Kingston University • Kingston upon Thames

MSc Data Science
at Kingston.

Data science inside the London market — zone-6 costs, January and September starts, and the capital’s tech employers within commuting range.

£19.3–25k
PG international band 2026/27
London
zone 6 — suburban costs
2 intakes
January and September
Any numerate
degree background accepted

Our take

Is this the right course for you?

Kingston’s Data Science MSc runs the university’s standard London arbitrage for the field that rewards it most: data hiring concentrates in the capital, and studying at zone-6 costs while attending the same meetups, hackathons and interviews as central-London students is a straightforwardly better trade. Fees hold the £19,300–£25,000 band with January and September starts. The course takes numerate graduates beyond CS — maths, engineering, economics — and its project work builds the portfolio a first data job screens for. In a hiring market where data roles top sponsored-occupation lists, geography plus portfolio is the formula, and Kingston prices both sensibly.

Duration1 year full-time
IntakeJanuary & September
AccreditationKingston University — Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment
TuitionWithin Kingston’s 2026/27 international postgraduate band of £19,300–£25,000; exact fee confirmed in your offer. The £5,000 deposit is deducted from tuition.

Where this leads: A master’s-level technology qualification — no professional registration involved. Data roles are among the UK’s most Skilled-Worker-sponsored fields.

Both intakes are established for the computing portfolio.

Why Kingston

What makes this course at Kingston different.

The London data market

Fintech, consulting and platform companies build data teams in the capital — being present converts to interviews at a rate remote applicants never match.

Zone-6 economics

Suburban rents make a London data master’s financeable — the differential funds a laptop, courses and the job-hunt runway.

Portfolio-first teaching

Applied projects across the year produce the GitHub evidence UK data hiring actually screens.

Two starts a year

January and September intakes keep timing flexible for tests and funds.

What you study

Indicative course content.

  • Statistics and machine learning foundations
  • Programming for data science (Python, SQL)
  • Big-data infrastructure and cloud tools
  • Data visualisation and storytelling
  • An applied dissertation project

Entry requirements

What you need to apply.

  • A 2:2-equivalent degree in a numerate field — CS, maths, engineering, economics or sciences
  • Programming exposure helpful; foundations are taught
  • IELTS around 6.5 or an accepted equivalent
  • London-honest budgeting alongside the £5,000 deposit — zone 6 softens, not removes, capital costs

English language

Kingston asks IELTS 6.5 as standard — clinical courses often ask more.

Kingston can consider Medium of Instruction (MOI) evidence for some courses — though clinical and regulated programmes usually still require a formal test. Kingston will consider a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter or degree transcript confirming your entire qualification was taught in English, where the awarding institution meets its recognition standards. MOI evidence is usually valid for five years, and degrees delivered through franchise or affiliated campuses are not accepted for a waiver — so approval is case by case and we verify your documents against the current policy first.

Also accepted: PTE Academic 59 (most taught master's), IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each band for most undergraduate courses. Pre-sessional English is available if you fall short.

Careers

Where this course takes you.

  • Data analyst and data scientist roles across London
  • Fintech and platform analytics — the capital’s hiring core
  • Machine learning engineering with portfolio evidence
  • Consulting data practices
  • Graduate visa, then Skilled Worker sponsorship — common in this field

Your country

Applying to Kingston from your country.

From Pakistan

Kingston typically considers HSSC/Intermediate results of around 65% and above for undergraduate entry, though some courses expect a foundation year first. For taught master's, a bachelor's degree from an HEC-recognised university at a strong second-class-equivalent level is usually expected — four-year degrees are the most straightforward. IELTS 6.5 (5.5 per band) is the standard postgraduate requirement; an MOI letter can be considered for fully English-taught degrees, and we check yours against the current policy before you apply.

Full guide for Pakistan

From India

For undergraduate entry Kingston typically asks for around 70% in CBSE/CISCE Class XII, or around 80% from some state boards; strong two- or three-year bachelor's results can also be considered for advanced entry. For taught master's, a bachelor's degree with around 60% or CGPA 6.0/10 is the usual benchmark. PTE Academic 59 is accepted alongside IELTS 6.5, and MOI letters from fully English-taught degrees are considered case by case.

Full guide for India

From Nigeria

Kingston publishes Nigeria-specific entry requirements: WAEC/NECO SSCE with good credit passes (typically five subjects including English and Maths) supports undergraduate entry, often via a foundation year for competitive courses. For taught master's, a bachelor's degree at second-class level from a recognised university is usually expected. English evidence is assessed individually — IELTS 6.5 is the standard postgraduate route, and we confirm whether your degree qualifies for an MOI-based waiver before you commit to a test.

Full guide for Nigeria

From the UAE

Students applying from UAE schools with A Levels, IB or Indian/Pakistani board qualifications are considered against those curricula; holders of the UAE secondary school certificate (Tawjihiyya) typically need a foundation year first. For master's, a recognised bachelor's degree at second-class-equivalent level is the usual expectation. The September and January intakes both work well from the UAE, and many of our Dubai- and Abu Dhabi-based applicants choose Kingston for its London location and business school accreditation.

Full guide for the UAE

FAQ

MSc Data Science at Kingston — common questions.

How much does it cost?

Fees sit in Kingston’s 2026/27 band of £19,300–£25,000, exact figure in your offer, with the £5,000 deposit deducted from tuition. Zone-6 rents keep the year’s total well below central-London equivalents.

Do I need a computer science background?

No — numerate graduates from maths, engineering, economics and the sciences qualify. The course teaches the programming stack; it assumes quantitative comfort, not prior software work.

Why does studying in London matter for data careers?

Concentration. The capital hosts the UK’s deepest pool of data employers, meetups and interviews — and presence converts. Most Kingston data students interview through spring and sign before graduating.

Are data roles really sponsorship-friendly?

Yes — data and software occupations are consistently among the most Skilled-Worker-sponsored in the UK, which makes the Graduate-visa-to-sponsorship path more reliable here than in most master’s fields.

Fees, entry requirements, English-language policies and intake dates are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date shown, but universities review them every cycle and immigration rules change. Always treat figures as a guide — we confirm the exact, current requirements with the university before you apply. Facts on this page last checked July 2026.

Intakes shown are for this course specifically; Kingston runs other intakes for other programmes — see the full Kingston profile.

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