Queen Mary University of London has been awarded funding from the UK Office for Students (OfS) as part of an Institute of Coding (IoC) consortium bid to establish scholarships for under-represented students and to develop a new postgraduate conversion course in data science and AI technologies.
The primary goal of this OfS initiative is to respond to the shortage of data science and AI specialists in the UK, a concern brought to light in the UK Government’s 2017 Digital Strategy. The funding will also create scholarship opportunities for under-represented students to help address the lack of diversity in the AI and data science workforce, an issue highlighted in the UK Government’s AI Sector Deal.
To support students from under-represented groups to access and participate in studies at postgraduate level, Queen Mary University of London will offer 23 scholarships over three academic years of £10,000 each to eligible students. Scholarships will be awarded to students who meet the criteria set by the OfS with priority given to female, black and disabled graduates.
Isobel Bates, Institute of Coding Project Manager at Queen Mary University of London commented that, 'We are delighted to receive funding from the OfS to create this important new programme and offer an opportunity for a more diverse group of learners to gain essential digital skills, who will in turn address the needs of our future work place and society. We actively encourage female, black and disabled students, learners who are under-represented in AI and data science, to apply for our conversion programme at Queen Mary University of London and consider a future in this area'.
The new MSc in Data Science and AI by conversion programme at Queen Mary University of London will launch in September 2020 and while existing degrees in this field require learners to have a background in STEM education, this programme will break new ground by being open to students from varied academic backgrounds. Learners on the programme, who will not have a strong background in Computer Science, programming or statistics, will first acquire skills in these areas through a series of ‘bootcamps’ - a participatory learning environment that accelerates the learning process through blended learning concepts, iterative learning approaches and challenging problem solving - before moving on to apply them in learning specialist AI techniques.
Queen Mary University of London is proud to launch this new programme and associated scholarships and offer students from diverse backgrounds a route to learning key skills that will allow them to adapt to the fast-paced and rapidly changing global society where digital skills are more important than ever before.
Find out more about:
How to apply for a scholarship for the MSc in Data Science and AI conversion programme.
MSc in Data Science and AI by conversion at Queen Mary University of London
The Institute of Coding (IoC) is a large national consortium of educators, employers and outreach organisations that is committed to co-developing new courses and activities at the degree level and above that will help a larger and more diverse group of learners into digital careers.
The Office for Students (OFS)