Course Summary
This programme is suitable for individuals with a background in the social sciences, arts & humanities, psychology, business, or STEM disciplines.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
Applicants will be required to hold a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent in a computational science discipline, and to show evidence for strong interest in social science research; Or to hold a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent in a social science disciplines and to show evidence for strong interest in obtaining, or existing computational skills. Additionally, excellent academic references are required.
This degree programme includes modules from Computer Science, which involves logical understanding and reasoning and therefore applicants must be able to demonstrate good evidence of algorithmic thinking.
All applicants will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and relevant work experience will be taken into account, so that in certain cases an award at a 2.2 classification may be considered.
Students whose first language is not English will need a recognised English language qualification. On the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) students will need to achieve an average score of 6.5 over all components and a minimum of 6.0 in each band on the Academic Version. More details are available through the UCD International Office at http://www.ucd.ie/international/study-at-ucd-global/ucdenglishlanguagerequirements/
These are the minimum entry requirements additional criteria may be requested for some programmes
You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage. https://www.ucd.ie/registry/prospectivestudents/admissions/rpl/
Application Details
Apply online.
Who Should Apply?
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: Yes
Part Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: Yes
W559 MSc Social Data Science Master of Science Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Graduate Taught
W560 MSc Social Data Science Master of Science Part-Time Commencing September 2026 Graduate Taught
Fees
MSc Social Data Science (W559) Full Time
EU fee per year - 9100
nonEU fee per year - 22600
MSc Social Data Science (W560) Part Time
EU fee per year - 5460
nonEU fee per year - 11300
***Fees are subject to change
MSc Social Data Science (W559) Full Time
EU fee per year - 7610
nonEU fee per year - 20500
MSc Social Data Science (W560) Part Time
EU fee per year - 4950
nonEU fee per year - 10250
***Fees are subject to change
Fee information is available at www.ucd.ie/fees
Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For more information see http://www.ucd.ie/international
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Investigative
The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.
Career Progression
Most graduates from our programme have gone on to pursue successful careers as analysts or data scientists with national and international private-sector organisations, government agencies, and NGOs, such as:
Accenture
Deloitte
Central Statistics Office
Bank of Ireland
Workday
Department of Social Protection
Higher Education Authority
IBM
PwC
Capgemini
Some graduates have also continued into PhD programmes in a variety of disciplines, both at UCD and abroad.