–

Master of Data
Science Strategy
and Leadership
Deliver on the promise of
data science.

This brochure also includes information on the

Graduate Certificate in Data Science
—
Table of contents
Are you prepared for the future? 3
What the stats say 4
Why the RMIT Online Master of Data 5
Science Strategy and Leadership?
Why the RMIT Online Graduate 6
Certificate of Data Science?
Program pathways 7
Program comparison 8
The RMIT Online edge 9
The RMIT Online student experience 11
What you can expect from each course 12
Academic profiles 13
Program details 15
Entry requirements 16
Your data science leadership journey 17
starts here!
Course descriptions 18

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Are you ready for
the future?
Industry 4.0 is here. It’s changed the world
of work. Cyber-physical systems, IoT,
cloud computing, cognitive computing,
big data, robotics and new and evolving
transformative technologies have created
huge economic, social, political and
commercial challenges and opportunities.
I have worked with brilliant
Organisations across all sectors are struggling leadership and strategy
to identify and act upon opportunities generated people and brilliant data
by large amounts of data. Often, the solution is scientists. However, when
to “hire a data scientist” without knowing how
you put them in a room
such a role or team could transform data into
together, they do not know
an organisation’s most valuable asset while
how to drive organisational
embedding data science into its DNA.
value from data science.
Until now, organisations have been searching Industry needs people with
for a “unicorn”. Those who can bridge the gap both skillsets.
between data science and business strategy.
Who can turn analysis into reason and action.
Who can zero in on the best opportunities that
data technologies and Industry 4.0 can offer, and
Felipe Flores
can deliver on the promise of data science.
Founder of Data Futurology,
To answer the call, RMIT Online, in collaboration ex-Head of Data Science at ANZ,
with industry leaders and world-leading industry advisor for the RMIT
academics, has designed the Master of Data Online Master of Data Science
Science Strategy and Leadership. Strategy and Leadership

3
—
What the stats say about the demand for
Data Science leaders with soft skills

Data Scientist was the #2

top emerging job of 2018
89% of executives say
that it is difficult to find
15x
In 2020, there is predicted
to be 15x more data-
#3 Top skills
demanded of DSA
people with soft skills driven decision-making professionals
LinkedIn 2018 Emerging such as collaboration, management roles than
Jobs Report adaptability and data scientist roles, IAPA, 2017 Skills Salary
communication despite strong growth in Survey Report
both categories
LinkedIn 2019 Future of
Skills Report Burning Glass, Quant
Crunch Report, 2015

—
What the stats say about the demand
for hybrid roles where data science and
analytics are core skills

Hybrid jobs will grow 21% over the next 10 65% of the fastest-growing and 62% of the
years, double the pace (10%) for jobs overall highest paying skills in these hybrid job fields
are computer-science related
Burning Glass, Hybrid Jobs Report 2019
Burning Glass and Oracle Academy Report 2017

4
—
Why the RMIT Online Master of Data
Science Strategy and Leadership?
RMIT Online’s Master of Data Science Strategy and Leadership has been
designed to provide a pathway for you to be a C-suite leader in organisations
that have been, or need to be, transformed by data science.

It will help you to:

Understand how to assess, select and leverage the potential of data science and
technology across sectors and industries

Solve business issues with machine learning and AI

Ensure ethical data management and accurate data outcomes

Effectively lead data science and analytics teams (DSA teams) or analytics-centred
Globally recognised MBA evolves for next-gen leaders
functions such as finance, marketing, technology and operations, and to partner up,
down
RMIT’s andonline
new across organisations
MBA is fast-paced, dynamic and re-defined. Enhance your learning
through in-person peer networking and industry expert meetups.
Use enhanced communication skills to engage key stakeholders

Gain credibility across organisational functions to drive change.

Program pathways
The program offers two pathways, applicable to those with different experience:

Master of Data Science Strategy and Leadership (12-course

master program)
For an emerging or experienced business leader looking to gain the foundations of data
The leadership skills and At the nexus of design,
science plus the advanced strategic, leadership and research capability required to influence
mindset
executive for Industry
leadership teams and 4.0 technology
deliver organisation-wide solutions drivenand innovation
by data science,
AI and Machine Learning.
Learn to lead in the age of disruption Explore drivers of change across
where authenticity,
Master of Data ethics and
Science digital disciplines.(Advanced
Strategy and Leadership Respond confidently
empowerment are critical to individual
Standing 8-course Master program) to business challenges and be in
and organisational performance. control of your future success.
This option is for experienced data science and analytics specialists who are looking to
become leaders of DSA teams or functions, and need to augment their knowledge and
skillset with machine learning, AI and communication and strategic leadership skills. Given
the nature of the program, you may qualify for recognition of prior learning and experience
for up to four of our foundational courses. Please speak to one of our Enrolment Advisors to
learn more about eligibility criteria.

5
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Why the RMIT Online
Graduate Certificate in
Data Science?
This program is designed to give people with a
non-technical background the critical foundations
of programming, analytics, data wrangling and
visualisation that employers are demanding
right now - across functions and industries.

It’s for those people who want to remain at the forefront of their
field and who know that with hybrid roles (functional specialists
with data science capabilities) increasing, these skills will
immediately add value to their organisation and their CV.

The courses in this program are also foundation courses for the
Master of Data Science Strategy and Leadership, should you
wish to continue your studies and further develop your skills to
become a senior leader in data science and analytics.

6
—
Program pathways

Graduate Master of Data Master of Data

Certificate in Science Strategy Science Strategy
Data Science and Leadership and Leadership
(Advanced Standing)

Courses* Practical Data Science** You may be eligible for Practical Data Science**
Advanced Standing for the first
Applied Analytics four courses of the Graduate Applied Analytics
Certificate, and will therefore
Data Visualisation Data Visualisation
only need to complete the
Data Wrangling following eight courses: Data Wrangling

Data Architecture, Ethics Data Architecture, Ethics

and Governance and Governance

Please note: Consumer Analytics Consumer Analytics

all courses offered
count towards the Financial Analytics for Financial Analytics for
Master’s program. Managerial Decisions Managerial Decisions

Analytics Strategy Analytics Strategy

and Change and Change

Machine Learning for Machine Learning for

Decision Makers Decision Makers

Leading in the Age of Digital Leading in Age of Digital

Disruption Disruption

Shaping Organisations with Shaping Organisations with

Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence

Data Science Strategy Data Science Strategy

Consulting Project Consulting Project

*You can read the full course descriptions from page 18 of this brochure.
**from Study Period 1, 2020 this course will be re-named Practical Data Science with Python
^ These are example job titles only. Career outcomes will vary depending on your previous qualifications and work experience.
Job types and titles will also continue to evolve as the DSA field expands.

7
—
Program comparison

Graduate Master of Data Master of Data

Certificate in Science Strategy Science Strategy
Data Science and Leadership and Leadership
(Advanced Standing)

Who should Functional specialists Experienced data science Those with limited data
study this and emerging data- and analytics professionals science experience but who
program? driven leaders seeking a who need to augment their aspire to be a future C-suite
deeper understanding and experience with strategy and leader of organisations that
application of data science leadership soft skills and new have been, or need to be,
and analytics to provide considerations in machine shaped by data science and
the technical credibility and learning and AI to become transformed for the future.
confidence to take on roles future C-suite leaders of DSA
working with data and data functions and organisations
scientists. that have been, or need to be,
shaped by data science and
transformed for the future.

Program Add foundational DSA skills Gain business acumen Gain the foundations of data
outcomes to your existing expertise to lead DSA teams to science and analytics, so
and become instantly more effectively partner with and that you have the confidence
valuable in your function. deliver analytical insight and credibility to lead
to other functions within technical specialists, and
Use this as a stepping organisations from finance, the advanced strategic,
stone into the masters marketing, technology and leadership and research
and you can be ready for operations. capability required to
higher-level careers in your influence executive
function, e.g., CMO, or for If you wish to pursue a more leadership teams and to
a move across into more technical path, you could deliver organisation-wide
direct DSA leadership also use this program as a solutions driven from Data
roles, such as Head of stepping stone onto the on- Science, Machine Learning
Analytics. campus Master of Analytics and Artificial Intelligence.
or Master of Data Science.

Potential Business Analyst Head of Digital, Data and Head of Digital, Data and
job titles^ Technology Technology
Marketing Analyst
Data Science and Analytics Data Science and Analytics
Data Analyst Director Director
Chief Technical Officer
Web Analyst Chief Technical Officer
Chief Data Scientist
Business Consultant Chief Marketing Officer
Head of Insights & Modelling
Customer Insight Head of Customer Insights
Manager

*You can read the full course descriptions from page 18 of this brochure.
**from Study Period 1, 2020 this course will be re-named Practical Data Science with Python
^ These are example job titles only. Career outcomes will vary depending on your previous qualifications and work experience.
Job types and titles will also continue to evolve as the DSA field expands.
8
—
The RMIT Online edge
The world of work has changed, and the skills required for
success continue to evolve. RMIT Online works hand-in-hand
with industry and academy to uncover the transitions required in
skill development, pathways and organisational learning cultures
to re-shape the workforce. We offer a world-class education
that delivers work-ready skills and knowledge. Your skills will be
rigorously assessed and recognised by one of Australia’s most
innovative and respected technology institutions.

Designed with industry, for industry

The Master of Data Science Strategy and Leadership and nested
qualifications have been designed by experienced academics in
collaboration with leading data science and analytics (DSA) practitioners
and companies. You’ll be learning best practice and industry standards
from data science professionals using industry case studies, examples
and problems. The curriculum is up-to-date, practical and immediately
applicable for your working life.

The program has been validated and tooled with industry partners, with
software supported by Tableau. It uses several other open-source tools
such as Jupyter notebook and R and R Studio. It has been co-designed
with industry leaders at the intersection of data science and organisational
strategy including:

Felipe Flores,
Founder of Data Futurology, ex-Head of Data Science at ANZ

Andrew Wilson-Ann,
Consultant, ex-Head of Business Initiatives at ANZ

Stephen Duckett,
Director of Health Program at the Grattan Institute

Simon Dunstall,
CSIRO Research Program Director

9
Get ahead faster
Our accelerated study model and stacked study pathways with multiple
entry and exit points help you get recognised quickly.

For those who need to quickly upskill on the foundations of data science,
you can work through the Graduate Certificate in Data Science in only eight
months by studying four courses.

If you already have the technical DSA capabilities but need to build your
leadership and strategy skills, you may be eligible for advanced standing
on the Graduate Certificate courses and will only have to complete eight
courses to gain the Master of Data Science Strategy and Leadership,
graduating in just 16 months.

If you are less experienced in the field and looking to build DSA foundations,
plus strategy and leadership acumen, then the 12-course Master of Data
Science Strategy and Leadership is for you. This program only takes a
Globally recognised MBA evolves for next-gen leaders
minimum of two years, without having to interrupt your current working life.
RMIT’s new online MBA is fast-paced, dynamic and re-defined. Enhance your learning
through in-person peer networking and industry expert meetups.
The benefits of online learning
Online learning gives you the benefits of a flexible, interactive learning
environment and lets you build networks with peers and industry figures.
Using the latest online social learning tools, you’ll join a vibrant professional
community of learners who collaborate freely. You can choose to
complement your online learning with face-to-face, industry networking
sessions and student-driven meetups.

The leadership skills and At the nexus of design,

mindset for Industry 4.0 technology and innovation
Learn to lead in the age of disruption Explore drivers of change across
where authenticity, ethics and digital disciplines. Respond confidently
empowerment are critical to individual to business challenges and be in
and organisational performance. control of your future success.

10
 11

—
The RMIT Online student experience
A flexible student experience allows you to use study tools anywhere, anytime.

Our cutting-edge learning environment means you focus on learning, not finding
your way around.

Industry-experienced academics are there to guide you every step of the way.

One-on-one support and assistance from our Student Success Advisor Team
keeps you motivated and helps you reach your goals.

Online doesn’t mean you’re alone – connect with fellow students to build your
professional network, share ideas, organise study groups and peer support.

Graduate with a globally recognised degree without putting your career trajectory
on hold.
—
What you can expect from each course
Initial communication
Students can use the online forum to introduce themselves to each other and their course
instructors. This is where students can form “study groups” and find information about course
topics, teachers, readings, assignment key dates and grading considerations.

Learning content format Discussion boards

Learning materials consist of a variety The discussion boards are open throughout
of components including video, text- the duration of each course, helping to
based content, animations and more. promote critical thinking and interaction.
Each week’s content is presented and Instructors utilise tagging/reply features to
linked to learning objectives, as well as ensure that all students get all important
overall course goals. This provides an program and course notifications.
environment where students can monitor Discussions are created and moderated by
their progress and prepare for upcoming the course instructor or section instructor
topics and concepts. and are included in participation grades,
depending on the course.

Synchronised study sessions

These sessions are available for review Assessment
purposes and to bridge gaps between While you will have no formalised on-
the content and student comprehension. campus exams, all RMIT postgraduate
With at least one session per seven-week programs include rigorous assessments in
course, they are scheduled well in advance to the form of case studies, reports and online
facilitate student planning. Times are rotated discussion interactions and engagement.
to accommodate students in multiple time This ensures that all learning is valuable,
zones, and sessions are recorded. authentic and immediately applicable to
your work. There may be some tests,
quizzes or other online assessments;
Ongoing support and however, you will not have to attend
re-enrolment traditional on-campus examinations.

As a student, you will have a dedicated

advisor to help guide and motivate you
through coursework, enabling you to
manage your study/work/life balance, and
help keep you informed of re-enrolment for
upcoming study periods. This one-on-one
support continues through to graduation.

12
—
Academic profiles
Master of Data Science Strategy and
Leadership Program Director
- Dr Vince Bruno

Dr Vince Bruno is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT and

Program Director for the Master of Data Science
Strategy and Leadership. He is excited to be
leading a new masters program that will focus
on connecting people in the organisation and the
evolving data science discipline, which will have
real and positive impacts for organisations and
society.

Dr Bruno has a PhD in Business Information

Systems and has specific interests in databases,
security, application development, blockchain
and user experience. He currently teaches
databases, networking in business and ethical
hacking. He supervises a number of research
candidates on various topics and is undertaking
research into information system education,
learning analytics, the role of business analysts
and blockchain technologies. Prior to his time
at RMIT, Dr Bruno was an application developer
and program analyst.

13
—
Academic profiles
Graduate Certificate in
Data Science Program Director
- Minyi Li

Minyi Li is a senior lecturer in the School of

Science, RMIT.

Minyi is excited about data science education

and has a passion for teaching students to
solve real-world problems with various machine
learning techniques. The online format further
revolutionises the way we teach, to be more
effective and efficient.

Her research interests include preference

representation, reasoning and learning,
computational social choice, collective decision-
making and multi-agent systems.

Minyi is particularly interested in application areas

of recommendation systems, smart energy,
traffic management and optimisation, etc.

She has a considerable amount of teaching

experience in both traditional on-campus
and online education at undergraduate and
postgraduate level.

She has also been teaching a broad range of

subjects including data science, mathematics,
programming, databases, and artificial
intelligence.

14
—
Program details

Fees
Total 2020 tuition fees are $41,760 (12-course masters) / $3,480 per course

Graduate Certificate $13,920/ $3,480 per course.

See our fees page for information. Fees apply for 2020 only. Fees are adjusted on an
annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.

Program intakes Program duration

Six intakes annually Masters
(January, March, May, July, September 12 courses | 2 years intensive part-time.
and October).
Graduate Certificate
4 courses | 8 months intensive part-time.

Each course has a seven-week duration

and requires a minimum of 15-20 hours
Nested qualifications study per week.
Our Master of Data Science Strategy
and Leadership encompasses courses
that make up a Graduate Certificate in
Data Science and Graduate Diploma in Advanced standing
Data Science Strategy and Leadership
Those with two years of proven experience
(exit point only), so should you need to
in data science and relevant Honours or a
exit the program early you can still earn a
higher qualification in a cognate discipline may
postgraduate qualification by successfully
be eligible for advanced standing for up to
completing specified courses.
four courses of the 12-course Master’s. This
The Graduate Certificate is also a pathway means students can complete the Master’s
to the Master of Data Science Strategy by studying just eight courses. A Student
and Leadership program for some Enrolment Advisor can tell you more about
students (see entry requirements). advanced standing eligibility on 1300 701 171.

15
—
Entry requirements
Master of Data Science Graduate Certificate in
Strategy and Leadership Data Science
An Australian bachelor degree (AQF An Australian Bachelor degree (AQF 7)
7) or equivalent from a recognised or equivalent from a recognised tertiary
tertiary institution in Business or institution or

An Australian bachelor degree or No formal qualification, but a minimum

equivalent in any non-business of five years Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)
discipline with a minimum of three work experience in any industry setting.
years Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) work
experience in an industry setting.
Applicants will be required to submit
a CV, or

Successful completion of the RMIT

Graduate Certificate in Data Science
AND with a minimum of three years
Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) work
experience in an industry setting.
Applicants will be required to submit
a CV or

Australian Graduate Certificate,

Graduate Diploma or Master’s degree
or equivalent in Business (or a related
discipline).

International qualifications are assessed according to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Entrance requirements for Australian student visas

international applicants RMIT Online’s Master of Data Science
All non-Australian residents and overseas Strategy and Leadership does not meet
full-fee paying students are required to Australian student visa requirements. For
meet RMIT English language requirements. an Australian student visa, you must have
For more information on these an on-campus place in a program of study.
requirements and acceptable English For more details on RMIT’s on-campus
Language tests, please see rmit.edu.au/ programs visit rmit.edu.au.
international/english-equivalent

16
—
Your data science
leadership journey
starts here!
Get in touch with one of our Student
Enrolment Advisors today to guide you
through the process of starting your
online qualification.

Further information

studyonline.rmit.edu.au
Call 1300 701 171

Book a 15 minute chat today

17
—
Practical Data Science
Course overview
The course gives you a set of practical skills for handling data that comes in a variety of
formats and sizes such as texts, spatial and time-series data. These skills cover the data
analysis lifecycle from initial access and acquisition, modelling, transformation, integration,
querying, application of statistical learning and data mining methods, and presentation of
results. This includes data wrangling, the process of converting raw data into a more useful
form that can be subsequently analysed. The course is hands-on, using Python in the iPython
interactive computing framework.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Use industry and evidence-based tools and approaches to transform raw data into a format
suitable for a data science pipeline.

Identify scenarios where a machine learning approach may support effective data analysis.

Extract an interpretation and visualisation of data using exploratory data analysis in Python.

Construct and document an experimental methodology for the analysis of data.

Select appropriate models, and apply simple machine learning tools and feature selection
strategies for a defined data science problem.

Apply professional standards to allow reproducibility of analysis.

18
—
Applied Analytics
Course overview
This course will introduce you to fundamental statistical concepts and modern statistical
practices as used in analysis. You will study statistical data investigations, summary statistics,
data visualisation and probability as a measure for uncertainty. You will then build upon these
topics and learn about sampling, sampling distributions and confidence intervals as the basis
for statistical inference and decision making. The course will finish with a series of modules
looking at common hypothesis-testing methods for different types of data. There is an emphasis
on conceptual understanding, interpretation of statistical output and the use of statistical
technology, namely R, for statistical computation in an analytical or data science context.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Plan a statistical data investigation by selecting the appropriate approach for solving a
problem, considering a range of analytical approaches including the issues and pitfalls in
applying these techniques and biases introduced through data collection.

Use relevant open-source environments and tools (e.g, R) to perform fundamental statistical
analyses (descriptive analysis, hypothesis testing, ANOVA, correlation and linear regression)
and to support communication and visualisation of key results.

Communicate results accurately and in a way that prevents or minimises potential bias and
errors in sampling data.

19
—
Data Visualisation
Course overview
Learn how to create compelling data visualisations that tell the story behind the data and help
stakeholders solve real-world problems. The classic saying, “seeing is believing”, effectively
articulates the importance of data visualisation. Whether you are exploring vast datasets;
communicating your data analysis in meaningful ways; or presenting the story behind your
data in order to influence your audience, data visualisation is the most powerful tool at your
disposal. As an interdisciplinary field, data visualisation continues to be heavily influenced by
research in visual perception and psychology, statistics, computer science, art and many other
fields. The course will begin with a focus on refining the problem to be solved between you
and your stakeholder. Next, you will be designing visualisations appropriate to the information
in the data and the problem to be solved. You will explore cutting-edge, cloud-based, open-
source applications to bring to life clear visualisations of complex, big real-world data. You will
also explore the influence of disciplines and ethical considerations that impact the efficacy of
data visualisation.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Identify a target audience, refine the problem they are trying to solve and determine the
data visualisation design goal.

Conceptualise multiple data visualisation designs and determine the most appropriate
strategy to achieve the goal.

Source, review and prepare the data required for data visualisation.

Use leading, web-based, open-source, interactive data visualisation technology to build,

deploy and disseminate data visualisations.

Support the communication of the story behind a data visualisation by using written, verbal
and interactive techniques that connect to data findings and defined business problems.

Integrate knowledge of visual perception, information visualisation and findings from data
visualisation research to improve the effectiveness of data visualisations and critique the
work of others.

Reflect on the major ethical issues that can arise during the practice of data visualisation.

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—
Data Wrangling
Course overview
Real-world data are commonly incomplete, noisy and inconsistent. This course will cover
a wide range of topics designed to equip you with the skills needed to prepare all forms of
untidy data for analysis. The course will cover the core concepts of data pre-processing -
namely tidy data, data integration, data cleaning, data transformation, data standardisation,
data discretisation and data reduction. You will develop and apply your data-wrangling skills
to complex, noisy and inconsistent real-world data using leading open-source software.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Accurately, logically and ethically combine data from multiple sources to make suitable for
statistical analysis and draw valid interpretations.

Articulate how data meet best practice standards (e.g, tidy data principles).

Select, perform and justify data validation processes for raw datasets.

Use leading open source software (e.g, R) for reproducible, automated data processing.

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—
Data Architecture, Ethics and
Governance
Course overview
This course focuses on the architecture, ethics and governance of data for use in the data
science context. During this course, you will learn to identify appropriate behaviours and
practices using ethical frameworks and policies and how to comply with governance and
legislation. You will learn how data ethics is informed and applied in a variety of settings, and
apply this to industry standards on sourcing, storing and giving informed consent to use big
data. You will also learn about the appropriate architectures to enable ethical and effective
management and use of data.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Formulate data architecture solutions to match data characteristics (e.g, size, complexity)
leveraged by the organisation to support data storage and ongoing analytics processes.

Assess the risks associated with storage strategies and mechanisms for maintaining the
security of big data.

Assess data quality (based on source, time and how it’s created) and determine the impact
on the finding/results based on an ethical analysis approach.

Evaluate data governance schemes for an organisation or project to manage data quality
and validity.

Critically review global industry-standard regulatory constraints on data privacy (sourcing,

storage and use of data) to develop your professional practice.

Critically interpret industry-informed, evidence-based best practice in privacy, informed

consent and associated ethical and/or legal aspects of data analytics.

Propose stakeholder management strategies to influence key decision-makers to advocate

for the implementation of ethical data management practices.

22
—
Consumer Analytics
Course overview
This course introduces students to the capabilities of data science and analytics tools to
solve problems at the interface of organisations and consumers. You will make the kinds
of proposals, reports and presentations that are used in a real-world context. You will also
critically evaluate the published literature, and use case studies and real data to profile
consumers to design creative analytics solutions that improve a product or service and/or
measure the effectiveness of marketing strategies.

This course includes a Work Integrated Learning experience. You will undertake and be
assessed on structured activities that allow you to learn, apply and demonstrate your
professional or vocational practice; and be involved in authentic engagements with partner
organisations that include industry feedback.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Design approaches to using data science tools for consumer profiling, predicting behaviour,
and optimising for profitability and/or outcomes.

Interpret consumer friction points to identify organisational opportunities that can be solved
by data science tools and approaches, before communicating recommended solutions to
identified stakeholders.

Critically evaluate the published literature and case studies from a range of industries and
organisations to design relevant analytics to improve product or service design and/or
marketing strategy.

Model consumer behaviour data types and select applications to inform strategic decisions
(e.g, increase revenue, profit, marketing efficiency, or improve product or service design and
delivery).

23
—
Financial Analytics for
Managerial Decisions
Course overview
In today’s environment, business, finance and accounting professionals need to analyse
an increasing volume of data in meaningful ways in order to make sustainable strategic
decisions. Good decisions depend on accurate and well-presented information drawn from
both domestic and international sources; and more importantly, the ability to synthesise and
draw conclusions from that data. Financial Analytics for Managerial Decisions will develop
your ability to interpret and analyse both internal and external financial information, so that
as a business leader you can make effective and sustainable decisions in a global context.
To develop not only your technical expertise but also your interpersonal and problem-solving
skills, you will participate in teamwork and a business simulation.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Analyse, interpret and critically evaluate global financial information from a variety of sources
in order to develop sustainable business proposals.

Create effective business reports, advice and tables tailored to specific business needs.

Show effective, appropriate and persuasive collaboration and communication skills through
engagement with case interviewing and problem-solving in a business simulation.

Select, communicate and advocate effective strategies using design thinking to address
complex business problems and opportunities.

Apply ethical standards to the role and conduct of financial reporting.

24
—
Analytics, Strategy and Change
Course overview
This course focuses on the characteristics of data-driven organisations along with the
motivations, obstacles and interventions that bring change. You will explore approaches to
influencing stakeholders to support the implementation of a change-management plan. You
will learn practical change-management skills through the design of transformation plans and
stakeholder engagement strategies. You will also explore strategic approaches to managing
analytics and data as well as team development.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Establish the characteristics of a data-driven organisation and critically reflect on the

obstacles and enablers to achieving strategically appropriate data science and analytics
organisational capability.

Undertake planning for transformation, project management and stakeholder engagement

activities fit for a specified organisation or industry.

Identify opportunities for intervention and develop change-management strategies based

on learning from leading organisations in the context of the digital economy.

Design people-based organisational capacity including cultural and management

approaches, operating structures, career paths and skills development for a data science
team.

Develop communication strategies and approaches suitable for changing environments and
diverse stakeholders.

25
—
Machine Learning for
Decision Makers
Course overview
This course introduces students to the capabilities, limitations and biases of machine
learning, and how it may be applied to predict outcomes and subsequently solve business
or organisational problems. In this course, you will create a heuristic design, use case studies
and develop presentations. You will learn how to research heuristics and tools to select and
apply machine learning to a business or organisational problem, and to effectively present
insights to executive stakeholders that can help to automate some decision making, allowing
teams to focus on higher-order decisions.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Select and justify a heuristic to support the selection of the appropriate tool to solve a range
of business problems.

Analyse and recommend an appropriate analytical approach (e.g, Machine learning

techniques, AI models, Deep Learning) based on a range of problem-specific parameters
(e.g, problem recognition, testing hypotheses, reproducibility and applicability of models) to
solve data science problems.

Evaluate and identify relevant data analysis options for managing and incorporating big data
into decision-making within an organisation.

Use critical reflection in order to verify that the approach, reproducibility and accuracy of
inputs and outputs of data science algorithms are ethical, valid and sustainable.

Interpret the outputs of machine learning and effectively communicate this to decision-
makers in a range of contexts.

Use machine learning applications and/or analyse the outputs to provide additional clarity to
support strategic decision-making for an executive group.

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Leading in the Age of
Digital Disruption
Course overview
Digital innovations are increasingly impacting current workplaces, raising a host of leadership
issues. There are major implications for the future of the organisation of work and this course
is designed to equip students to understand the key issues, and develop the skills required to
lead organisations and employees within this new work context.

The course will examine key contemporary literature relevant to leadership in the age of digital
disruption. You will be connected with new conversations exploring issues arising from the
digital revolution, including lessons learnt from digital start-ups, the future of the organisation
of work, virtual leadership and leadership of boundary-spanning activities. The course will also
raise and discuss privacy and other ethical issues related to digital disruption.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Critique the literature by discussing the effect of digital disruption upon leadership.

Critically evaluate the processes and skills best suited to effective leadership in the age of
digital disruption.

Analyse workforce development requirements for a start-up, and design and construct a
workforce development plan.

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Shaping Organisations with
Artificial Intelligence
Course overview
This course introduces students to the capabilities, limitations and biases of AI tools, and
how they may be applied to solve business or organisational problems. You will develop key
artefacts throughout this course including slide decks, literature and case study reviews and
implementation plans. During this course, you will learn how to engage in research, and apply
findings from cutting-edge literature and case studies to selecting and using AI tools. By the
end of the course you will be able to articulate a range of business or organisational problems
that can be solved using AI.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Map data science approaches to business functionality and data characteristics to solve
data-informed business problems.

Critically evaluate literature to identify solutions for business and organisational problems.

Propose and justify a strategy to translate proven evidence-based approaches to new

contexts and propose organisational capabilities to be developed, augmented or automated
with Artificial Intelligence techniques.

Critically evaluate the consequences of automation within and across organisations and
sectors from an organisational leadership perspective.

Logically and comprehensively analyse ethical perspectives related to designing, training

and using Artificial Intelligence to understand impact, minimise bias and improve validity
of outcomes.

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Data Science Strategy
Consulting Project
Course overview
This is the capstone unit of the Masters of Data Science Strategy and Leadership. The aim of
this course is to develop your ability to act as a consultant who can translate an organisation’s
desire to derive business value from data science initiatives into reality. This course introduces
you to proposing real-world data science strategies to influence decision-makers in order to
meet organisational goals and objectives. You will create proposals, reports, prototypes and
plans to be used in a real-world context and with leading companies in RMITs industry partner
network. During the course, you will analyse data science tools and approaches to business
problems and learn how to clearly communicate complex analysis to key stakeholders using
reports and presentations.

This course includes a Work-Integrated Learning experience. You will undertake and be
assessed on structured activities that allow you to learn, apply and demonstrate your
professional or vocational practice, and be involved in authentic engagement with partner
organisations that include industry feedback.

This course also provides you with a capstone experience, which will provide you with
the opportunity to integrate, critically reflect on, and consolidate what you have learned in
your program.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Critically evaluate big data in a real-world scenario to identify opportunities.

Develop and present analysis and design strategies for key stakeholders (specialist and
nonspecialist).

Develop and apply a research-informed approach to identify and propose solutions to an

emerging business concern or opportunity.

Critically assess business problems and use specialist knowledge of data handling, analysis
approaches, tools and techniques including Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and
visualisation to propose solutions to solve business problems and confirm the validity of
inferences and assumptions.

Propose innovative, viable and sustainable solutions for an organisation while considering the
costs involved.

Justify proposed design solutions for computational architecture and/or data science
approaches within an established or emerging context.

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contained in this publication is accurate and current at the
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Prepared July 2019.

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