Master of Data Analytics (MDA)

The Master of Data Analytics at the Melbourne Institute of Technology is a two-year coursework master's for people who want to work with data as their day job. You'll spend most of your time on the practical side of analytics: programming, statistics, databases, data visualisation and machine learning, with units that build on each other rather than sit in isolation. Expect to write code, clean messy datasets, build models and explain what the results actually mean to someone who isn't a data person.

Australian master's degrees by coursework usually run over four semesters, or trimesters at some institutions, with each unit of study carrying a set number of credit points. You need to pass the required credit points to graduate. Most master's programmes also include a capstone unit or industry project in the final stage, where you pull everything together on a real problem. Where a placement or work-integrated learning unit is offered, it gives you time inside an organisation doing the kind of analysis employers pay for. Confirm the exact unit list, credit points and capstone or placement options on the MIT course page, because these details are set by the institution and can change.

On the skills side, you'll finish with the ability to work in Python or R, query relational databases with SQL, apply statistical methods properly, and communicate findings through dashboards and written reports. Those are the things hiring managers screen for. The degree suits three groups: recent graduates in IT, maths, commerce or engineering who want a specialist qualification; people already working in business, health, government or finance who want to move into an analytics role; and career changers with a technical bent who are prepared to put in the hours on the maths and coding.

If you're an international student, you'll need to meet the English requirement before you start. IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall is the usual standard for coursework postgraduate degrees, though some fields ask for higher. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the institute's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs also sets its own English threshold for the Student visa, which is separate from the institute's admission requirement. While you study, your Student visa lets you work up to 48 hours per fortnight during term. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may let you stay and work in Australia, depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, and the course code for this programme is 102710K.

• Data analyst, banks, insurers, retailers, telcos and consultancies across Australia.
• Business intelligence analyst, government departments, utilities and large corporates that run reporting and dashboarding teams.
• Data scientist (junior to mid-level), tech companies, startups and research groups building predictive models.
• Analytics consultant, professional services firms advising clients on data strategy and reporting.
• Reporting and insights analyst, health services, universities, not-for-profits and sporting organisations.
• Data engineer (with additional study or experience), organisations building pipelines and warehouses to feed analytics teams.