Overview

An overview and introduction to the EPSRC CDT in Data Science.

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Science

Welcome to the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Data Science, funded by EPSRC and the University of Edinburgh. The programme is four years in total. For the first year, you will be registered for an MSc by Research and will take coursework and a Master's project; this will last until August of your first year. Then, in years two through four, you will work on your PhD research. You will commit to a PhD supervisor and project at the beginning of your second year. We also encourage you to consider taking on either an internship in industry or visit to another academic lab during your time here, typically after years two or three (i.e. in after the first or second year of your PhD).

What is Data Science?

Data science is a new term that is increasingly gaining traction in industry and more recently from academia. Because this is a new term, different people will define this in different ways. Data science is the study of computational principals, methods, and systems for extracting knowledge from data. Although this is a new term, there is a sense in which this is not a new field, because it is the intersection of many existing areas, including: machine learning, artificial intelligence, databases, statistics, numerical optimization, algorithms, natural language processing, computer vision, and speech processing. One interesting take on data science is the manifesto by Yann LeCun.

Centre for Data Science Manifesto

Contact information

The CDT in Data Science is supported by a range of staff, guided by the CDT in Data Science Executive Committee.

MSc by research in Data Science

First year students follow the MSc by Research in Data Science. Specific course and programme information is available on the link below.

PhD in Data Science

Upon successful completion of the MSc by Research, students are given a short period of time to formulate their outline PhD project proposals.  Once the outline proposal is approved by the Executive Committee, students enter the PhD in Data Science programme.

Events

The formal components of the Centre are supplemented by CDT Tea, seminars, readings groups, and CDT events like Data Science Research day.  Because this is a new programme, you may have good ideas for events that we haven't thought of yet - if so, please let us know!  

Students are expected to participate in training and networking opportunities provided by the funding body.

Resources & guidelines

The following links provide details of these events as well as additional useful information.
 

School information

The CDT in Data Science is hosted by the School of Informatics, providing CDT students with access to a range of facilities and services.  The following School pages may also be of use:

Desks and facilities Links to information about the School's teaching and research facilities.
General information General information, useful for all students [MSc and PhD].
Student representation Information about EUSA and the School's student rep structures.
Tutoring vacancies Teaching opportunities available throughout the School.
Graduate school events Dates, times and locations of Graduate School Events