programmed, try a short online Python course before you apply, so you know you enjoy it.

Accreditation can matter too. Our guide to BCS-accredited data science MSc courses explains what it means and how to check.

How to choose

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Do you want to decide or to build? Deciders lean towards business analytics. Builders lean towards data science.
2. How did you find maths and coding at university? If you avoided them, a data science conversion course will be a steep climb.
3. What did your first degree give you? A business or economics degree is a strong base for business analytics. An engineering or science degree can go either way.

Both degrees lead to roles that employers recruit for. After either one, the UK Graduate visa lets eligible graduates stay and work for two years if they apply on or before 31 December, or 18 months from 1 January next year. Our guide to the UK Graduate Route explains the change.

Applying from Sri Lanka

UK universities compare Sri Lankan degrees to UK classifications, so check how your GPA or class translates for each university before you apply. If your degree had little maths, a strong A/L result in Combined Maths may help for business analytics courses that accept a quantitative A-level, as Birmingham's does.

FAQ

What is the difference between business analytics and data science? Business analytics uses data to answer business questions and guide decisions. Data science builds the models, code and systems that produce the answers.

Can I study data science in the UK without a computing degree? Yes. Many UK universities offer data science conversion master's degrees for graduates of other subjects.

Do I need maths for an MSc Business Analytics? Most courses want some quantitative content in your degree. Some accept a strong quantitative A-level instead.

Which is harder, business analytics or data science? Data science usually involves more programming and maths. Business analytics needs strong communication as well as numbers.

How long are these master's degrees in the UK? Most are one year full time.

Can I work in the UK after either degree? Eligible graduates can apply for the Graduate visa after completing either course.

PS: The right master's is the one that fits the work you want to be doing in five years. If you want help matching your degree to the right course and university, check your eligibility with Prosper.

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