Pre-Master Data Science Program

Introduction

The College of Computing and Informatics at the Saudi Electronic University offers a Pre-Master program to qualify non-specialists who hold a bachelor’s degree in Science or Administration; or graduated from Technical Collages to provide them with basic knowledge and skills to enable who passed this Pre-Master Program to join the Master of Data Science Program. This program aims to qualify students with high academic skills and aspects related to data science and usage of data analysis software, with an interest in providing them with the latest means, tools, methods related to the future of big data and its processing, as the program focuses on combining the cognitive and applied aspects in the field of data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence; and utilizing technology in solving various problems in all areas of life.

The Importance and Reasons for Creating the Program

Data analysis using artificial intelligence techniques in various fields and deriving patterns of knowledge have become one of the biggest challenges of the current century. The labor market is still suffering from a severe shortage of qualified cadres to meet the need for work in this field.
The data science major provides scientific solutions to various sectors that require mastery from specialists in those sectors.
Therefore, the College of Computing and Informatics at the Saudi Electronic University offers this Pre-Master Program for non-specialists to enable them to acquire the basic skills that must be mastered before starting the Master of Science in Data Science Program, which was built and prepared according to international standards and conform the latest techniques and methods to qualify cadres to face major challenges in the data science field successfully and creatively.

Program Objectives

Providing students with the basic skills required for the Master of Science in Data Science Program.
Develop students' academic skills and make them aligned with the Master of Science in Data Science Program requirements.
Bridging the knowledge gap for non-specialized students who intend to study in the Master of Science in Data Science Program.

Two semesters.

Learn advanced programming techniques such as inheritance and polymorphism
Ability to analyze and develop software.
Introduce students to different computer operating systems and their functions.
Designing different databases and identifying the most important concepts and technologies associated with databases, such as networks and the Internet.
Store and retrieve data using various data structures.
Learn about smart systems and their role in the decision-making support process.

Students can equate four courses (a maximum of the pre-master program courses) with courses they have passed at the undergraduate level with the following conditions:

Submitting the equivalency request via the system during the announced period for equivalency.
Submitting evidence of studying the course at the bachelor's program in English.
The university at which the bachelor's degree was studied should be recognized by the Ministry of Education.
The grade of the course to be equivalent must be (good) or higher.
The course specification of the course to be equivalent must match the equivalent SEU course.
The course to be equivalent should be passed during the last five years, not before that.
Submitting detailed course specifications of the courses to be equivalent, certified by the university in which the courses were studied.

Passing all the courses of the Pre-master program during one academic year (two semesters) as a maximum.
Passing the Pre-master program with a very good or higher grade with a cumulative GPA not less than (2.75 out of 4.00)
Not failing in any course in the Pre-master program.
The grade of any course of the Pre-master program should be above average (75).

The Pre-Master of Data Science Program contains eight courses, three credit hours each, distributed over two semesters.
English is the Medium of Instruction in the Program

Study Plan Structured by Semesters

First Semester

No.	Course Code	Course Title	Credit hours	Prerequisites
1	DS490	Object Oriented Programming	3	-
2	DS491	Operating Systems	3	-
3	DS492	Mathematics for Computer Science	3	-
4	DS493	Introduction to Database	3	-

Second Semester

No.	Course Code	Course Title	Credit hours	Prerequisites
1	DS495	Data Structure	3	DS490
2	DS496	System Analysis & Design	3	DS493
3	DS497	Data Mining and Data Warehousing	3	DS493
4	DS498	Decision Support Systems	3	DS493