DATA420-26S1 (D) Semester One 2026 (Distance)

Scalable Data Science

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 16 February 2026
End Date: Sunday, 21 June 2026
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 1 March 2026
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 10 May 2026

Description

This course will introduce students to core topics in scalable data science based on distributed-computing techniques. This is a very practical course, with students learning by experimenting on a computer cluster.

This course will introduce students to topics in scalable data science based on distributed computing techniques. We will look at principles of distributed computing, topics in statistical modelling, and applications of distributed machine learning to find scalable solutions for real problems. This is a very practical course, and students will learn by experimenting on both university and cloud based clusters with large datasets. All computing resources are available online using remote desktop and there will be interactive computer labs online for students who are not on campus. Enrolled students who take this course will have ongoing access to computing resources to pursue additional projects.
The intent of the course is to provide an environment that is very similar to what you will experience in a data science position in industry. You will need to understand the theory underlying common solutions to data science problems and how to implement these using a distributed computing framework such as Spark.

Learning Outcomes

  • Concrete learning outcomes will include:

  • Demonstrate your knowledge of the principles of distributed computing by using open source frameworks to perform distributed data processing.
  • Perform distributed data analysis on data using Spark, including visualisation and reporting.
  • Connect concepts of statistical modeling and machine learning and identify how these can be applied to scalable data science problems.
  • Develop practical solutions for real world data science problems that require data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning.
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Engaged with the community

      Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Head of Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Course Coordinator

James Williams

Textbooks / Resources

No textbook required.

Course links

LEARN
Postgraduate

Additional Course Outline Information

Assessment and grading system

• Labs / exercises 10%
• Quizzes 10%
• Assignment 1 40%
• Assignment 2 40%

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,247.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Mathematics and Statistics .

All DATA420 Occurrences