Built Environment : Sustainable Heritage (Data Science) MSc

About this degree

The opportunities for using data science in different contexts are vast. Employers from increasingly diverse sectors now require people with skills in a range of state-of-the-art methods and technologies to understand, manage and exploit data. This degree pioneers a new way of teaching data science through application in the cross-disciplinary context of cultural heritage.

As a student on the Data Science route of the Sustainable Heritage MSc you will develop advanced data science skills, such as coding, crowd-sourced data science, machine learning and data visualisation. You will explore the complexities of acquisition, analysis and exploitation of the variety of data that is generated and used in heritage contexts, including data generated through analysis and measurement, imaging and surveying, citizen science, and digitally born data.

Data science underpins much of modern science. By examining the topic through the lens of cultural heritage, we can emphasise the human side of data science. Studying and applying data science methods to heritage will help you develop a broader experience in the field with the ability to consider the needs of users, the public and a broad range of stakeholders, alongside the more technical aspects of data science.

The Sustainable Heritage MSc offers 3 routes to choose from: Data Science, Heritage Science, or Heritage Management. You will learn alongside, and benefit from the experiences of students on the other routes whilst being taught by world-leading experts at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage.

Digital technologies and data have a fundamental role in contemporary society, and cultural heritage is no exception. From historic buildings, sites, landscapes, museums and collections, the world of heritage provides an exciting setting to learn and apply data science skills. This Master’s degree route creates expert data scientists taught through the exciting multidisciplinary lens of cultural heritage.

Normally a minimum of a second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants with degrees of a lower classification but with considerable senior-level professional experience may also be accepted. Please note that a special qualifying examination may be set. Details of this route can be obtained from the department at the email address at the bottom of this page.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Data science is in high demand in many different industries. As a graduate of the Sustainable Heritage MSc (Data Science) route you will be ideally placed to gain employment as a data scientist, particularly in sectors that unite technology with humanities and social sciences, fostering transdisciplinarity. The MSc will equip you to succeed as a data scientist in diverse fields such as heritage science and technical roles in cultural institutions, data analytics, the built environment, digital technologies and media, and software engineering. The MSc could also be a foundation to pursue a career in academia.