University of Salford • Salford
Data science beside MediaCityUK — Greater Manchester’s digital cluster on your doorstep, at a band that opens at £16,000.
Our take
Salford’s Data Science MSc sits ten minutes from the UK’s second-largest tech job market and next door to MediaCityUK, whose broadcasters and digital companies run analytics teams most students only meet at graduation. The band opens at £16,000 — undercutting central-Manchester alternatives — with September and January starts. Manchester’s data market is the practical argument: deep enough to hire every specialism, cheaper to live in than London, and heavily represented in sponsored-role hiring. The course takes numerate graduates beyond CS, and its media-adjacent projects add an audience-and-content data flavour few competitors offer.
| Duration | 1 year full-time |
| Intake | September & January |
| Accreditation | University of Salford — School of Science, Engineering and Environment |
| Tuition | Within Salford’s 2026/27 international postgraduate band of £16,000–£22,140; exact fee confirmed in your offer. The £5,500 deposit is deducted from tuition. |
Where this leads: A master’s-level technology qualification — no professional registration involved. Data roles rank among the UK’s most Skilled-Worker-sponsored fields.
Both intakes run for the computing portfolio.
Why Salford
The UK’s second tech hub hires data people continuously — and living costs undercut London by a third or more.
Audience analytics, content data and digital-platform projects give Salford’s course a media-data angle generic programmes lack.
Fees from £16,000 — the affordable end of big-city data education.
September and January intakes absorb timing slips.
What you study
Entry requirements
English language
Salford expects a formal English test from most international applicants. Salford's published exemptions are narrow: qualifications from majority English-speaking countries and a short list of named institutions (for example, certain Malaysian colleges, with a letter confirming teaching and assessment in English). For Pakistani, Indian and UAE qualifications an approved test is normally required. Nigerian applicants are the useful exception — WAEC or NECO English at grade C6 or above usually removes the need for a separate test at bachelor's and master's level.
Also accepted: PTE Academic 59 overall (minimum 59 in each skill), Oxford ELLT 6 (for courses asking IELTS 6.0), LanguageCert Academic SELT, WAEC/NECO English C6+ (Nigerian applicants, degree-level courses). Pre-sessional English is available if you fall short.
Careers
Your country
Salford publishes clear Pakistan requirements and has a recruitment advisor based in-country. Undergraduate entry typically needs HSSC at 75% or above (FA Humanities is not accepted); students below that can route through the International Foundation Year with HSSC or DAE at around 50-60%. For master's entry, a 4-year bachelor at 2.5/4.0 CGPA or 55% is the usual benchmark, a 3-year honours degree needs around 3.0/4.0 or 75%, and a 2-year bachelor plus 2-year master combination needs around 60%. Plan for IELTS 6.0 (5.5 per band) or PTE — an MOI letter will not normally replace a test.
Full guide for PakistanSalford sets Standard XII requirements by board: typically 70% for CBSE and CISCE, 60% for West Bengal, and 75% for other state boards (roughly BBC-ABB equivalent). For taught master's courses the benchmark is a three- or four-year bachelor degree at around 55% (or 5.8 CGPA); applicants slightly below may still be considered with relevant work experience. The university has regional representatives based in Mumbai, and strong grades qualify automatically for the Gold or Silver Excellence Scholarships.
Full guide for IndiaNigeria is one of Salford's better-served markets. WAEC or NECO English at grade C6 or above usually means no separate English test for bachelor's or master's study — a genuine cost saver. Master's entry typically needs a 4-year bachelor degree at second class lower (2:2) or above from a recognised Nigerian university; undergraduate applicants are considered with an OND, HND, recognised foundation or year one of a Nigerian degree. Salford has an in-country advisor and, given naira volatility, suggests the super priority visa service once your CAS is issued.
Full guide for NigeriaSalford does not publish a dedicated UAE requirements page, so treat this as a guide: students with A Levels, IB or strong CBSE grades from UAE schools are typically considered for direct undergraduate entry, while those with the UAE secondary school certificate usually route through the International Foundation Year first. For master's courses a recognised bachelor degree at a good standard (typically a 2:2 equivalent or above) is usually required. The January intake in business, engineering and construction suits Gulf-based professionals who miss September — ask us to pre-check your documents at /contact/.
Full guide for the UAECompare
FAQ
Price and position. The band opens £16,000, rents run below the city centre, and the campus sits ten minutes from the same job market — plus MediaCityUK’s digital employers next door, which central alternatives cannot claim.
The media-data adjacency. Audience analytics and platform data feature in projects thanks to the MediaCityUK ecosystem — a differentiating portfolio line for digital, broadcast and e-commerce employers.
No — numerate graduates from engineering, maths, economics and sciences qualify, and the programming stack is taught from foundations.
Second only to London in depth, with fintech, e-commerce, health and media all hiring — and data occupations consistently among the most sponsored for Skilled Worker visas. The Graduate-visa year converts well here.
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; Salford runs other intakes for other programmes — see the full Salford profile.
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