Master's students at their graduation ceremony

Data Science and Society

1 year English Starts end of August and end of January

Become a Data Analyst and provide solutions for societal challenges with the use of complex data sets. Add value to a team, company or organization with a combination of technical skills, knowledge about legal and ethical issues related to data science, and the ability to effectively communicate with professionals and researchers from different disciplines. Specialize by following one of four tracks: Business, Governance, Media, or Health.

Program and courses

Data Science and Society is a multidisciplinary program that gives you the opportunity to specialize by offering four tracks: Business, Governance, Media, or Health. Your track will be stated on your Master's diploma.

  • You are trained to identify patterns and gather insights from large and complex datasets.
  • You learn how to translate those insights into actionable solutions and recommendations to meet practical needs in the chosen domain.
  • Besides that, you get acquainted with laws and regulations that are relevant for data science and data scientists, particularly private and public law.
  • Finally, you learn to take ethical issues into account, such as issues regarding privacy, accountability, or human autonomy in decision making.

Typical courses per track are:

  • Business
    Business Intelligence and Data Management, Business Analytics and Emerging Trends, Customer Analytics, Deep Learning

  • Media
    Computational Statistics, Complex Systems, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing

  • Governance
    Governance and Policymaking, Analytics for Business and Governance, Natural Language Processing, Data science: sustainability, privacy and security

  • Health
    Health Analytics, Complex Systems, Deep Learning, Data science: sustainability, privacy and security

Check the program and courses

  • Sandra Maat

    Sandra Maat

    Master's student

    "During the Data Science master seemingly impossible assignments become feasible due to the daily development of my skills."

  • Master student Data Science and Society Thijme Geene

    Thijme Geene

    Master's student

    "I feel like the study program can sometimes be challenging, while it is inspiring and rewarding at the same time. The courses provide applicable knowledge which you will likely use in a future career."

  • Master student Data Science and Society Isabelle Lier

    Isabelle Lier

    Master’s student

    "With data science and the tools learned during this master, you'll learn how to handle complex data that on first glance seem incomprehensible."

Career prospects

As a Data Science and Society graduate you have the ability to create data driven solutions for questions that come from society, businesses and organizations.

You are well-equipped to perform the role of a strategy consultant, as well as to serve as a linking-pin between management and technical staff. Not only are you able to identify opportunities that big data and related emerging technologies offer, you are also aware of the risks.

With the programming, data processing, data analytics and data visualization skills you have developed - and your hands-on experience in working with complex data sets - you also qualify for data analytics jobs.

Graduates work or start for example as:

  • Data Analyst at Eneco Holding N.V
  • Data Scientist at ABN Amro Bank N.V.
  • Business Intelligence Analyst at Houthoff (previously Houthoff Buruma)
  • Marketing Science Analyst at KLM

Check the career prospects

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Application and admission

This Master's program starts:

End of August and End of January (both the Master’s and the pre-Master’s program)

Best preparatory programs:

A Bachelor's degree in one of the following domains:

  • Social Sciences (e.g., Psychology; Sociology; Human Resource Management; Organizational Sciences; Liberal Arts and Sciences)
  • Humanities (e.g., Communication and Information Sciences; Linguistics, Communication Sciences)
  • Law (e.g., Global Law; Politics, Law & Economics; Public Administration)

  • Economics & Business (e.g. International Business Administration, Economics, Liberal Arts and Sciences.)

Pre-Master's program

Open for both Research University students and students from a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (hbo).

Tuition fees and scholarships

Please check the information about the tuition fees and the scholarships available for international students.

Interested in this Master’s program?

Check your eligibility

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More information

Please feel free to contact us for your personal queries. You can contact us on every page of the master's website. Or find out more by choosing one of the options below.

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Meet us

Unfortunately, we cannot organize any on-campus events at the moment. To help you as much as possible with your study choice, we offer online alternatives.

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Interested in the MSc Data Science and Society?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application

Application and admission

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