Data Science and Society
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.
Education and COVID-19
All education takes place on campus again, now that the coronavirus measures have been scaled back. Of course, we will always maintain a safe environment for our students and staff. Therefore, a few basic measures still apply. For the latest updates on the COVID-19 situation, see our FAQs for prospective students.
Business, Governance, Health and Media
National Alumni Survey, 2021 | n = 25
Program and courses
Data Science and Society is a one-year multidisciplinary Master’s program where you learn how to use data science methodologies to build upon the domain-specific knowledge you have already acquired.
You will learn how to:
- Write code in python, R, and/or SQL to transform and visualize data and then identify patterns and gather insights from large and complex datasets.
- Build, train, test and evaluate machine learning models. You learn to select the model(s) most appropriate for the data you have and the task you want to solve.
- Translate the results of your machine learning analyses into actionable solutions and recommendations.
- Use these tools and skills ethically within the EU laws and regulations for data privacy.
Tracks
You will be admitted to one of four tracks. This is to encourage you to select elective courses and a thesis project that align with the knowledge you have gained in your previous education. The content of your previous education determines to which track(s) you can be admitted.
- Business track
Work with real-world data from customers and businesses to build models that generate insights and recommendations to improve business strategy.
Representative elective courses:
Analysis of Customer Data | Business Analytics & Business Intelligence | Interactive Data Transformation -
Governance track
Use data science methods that can minimize bias and provide explainable predictions. Work with data at local, national, and international scales to produce insights that can lead to fair, transparent, and sustainable governance and policy.Representative elective course:
Governance & Policymaking | Data Science: Sustainability, Privacy & Security | Analytics for Business & Governance -
Health track
Harness the variety of data sources in the health domain (medical images, text, demographics, etcetera) to design and implement analyses that can be used to improve health and wellbeing.Representative elective courses:
Health Analytics | Bayesian Multilevel Models | Deep Learning -
Media track
Employ advanced signal processing and extraction techniques to generate insights about how people communicate to and with each other across a variety of mediums.Representative elective courses:
Natural Language Processing | Complex Systems | Computational Statistics
The examples of thesis topics on the Programs and courses page illustrate the wide variety of data and research questions you can focus on within the various tracks.
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Sandra
Alumna"During the Data Science master seemingly impossible assignments become feasible due to the daily development of my skills."
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Thijme
Alumnus"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."
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Isabelle
Alumna"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
Data Science knowledge and skills are becoming more and more relevant in all domains of society. Companies and organizations therefore highly value employees that have this knowledge and these skills.
Graduates work or start for example as:
- Data Analyst bij Eneco
- Consultant at Capgemini
- Data Scientist bij ABN Amro Bank
- New Product Introduction Engineer at Tesla
- Marketing Science Analyst bij KLM
Alumni facts
- Gross monthly income one year after graduation: € 3617,-
- Average number of months between graduation and first job: 4.3 months
Source: National Alumni Survey, 2021 | n = 25
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 or Master's degree in a field of study related to your preferred track, for example:
- Business: Business Administration, Economics, Finance & Control, Human Resource Management, Organization Studies
- Governance: Business Administration, Economics, Human Resource Management, Law, Organization Studies, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology
- Health: Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology, Sociology, or another program focusing on health, wellbeing or healthcare
- Media: Business Communication, Communication and Information Sciences, Communication and Marketing, Communication and Media Studies, Communication Science, Design and Technology, Linguistics, Journalism
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?
More information on this Master's program
Download the brochure with information on program content, admission requirements, career prospects, housing and immigration matters, and student life in Tilburg. Throughout the year you can take part in various types of events: on-campus, abroad or online.
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10:00 - 11:00
Admission and Application - Live webinar for Master’s programs
If you are interested in doing a Master's program at Tilburg University, and you want to know more about the application and admission process, you should join this webinar!
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13:30 - 15:30
Campus Experience
Are you curious about life as a student at Tilburg University, or not sure which university you want to attend? Discover our compact and green campus during the Campus Experience and find out if Tilburg University is your future home.
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10:00 - 11:00
Get to know Tilburg University - Orientation Webinar for Master's programs
The Get to know Tilburg University Webinar is your one-hour introduction to studying in the Netherlands, the city of Tilburg, Tilburg University and our offer of international Master's programs.
Interested in the MSc Data Science and Society?
Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application