MSc program Urban Data Science and Analytics

Urban data science and analytics are critical to helping cities evolve, providing invaluable insight into urban processes, and dynamics within cities, and highlighting local and global issues. This is why specialists in this field are highly sought after within the public and private sectors to help address these issues and contribute to solutions in future planning.

Our Urban Data Science and Analytics MSc offers you the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the methods and approaches of data science and learn how to apply them in understanding cities and setting urban policy.

The course will combine technical training in the latest data science techniques – from data wrangling to machine learning, visualisation, and beyond – with the critical thinking needed to interrogate and understand complex urban and mobility challenges.

At the heart of this course will be a commitment to tackling the real-world challenges facing cities. Researchers at the University of Leeds are finding novel data-driven solutions to tackle challenges such as traffic congestion, social and economic equality, healthy cities, and competition for resources.

This means, once you graduate, you’ll be fully equipped with the experience, technical skills, and knowledge needed to pursue a career in this area, with roles in everything from data science to software development or urban planning.

Learning and teaching

The course will incorporate a range of innovative modes of delivery, with a general focus on maximising time for practical, problem-based learning. For example, the ‘Creative Coding’ module will incorporate minimal lecture-style teaching and instead focus on problem-based learning, where you will work with other students in teams to tackle problems and datasets provided by external stakeholders. Within this module, you will be coached by teaching staff to identify novel and compelling ways to tackle the challenges and be required to present your work.

Face-to-face learning in workshops, small groups, drop-ins, laboratories, lectures, and seminars will be combined with teaching and learning delivered using interactive digital platforms that build up your skills using relevant technologies and enable effective delivery of key materials.

Specialist facilities

You will have access to laboratories in the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics, as well as excellent teaching facilities within the School of Geography, including a GIS computer cluster with industry-standard software.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme, and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Active research environment

You will be taught by an experienced team of academics and researchers who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research and are part of the Centre for Spatial Analysis and Policy research group, Leeds Institute for Data Analytics, and the Alan Turing Institute.

Programme Team

The Programme Leader, Dr Vikki Houlden, is a Lecturer in Urban Data Science whose research focuses on understanding the ways in which spaces and places embody inequalities, and the social structures influencing how people relate to their environment, with a particular interest in how urban landscapes impact health and wellbeing.

In this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

We bring together experts in computer science, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics and astronomy to deliver outstanding student education and research within the following schools.

Our schools

• Chemical and Process Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Computing
• Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Physics and Astronomy

Research and innovation

The range and scope of our research are extensive and cover all of the major engineering disciplines, mathematics and physical sciences, integrating fundamental science and mathematical modelling with the development of processes, devices and technologies that can address challenges of national and global importance.

Research areas

• Explore our multidisciplinary research areas which bring together engineers and scientists to work on challenges of global importance.
• Robotics - An interdisciplinary network driving innovation in robotics research.
• Materials - The Bragg Centre aims to discover, create and design new materials.
• Data Analytics - The Leeds Institute for Data Analytics ensures a new understanding of health and behaviour from vast data collections
• Fluid dynamics - The Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics brings together cross-disciplinary expertise to maximise the impact of fluids research
• Medical technologies - The Medical Technologies IKC develops innovative technological solutions for improving health and restoring body function
• Functional surfaces - Scientific and engineering expertise in tribology, corrosion and surface engineering