Cardiff University
Data-Intensive Astrophysics MSc
Cardiff University

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 185 graduates of Data-Intensive Astrophysics MSc and other courses in History at Cardiff University for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in History.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in History

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of History at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £24000 £24000 £29000
25-75 percentile range £20500 - £27000 £18500 - £28500 £22500 - £36000


Salary of all UK Graduates of History

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £24405 £22643 £27403
25-75 percentile range £20545 - £28120 £17457 - £28376 £20781 - £35411

Course Description

The MSc in Data-Intensive Astrophysics has been designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge needed for a career in a range of areas including academic research in astronomy or astrophysics as well technical, development and engineering positions in related scientific fields.

The MSc in Data-Intensive Astrophysics has been designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge needed for a career in a range of areas including academic research as well technical, development and engineering positions in the “in-demand” field of “Big Data” and related scientific fields. By combining data analysis and computational techniques with a core science discipline, the course is intended to satisfy the increasing demand for well-qualified postgraduates who are equipped with the expertise to respond to a range of challenges arising from this exciting field. It has been estimated that “Big Data” has already added thousands of new jobs to the UK economy and this is likely to increase as new approaches to data transform the public, private and academic sectors.

The course is delivered by members of our Data Innovation Research Institute, which was recently established to conduct research into the aspects of managing, analysing and interpreting massive volumes of textual and numerical information.

A key component of the course is a 3 month summer project, which will be based either in our School of Physics and Astronomy, or with one or more of our external partners. The project will focus on the application of modern data science methodologies to a problem in Astrophysics (such as star formation, galaxy formation or gravitational waves), providing the hands-on experience needed to succeed in the dynamic field of Data-Intensive Astrophysics as well as wider aspects of data science.

Distinctive features

  • Central to the design of the course is the opportunity for you to acquire real research experience in connection with world-leading scientists, greatly enhancing your CV and prospects for employment or further study.
  • As well as providing a solid core in all the necessary elements of Data Science, the programme allows a choice of elective modules and project work that can be tailored to suit whatever specialism you are interested in, whether that be gravitational waves, star or galaxy formation or cosmology.
  • You’ll join a well-established and growing cohort of MSc students and be based in a dedicated teaching facility that encourage a “research group” community atmosphere that has been praised by students and external examiners. You’ll also have the opportunity to interact with students on related courses such as our MSc Data Science and Analytics.
  • As a successful graduate of this course you will be ideally placed to take advantage of the fast growing employment opportunities being generated in this field.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Data-Intensive Astrophysics MSc at Cardiff University

20% Administrative occupations
18% Sales occupations
9% Finance Professionals
7% Managers, directors and senior officials
5% Business and Financial Project Management Professionals
5% Protective service occupations
4% Elementary occupations
4% Information Technology Professionals
4% Business, Research and Administrative Professionals
4% Business and public service associate professionals

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

    • 6.5
    • MBA
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Data-Intensive Astrophysics, MSc, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

**Typically, you will need to have either: **

a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant subject area such as physics, astrophysics, a related physical science, mathematics, astronomy, computer science, engineering or an equivalent international degree.

a university-recognised equivalent academic qualification

or relevant professional experience evidenced by a reference. This should be signed, dated and less than six months old at the time you submit your application.

Costs

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

University Rankings

Positions of Cardiff University in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of Cardiff University in related subject specific rankings.

Natural Sciences

    • #1 
    • #10 
    Physics
    The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
    [Published 09 September, 2023]
    • #1 
    • #151 
    Physics
    GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 19 July, 2022]

See all 33 university rankings of Cardiff University

About Cardiff University

Established in 1883, Cardiff University is located in the urban setting of the city of Cardiff, Wales. Some of the university’s most obvious advantages include world-leading research, a knowledgeable and proactive career services office, and the central location. Cardiff is a vibrant, modern city with a young and diverse population known for accepting people from all walks of life.

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Where is this programme taught

Cathays Park Campus
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