Skip to content
careertips

HomeCoursesBachelor degree

Bachelor degree · university

Bachelor of Computer Science/Master of Data Science

This combined course gives you an undergraduate degree in computer science and a master's in data science in less time than doing them separately.

Illustration of a person working as software Engineer
How long it takes
4 years
full time
Entry ATAR
From 92.3
Lowest offered at The University of Queensland, 2026
How you can study
On campus
Leads on to
Software Engineer
$131,900 median pay
Taught by
2 providers
NSW, QLD

Is this course right for you?

What the Bachelor of Computer Science/Master of Data Science asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in how computers solve problems
  • comfort with maths and logical thinking
  • patience for working through detail
  • curiosity about patterns in data

Before you start

Each provider sets its own entry requirements, so check the ones you are considering.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Data Analyst

    Data analysts query, clean and visualise an organisation's data so the people making decisions can see what it shows.

    What else you need

    Complete relevant data-science coursework and projects. Data engineering also requires practical database and programming capability; employer requirements vary.

    Median pay$101,400 (estimate)

  • Data Engineer

    Data engineers build the pipelines and storage that move an organisation's data from the systems that create it to the analysts and machine learning teams who use it.

    What else you need

    Complete relevant data-science coursework and projects. Data engineering also requires practical database and programming capability; employer requirements vary.

    Median pay$111,800 (estimate)

    In demand
  • Data Scientist

    Data scientists build the statistical models and machine learning systems that forecast demand, sort customers and automate decisions for an organisation.

    What else you need

    Complete relevant data-science coursework and projects. Data engineering also requires practical database and programming capability; employer requirements vary.

    Median pay$124,800 (estimate)

  • Database Administrator

    Database administrators build and maintain the systems that store an organisation's data, keeping it available, accurate and secure.

    What else you need

    Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.

    Median pay$128,000

  • Software Engineer

    Software engineers design, build and maintain the software a business or its customers rely on, from a mobile app to the systems running behind a website.

    What else you need

    Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.

    Median pay$131,900

  • Systems Analyst

    Systems analysts work out how an organisation's processes, data and software should fit together, then design the changes that make them work better.

    What else you need

    Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.

    Median pay$106,600 (estimate)

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

Where you can study this course

There are 2 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

The main topics covered in the Bachelor of Computer Science/Master of Data Science.

  • Computer science foundations
  • Statistics and mathematics
  • Machine learning and data analysis
  • Data driven decision making
  • Elective area such as business or health

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Course Seeker, run by the Tertiary Admissions Centres and the Australian Government Department of Education. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.