MSc in Big Data Technology

MSc Big Data Technology
MSc Big Data Technology
Overview
This unique program is jointly offered by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Department of Mathematics. The program integrates a variety of disciplines to allow students to learn all the important facets of big data and how it is used in the real world. Students will learn the major components of big data, including infrastructure, data integration, storage, modeling and management, computing systems, analytic and mining systems, security, policy and social implications, as well as human factors and big data applications in various fields (data science).

  • Curriculum

Students are required to complete a total of 30 credits of coursework, including 12 credits of core courses and 18 credits of elective courses.  Subject to approval, students may take a maximum of 6 credits of courses from the Master of Science in Information Technology. All the courses are normally held on weekday evenings as well as Saturday mornings or afternoons at HKUST campus. For details, please refer to the Postgraduate Program Catalog and Course Catalog.

Distinct Features of the Program

  • First of its kind in Hong Kong and has been a leader among many similar programs in the region

  • Well balance between the foundations of the subjects and popular topics with state-of-the-art knowledge

  • Hands-on independent project with industry partners engaging students with practical applications for future career or PhD study

Admission and English Proficiency Requirements

Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics or a related field from a recognized university or tertiary institution. Applicants with a bachelor's degree in other disciplines must have relevant working experience in IT and Mathematics related fields. For English Proficiency Requirements, please refer to HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School.

Program Fee

The nominal program fee of Fall 2025/26 intake for full-time study is HK$300,000 (paid in 2 instalments) and part-time study is HK$260,000 (paid in 4 installments) respectively.  

Application

All applications are considered on a competitive and rolling basis. Early online application is strongly recommended. For admission details and procedures, please refer to HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School.

For 2025/26 Fall intake (September 2025) 

  Application Deadline
All Applicants

1 December 2024 (Round 1)

1 March 2025 (Round 2)

 

Career Prospect

Upon completion of this program, graduates could take up roles such as Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Database Administrator, Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, Statistician, and Business Analyst, etc applying top big data applications in industries such as e-commerce, education, finance, healthcare, media and entertainment, retail, travel, telecom and many more.

Majority of students had been landing jobs in various well-known financial or technology companies in home country while some would stay in Hong Kong cultivating different cultural experiences.  Meanwhile, some students have continued to pursue PhD studies at HKUST or other universities.

 

HKUSTx's Big Data Technology MicroMasters® Program for Fall 2025/26 Intake  

With effect from 2023/24 academic year, applicants who have met the program admission requirements and with a certificate of MicroMasters Program in Big Data Technology from HKUST and edX would be eligible to apply for:

  • credit transfer of 9 credits;
  • exemption of 4 core courses but with substitution of a MSBD5014 Independent Project; and
  • tuition fee reduction of HK$13,000

Details of the MicroMasters program are available here. When submitting online application for MSc BDT program, please also upload the MicroMasters Program Certificate and send an email notification to mscbdt@ust.hk as well. Please ensure that the full name in English on the MicroMasters Program Certificate matches the name on your HKID/ passport. For those who have accepted the program's offer, students would be required to complete the MicroMasters Program before July 28, 2025 and submit the Qualtrics application https://ust.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9FhM0jCD6QRvJMW before Aug 15, 2025 to seek for approval for credit transfer and arrange the deduction of tuition fee in the second term. Note that completion of individual course separately cannot apply for credit transfer.

Prospective students can visit program LinkedIn Page and program video page for further information.

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QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024: Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
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Program News
BDT Graduate, HUI Ho Yin, shared his study experience about the support from the Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme at the interview with The University Grants Committee.
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It was a fabulous faculty-student gathering to celebrate the commencement of Spring term study! Another opportunity to have a chit-chat with our alumni as well!
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A break from the assessments and assignments and enjoyed the scenery along the Hong Kong Island.
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MSc BDT Program Job Fair & Cocktail 2022 was held successfully by inviting HR and Engineering professionals for latest industry update and company introduction. Our students also got to connect with them at the cocktail session!
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Fall 22 term was kicked off by the SENG MSc MegaWelcoming event and the MSc BDT program induction at the end of August. It was the first time ever to have the face-to-face meeting ever since the outbreak of COVID-19. Now is the time to gain momentum and get back on track! We will continue to tackle the challenges and strike for excellence altogether! Here we go!
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The program mixer event across MSc BDT, IT and TLE Programs was held last month on Aqualuna Cruise. Alumni and current students were invited to celebrate this happy moment with our soon-to-be graduates.
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Student Sharing
The curriculum of the BDT program equipped me with the skills to become a professional big data analyst. The program covers a wide range of topics and up-to-date technology such as natural language processing, blockchain technology and so on. I can choose the courses that suit me the best. The knowledge I learned here is very beneficial to my career development. Besides, the independent project in this program gives me the hands-on
experience to apply my knowledge to solve real-world problems.
LEUNG Cheuk Hei
Hong Kong - Class of 2022
HKUST MSc BDT program provides a variety of courses including mathematical, statistical and programming choices which allow all students from different background to equip well as an all-rounded data professional. Meanwhile, it doesn’t only cover theoretical knowledge but also practical exercises so that everyone can have their chances to apply what they learnt from the lessons to tackle the real-world problems. Moreover, there are several foundational courses provided so that you don’t need to be worried if this is the first time you learn big data. Apart from the course contents, professors are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about teaching. Classmates from both full time and part time are helpful as well so you can definitely meet new friends with similar interest on big data
WONG Ka Chun
Hong Kong - Class of 2022
HKUST MSC BDT gives you a taste of the industrial revolution 4.0. I learned the basic theory and math of data mining and machine learning. Topics like Data Visualization, Parallel Computing, and Natural Language Processing teach me the skills I need for work. Offering a wide range of topics in Big Data, it's great for people of all backgrounds. Getting to know people from different backgrounds and working on projects with them helps me grow my social network and friendships. Buckle up your seatbelts and get ready to be a part of the fourth wave of the industrial revolution.
WONG Tsz Ho
Hong Kong - Class of 2022
If you want to be a data scientist, data engineer, machine learning engineer, big data engineer or any other data science positions, then this program is perfect for you.

When I first got my full-time job, I was lucky to have a project related to data science. I found it very fun and I soon became passionate about data science. I wanted to become an actual data scientist so I can continue to work on data science everyday. However, most companies require their scientists to have at least an MSc. So I searched on the internet, and found this program. Additionally, the Targeted Taught Postgraduate Fellowships Scheme covers more than 70% of the tuition fees. I immediately applied for the program as well as the fellowship scheme. Luckily, I was chosen and this helped me a lot financially.

The program offers different elective courses for us to choose from, so you can pick those that fit your purpose the most. In my case, I want to be a data scientist with strong machine learning knowledge, so I have picked elective courses such as machine learning, natural language processing and artificial intelligence. Combined with the 4 core courses focused on data analysis, data mining, data engineering and maths, I built a strong foundation of data science. Eventually I landed my first job as a data scientist.

Last but not least, students participating in this program are passionate about the subject and they are the brightest minds in technology in Hong Kong. During my study, I have made a lot of friends who are also pursuing similar career paths. We are still closely in touch and are growing together. Studying this program helped to build my network, and helped me in advancing my career.
WONG Tsz Fung
Hong Kong - Class of 2022
The university life is not only lessons and assignments here, but also the activities which offer you an opportunity to meet smart people who may inspire you a lot.
PARK Seoyoung
Korea - Class of 2019
What I find special about the program is the option to take an independent project. This means that if you have a cool project idea you want to work on, you can do so by seeking guidance from some of the professors and gaining practical research experience.
LEUNG Terence Yin Kiu
Canada - Class of 2019
I strongly recommend Big Data Technology to anyone who is interested in computer science and artificial intelligence in general. The knowledge and experience is relevant for industrial needs, and can become a starting point for a research career as well.
Daniil CHEPENKO
Russia - Class of 2018
Having been working on all the projects, I obtained hands-on experience on real-world data science problems and learnt to communicate my ideas as a data scientist.
GAO Xun
Mainland China - Class of 2018
The courses offered by the world-class professors are well designed, which address both the theoretical and practical perspectives of topics related to big data technologies.
LAU Tsz-Kit
Hong Kong - Class of 2017
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