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How to become a Data Scientist

Finds patterns in data and builds models that make predictions.

What does a Data Scientist actually do?

More about this career

Finds patterns in data and builds models that predict things – which customers will leave, which transactions are fraud, which patients are at risk – combining statistics, coding and business sense. Companies increasingly hire for this from statistics, computer science, actuarial science or engineering degrees, not one fixed path.

Where this degree can take you

  • Data Analyst
  • Machine Learning Engineer
  • Business Intelligence Analyst
  • Quantitative Analyst

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics
  • Information Technology (helpful)

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the degrees we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 3 of 3 degrees

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each degree links to the page it came from.

Degrees that lead here

3 degrees at 3 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Sol Plaatje University

Partly verified

BSc Data Science

Natural & Applied Sciences · 3 years

SPU APS 30

  • English: level 4 (50% or more) OR English: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)

From SPU’s Faculty of Natural & Applied Sciences programme page. We could not confirm the 2027 application closing date (only a stale 2021 date was found on SPU’s applications page).

Source: View the official page (spu.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

BDatSci (Data Science)

Science · 4 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 80 %

  • Mathematics: 80%
  • English: 60% if it is your Home Language, 75% if it is your First Additional Language

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Cape Town

BCom / BBusSc Computer Science; Statistics & Data Science

Commerce · 3 years

UCT Faculty Points Score 435 out of 600 (band a)

  • Mathematics: 70%
  • English: 50% if it is your Home Language, 60% if it is your First Additional Language
  • NBT – NBT Academic Literacy and Quantitative Literacy must be Upper Intermediate or above.

Band A (guaranteed offer) is an FPS of 435. Band B (likely offer) is a WPS of 470 - the WPS adds a 0-10% disadvantage factor that we cannot work out from your marks, so we only check you against Band A. Band C (430-434, Education Development Unit only) applies to redress categories only. BBusSc is 4 years.

Source: View the official page (uct.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every degree above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?