FORWARD
University
AI & Computing
First accreditation wave

Data Science and Decision Systems

Turning messy institutional data into decisions that hold up, in banks, ministries, hospitals and operators.

BSc (Hons)Hybrid4 years (incl. co-op)Intake August 2027
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Employment thesis

What this programme is designed to produce

Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.

Roles

  • Data scientist
  • Analytics engineer
  • Decision-support analyst
  • Risk modeller

Employer types

  • Banks, insurers, lenders
  • Telecom operators
  • Development finance and statistics agencies
  • Health and logistics operators

Target outcomes we hold ourselves to

  • 82% in a named role within 6 months
  • Every graduate ships one decision system in production
  • 100% completing 12 months paid co-op

Compulsory · The Forward Core

How the Core works →

Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.

  • AI Fluency
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Ethics and African Context
  • Human-Advantage Skills
  • Enterprise

Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning

Placement inside an analytics or decision-support function. Read the co-op commitment

Am I eligible?

Check yourself against the published requirements

7 questions written specifically for Data Science and Decision Systems. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.

Question 1 of 70%

What is the highest qualification you hold or are completing?

Requirement tested: A completed upper-secondary qualification (UACE, A-level, IB, high-school diploma or recognised equivalent), or a post-secondary award.

Structure

How the 4 years run

  1. 01

    Year 1

    Foundations and Forward Core

    • Statistics and probability
    • Programming for data
    • Forward Core
  2. 02

    Year 2

    Modelling and inference

    • Causal inference
    • Forecasting and risk
    • Data engineering
  3. 03

    Year 3

    Co-op

    • 12 months paid work-integrated learning
    • Assessed employer review
    • Applied decision project
  4. 04

    Year 4

    Capstone and enterprise

    • Public capstone
    • Communicating uncertainty
    • Forward Core: enterprise

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