January 2025 saw the graduation of the first ever cohort of MSc Economics with Data Science at the University of Bristol.
The programme offers a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience and skills while studying, including an innovative group dissertation project.
Over the last year, we’ve spoken to students who’ve come from all over the world to study as part of this first cohort. Here are their thoughts…
Why did you choose MSc Economics with Data Science at Bristol?
Lir: “The course offered by the University is the best by far. The contents and the teaching methods used make it one of the most unique and exciting ways of combining knowledge from economics and data science in the continent. It aligns perfectly with labour market requirements and global trends.”
Harry: “Bristol has an exceptional reputation for the social sciences, as well as being a great city! I wanted to become more technical, and this course aligned my passion for economics with the skills I wanted to improve.”
Jing: “I think it’s the curriculum, because I’m going to learn something about the software that can be used in the statistical industry.”
Swati: “Economics has always been my passion, and I have realised that data science is the next big thing. So, I was looking at courses that could combine both. And University of Bristol because it’s one of the most renowned universities, and it’s one of the very few universities that is offering this course.”
What are the best things about the programme?
Swati: “My most favourite thing is the combination of Python and econometrics that we had. Because econometrics theory is one thing, but when you are able to apply it using Python and using big data – it’s really good to see all you could achieve.”
Lir: “The data science topics I had the chance to discuss and experiment with – data wrangling and data visualisation, utilising econometric models to make predictions, and now moving on to artificial intelligence and machine learning. It is a wonderful opportunity to be here now and learn about contemporary technological advancements that are going to shape the future of the world.”
Junhong: “For me, the most meaningful part of this programme is the teachers.”
Amber: “The academic staff. They were always so willing and helpful answering my questions. Speaking to them and really engaging with my course allowed me to get a full understanding of everything I was learning this year.”
What do you think about the coursework?
Jing: “I think the coursework is also a good part, because you know how you should do something – apply theories into practice. So, it can help you to understand if I need to use this kind of theory – how should I use it.”
Junhong: “I feel it’s so exciting that I can use the knowledge I learned – that I can solve some problems.”
Swati: “All the courseworks are very practical. So, you are motivated to actually find the solution to the problems that they’re giving in the coursework. It’s not just spoon fed to you. You need to learn the skill of research; you need to learn the skill of learning the concepts yourself – I think that’s something I really like about our course.”
What are your thoughts on the real-world dissertation project?
Junhong: “It’s so amazing that we can cooperate with real industries, which can help me to know much of the problems in real life.”
Swati: “Since I had a previous experience in corporate, I knew how important it is to have that experience of working with real life situations, real life problems with the different companies.”
Jing: “The topic that I chose is highly relevant to the industry I want to do in the future – so it’s highly connected. Also, I think that the result I got from this project is quite a good example that I can do this work well. I could exhibit it as a good example to show that I’m good at data analysis, data collection, data cleaning.”
What’s it like working with other students on the programme?
Lir: “The course is filled with some of the brightest people, which makes for a highly competitive classroom. Nonetheless, I feel like these have helped me grow and be more resilient.”
Swati: “Being able to work in corporate teams collaboratively and to be respectful, to understand when to add your points and when to let the other person shine – it’s very important to understand this for the corporate world. So, I think working in a group is helping me build these skills. It makes me a better leader. It makes me a better teammate. It makes me a better human in general.”
Jing: “We are actually doing a great job together because we all have our strengths. One of my course mates is really good at programming, so he knows a lot about how to get the data and we can learn from him. I’m good at explaining things – like a bridge with the teachers. And another course mate – they have good leadership and can organise the time.”
Amber: “I feel you can achieve your best work when you’re working collaboratively with others, and it’s a really good opportunity to take advantage of that whilst you’re studying your master’s.”
What are your proudest achievements this year?
Lir: “Coming from a completely different education system, the University has taught me how to approach problems critically and with a sense of creativity. It has taught me to ask the right questions in life, before trying to find an answer to everything. Most importantly, it has taught me to never give up, even when the odds may seem to be against you.”
Amber: “I had never studied economics before – I’m actually from a mathematics undergraduate background. So, I’m really proud of the fact that I was able to get stuck in and achieve a good result in an academic field that was completely new to me.”
Swati: “The skills that I’ve learned, the people I have met, the professors that I’ve had the chance to learn from. To graduate from such a renowned university – there’s nothing like it.”
What are your future career plans?
Amber: “I’ve actually recently started a job in the Civil Service, where I’m working on project delivery within data quality. It’s been a great opportunity to apply a lot of the data technical skills I’ve learned in my master’s. Economics has given me lots of practical skills.”
Swati: “I intend to work with any of the government consultancies. So that’s why this course is really helpful, because it’s not just giving me the knowledge of economics – I’m also learning the skills required to be able to handle data in economics. So, learning machine learning techniques specific to economics, learning how to predict stuff, and harnessing the beauty of large-scale data is also something that this course specifically prepares you for.”
Jing: “I’m eager to work in the retail industry. And I’m not just eager to work as a data analyst, but also a leader.”
Watch the video:
Swati shares her thoughts on the MSc Economics with Data Science programme:
Learn more:
- Read more about MSc Economics with Data Science at Bristol
- Watch the video about Swati’s experience undertaking the industry project