Programme Brochure

Data Science With Machine Learning & AI Career Accelerator

7 months, online

Start Date

Start date: 7 October 2024

Accepting late registrations until 21 October

Time commitment

20 hours per week, 7 months online learning (plus break weeks)

Support

One-to-one career coaching plus bi-weekly mentoring with an industry expert

Portfolio development

Work on 20+ industry-relevant projects and assignments, including a live 6-week project with the Bank of England

Price

£8,395
£7,895* (upfront)

*Benefit from a reduced rate by making payment upfront, prior to the start of the programme, or ask an Enrolment Advisor about our flexible payment plans.

Professor Ali Al-Sherbaz-1

We are committed to educating the data professionals who will define what innovation looks like at the intersection of Data Science and the Digital Economy, while at the same time prioritising diversity and inclusion, ethical responsibility and legal compliance.

Dr. Ali Al-Sherbaz
Assistant Professor and Academic Director for Digital Skills courses at University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education

Programme overview

Most of the world’s leading companies employ data scientists. But there's a common problem that separates junior data scientists from senior ones, as well as successful companies from those that fail: how to make data actionable and impactful.

This Data Science Career Accelerator from the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) aims to solve this challenge by equipping you with the skills to become a data scientist that drives and affects business results.

Over the next seven months, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of statistical concepts, data science principles, and machine learning methods through the lens of various commercial contexts. By implementing your newfound skills and technological concepts into business strategy, you’ll learn how to choose the best applications to achieve business goals.

You’ll also explore advanced concepts such as time series analysis and natural language processing (NLP), with wide-ranging uses across business settings. Alongside this, you’ll explore the moral, legal, and ethical aspects of data and technology to holistically and inclusively understand and manage a data project within the corporate world.

Towards the end of the programme, you’ll focus on cutting-edge topics such as generative AI, and learn how they can be used to support business needs to drive innovation and refine automation. With this knowledge, you’ll be ready to play a crucial role in the digital economy, with a business mindset that sets you apart.

The downfall of a lot of data scientists is they can deliver the work, but not draw out the business implications. You can stay purely technical, but to really progress in your career you need to understand how your analysis will lead to business change.

Richard Tomlinson
Analysis Director, CACI

Programme breakdown

Orientation (3 weeks):

Your seven-month Career Accelerator starts after three weeks of orientation, where you'll familiarise yourself with the digital campus, be introduced to your support team, connect with fellow learners and plan your studies.

Course 1 (6 weeks):

Applying statistics and core data science techniques in business

Course 2 (6 weeks):

Solving business problems with supervised learning

Course 3 (8 weeks):

Applying advanced data science techniques

Course 4: Exploring the future of data science, with an Employer Project

You will finish the programme with a live business project to build a portfolio of evidence that showcases the range of skills and competencies gained throughout the course.

Programme breakdown

*Note: University of Cambridge ICE is currently in the process of developing this programme and details are subject to change.

How you’ll learn

To provide flexibility in how you approach the programme, the majority of your learning happens asynchronously, while you also have the opportunity to join weekly live sessions. This allows you to manage your life around weekly deadlines and work through the course material when it suits you.

A series of live classes, masterclasses, and career coaching sessions.

Multiple industry-informed projects, more than 20 portfolio activities and a 6 week employer project with our partners in the industry, all leading to a diverse, career-transforming professional portfolio of advanced data science skills.

A range of rich media, including videos, graphics, and interactive experiences, to articulate complex concepts.

Peer reviews allow you to learn by evaluating the work of others and through receiving feedback.

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A data science programme designed to cultivate a business mindset

Doing the technical work can only get you so far – data scientists need to think about the business value and outcome of their work. This programme will help you to:

Make data actionable: Creating insights that challenge existing thinking and drive commercial outcomes.

Prioritise an inclusive approach: Identify potential bias and promote inclusivity in all content and processes.

Demonstrate legal, moral and ethical responsibility: Emphasise critical examination of legal requirements, moral obligations, and ethical implications in data science.

Recognise data science as a cornerstone of the digital economy: Highlight the key role data scientists play in the broader digital economy and digital skills landscape.

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Pay less per month with 
FourthRev’s flexible payment options:

StepEx 24-month interest-free payments

Six or nine month payments

Ask your Enrolment Advisor for more information.

Who you’ll learn from

This programme brings together academic and industry perspectives to design, build, and deliver a curriculum that represents the best of both worlds.

Dr. Ali Al-Sherbaz
PhD, MSc, BSc, Electronic and Communications Engineering

Assistant Professor in Digital Skills at University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education

Author of more than 80 peer-reviewed papers with expertise in Cybersecurity, IoT, Data Science, AI, Blockchain and 5G. Passionate about guiding research and innovation strategies.

Shanup Peer
MBA, Operations/Marketing, MS, Electrical Engineering, B.Tech, Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Data Scientist and Programme Industry Expert

Principal Data Scientist, AI Curriculum Architect and Data Science Mentor, having fulfilled engagements with Government entities and corporate clients, developing technology solutions that have been deployed on a country-wide scale.

Robert Hardman
Chief AI & Innovation Transformation Officer, Inchcape Digital

Robert is an industry trailblazer with a career spanning over 25 years working with Fortune 100 companies, such as Facebook and Uber, guiding them through digital business transformations. His command over advanced mathematical techniques and knowledge of global technological ecosystems has made him a specialist in employing state-of-the-art technologies such as Generative AI, LLM’s, ML to transform & reimagine businesses.

Dr. Alexia Cardona
BSc, MSc, PhD

Training Programme Lead in Data Science at Newnham College, University of Cambridge.

Alexia is also a Tutor and Postgraduate Mentor at Newnham College, and a Senior Teaching Associate in the Department of Genetics. Her research interests focus on teaching and learning in the areas of data science, reproducibility, and Bioinformatics.

Dr Giovanna Maria Dimitri

Assistant Professor in Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence, University of Cambridge

Giovanna is a researcher at the University of Siena. She completed her Master's and PhD in Computer Science at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Prof. Pietro Liò, focusing on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for biomedical data processing at the Department of Computer Science. She has a research publication record of over 45 papers in peer-reviewed and international journals, as well as broad experience in teaching and supervising. She has been interviewed by several journals and TV shows in Italy for her expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science and has considerable experience in science communication events. Her research interests focus on artificial intelligence, in a wide spectrum of applications, as well as in the development of foundational models.

Dr Russell Hunter

PhD Computational Neuroscience, Senior Teaching Associate (Online Education and Web Technology), Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

Dr Hunter's varied career has spanned industry, research and teaching. His PhD was in the field of Computational Neuroscience, and his research has focused on image processing and computer vision in Formula One motor racing. He continues his research as a Post Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Engineering, developing novel educational tools. Dr Hunter is also R&D in a personalisation team, working with big data, data science, and machine learning to develop industry-first products from end-to-end. In this role, he leads on innovation strategy.

Jon Howells

AI and Data Science professional and founder of AI consultancy, Qualifai

Jon Howells is a seasoned AI and Data Science professional with a decade of experience in the field. He runs an AI consultancy called Qualifai and is currently working on a book titled "Data Science for Decision Makers". Jon has worked with various companies, including Nestlé, Unilever, and Capgemini, developing and deploying data science services and solutions. He holds a Master's degree in Computational Statistics & Machine Learning from UCL. Jon is particularly interested in the application of Large Language Models (LLMs) in consumer-focused businesses, such as leveraging LLMs for consumer research and feedback analysis, personalised content generation, and enhanced customer support, ultimately helping businesses better understand and engage with their customers.

Jack Gannaway

Data Analytics Leader and founder, Future Consulting

Jack Gannaway has been working in data analytics and data science across the UK and The Netherlands for the past 16 years. Spanning roles in both the public and private sector, his work has focussed on how to support decision-making with data.
Throughout his career Jack has worked with a huge variety of data, models and methodologies including demand modelling, b2b cross-sell prediction, predicting bankruptcy using accounting data, discrete event simulation and his favourite, dynamic stochastic microsimulation.

Diwakar Patwal

Head of Data Science and Chief Data Officer, Doji

Diwakar is leading the Data and AI practice at Doji, a UK based tech start-up which is reinventing the way consumers buy and sell refurbished electronics. He has had a long global career in building Data Science and AI solutions across the financial services, e-commerce and logistics industry.Developing complex ML and AI solutions in marketing optimisation, operational automation, customer engagement and logistics optimisation have been some of his career highlights. He has leveraged advanced machine learning techniques such as Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, LLMs and Supervised ML models to deliver effective and impactful solutions.

Alexander Smirnov

Data Science Consultant

Alex advises merchants and banks on applying data science to improve their sales performance. In his previous roles Alex consulted clients on the issues of analytics and finance across multiple sectors, including energy, transport, and fixed income markets. Alex holds an MSc Financial Economics from Oxford and MSc Machine Learning from UCL. He has also successfully completed all CFA and CAIA examinations.

More academic and industry educators to be announced

This co-designed curriculum presents a unique blend of breadth and depth of Data Science topics, tailored to the industry's current and emerging needs. Emphasising a project-based learning approach, this Career Accelerator provides an invaluable opportunity to work on projects with industry partners like the Bank of England and more – thereby exposing the learner to the rigour of real-world scenarios.

Shanup Peer
Data Scientist and course subject lead

What you’ll walk away with

By the end of this programme you will be able to:

Critically analyse complex data to generate strategic insights and create innovative, commercially-aware solutions to real-world challenges.

Investigate and interpret key trends and relationships across diverse data sets by applying advanced statistical thinking and relevant techniques.

Develop, validate, and optimise advanced modelling solutions to address complex data science challenges with accuracy and efficiency.

Synthesise advanced skills in Python for data science, designing innovative solutions to complex problems.

Evaluate the potential applications and challenges of AI in organisational contexts, demonstrating awareness of ethical implications in AI implementation by addressing privacy and bias concerns.

And you will have gained:

A diverse, career-transforming professional portfolio of advanced data science skills featuring more than twenty industry relevant projects.

Experience of working with organisations like the Bank of England and PureGym on live data science projects tackling key business problems.

An understanding of your personal strengths and strategies for attaining your career goals developed with your career coach.

A certificate from the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education to evidence that you have completed the programme.

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Programme Details

Learn the advanced tools, techniques, and skills that are currently getting data professionals promoted.

Please note: University of Cambridge ICE is in the process of developing this programme and details are subject to change.

Ready to take the next step in your career?

Email us cambridge.ice@fourthrev.com

We are designing this programme in collaboration with industry leaders

Previous

"We are thrilled to be collaborating on the Employer Project to, not only provide the learners with the unique opportunities to practice data science on offer at the Bank of England, but to also give us the opportunity to reach a broader pool of potential talent from diverse backgrounds and experience who we know have the skills we need to help us achieve our mission.

With every area deeply involved in data and analysis in some way, there are opportunities at the Bank to partner with experts in financial markets, in supervision, prudential policy and financial stability, in macroeconomics, in finance and human resource, and to deploy data science to inform data-driven decisions made in the public interest.”

James Benford, Chief Data Officer at Bank of England

“I’m really excited to work with learners on the Data Science Career Accelerator and look forward to the perspectives they'll provide on our unique data challenges. At PureGym, our mission is to inspire a healthier nation, and it will be great to allow more people to deploy their data science skills to help us do that. Fundamentally, these types of programmes are really important to bring people into data domains and it becomes a key source of talent for us as a business.”

Niklas Ek, Group Head of Data, Insights and Analytics at PureGym

Next

Looking to advance the data science capabilities of your team?

Find out how to use this Career Accelerator at your company.

Your real-time support network

During this programme you’ll be supported every step of the way to ensure you have a rich career-first learning experience tailored to help you go further, faster.

Career Coach

Through a mix of regular 1:1 sessions and interactive masterclasses, your career coach will work with you to identify and develop the employability traits and personal skills needed to thrive in the industry. Your coach will help you to build skills development plans and will help you network with employers to identify the next step in your career – whether it’s a new role or a promotion.

Success Manager

Your success manager is focused on your professional success and career needs. You’ll develop a meaningful relationship with them through ongoing 1:1 sessions during the programme. This powerful learning partner will help you to define and achieve your goals.

ICE Tutor

Using their subject-matter knowledge, programme tutors guide you through content-related challenges, support your understanding of complex concepts, and provide feedback to enable your development. The experience and expertise your tutors provide are invaluable. Tutors run weekly live sessions and provide feedback on submitted projects and portfolio activities.

Industry Mentor

Using both their subject-matter knowledge and industry experience, industry mentors provide a business focus to content-related challenges, providing guidance and context through real-world examples. Your industry mentor will support you in understanding key topics and will provide industry-focused feedback on project submissions. They will lead industry-focused classes every other week throughout the programme and 1:1s are available on request to cover topics such as portfolio development and project feedback.

Technical Advisor

As an expert in Python, the technical advisor is on hand to help you with any Python issues and challenges. When needed, you have the option to arrange a 1:1 with the technical advisor in order to dive deeper into any challenges.

Powerful collaborations for the digital economy

Career Accelerators are driven by the excellence of university education, built in collaboration with tech industry leaders, and guided by employer partners to develop the technical and human competencies valued by the world’s most successful companies.

About The Institute for Continuing Education (ICE)

About The Institute for Continuing Education (ICE)

The Institute for Continuing Education’s mission is to make higher education accessible to any motivated adult learner through affordable course provision; flexible modes of course delivery; inclusive and supportive education and a commitment to peer learning.

About The Institute for Continuing Education (ICE)

About the Bank of England

About the Bank of England

The Bank of England's mission is to promote the good of the people of the United Kingdom by maintaining monetary and financial stability. Its primary objectives include maintaining price stability and supporting the government’s economic policies.

About the Bank of England

About Study Group

About Study Group

Study Group is a leading international education specialist and strategic partner to more than 50 global universities. They deliver high quality international education solutions that drive success for both partners and students – from outstanding teaching to innovative approaches to international recruitment and student support

About Study Group

About PureGym

About PureGym

Founded in 2008, the PureGym Group is one of the largest gym and fitness operators in Europe. The Group has approximately 1.6 million members across over 500 gyms and holds market leading positions across the UK, Denmark and Switzerland operating under the PureGym, Fitness World and Basefit brands respectively.

About PureGym

About Nielsen BookData

About Nielsen BookData

Nielsen BookData provides a range of services to the book industry internationally, aiding the discovery and purchase, distribution and sales measurement of books. Their research services provide retail sales analysis for print books in 17 countries alongside research from their Books and Consumers Survey.

About Nielsen BookData