F.A.Q
General Informations
What is Data ScienceTech Institute?
Data ScienceTech Institute (DSTI) is a private higher education institution, with dual status as a vocational training institution (registered with DIRECCTE 93.06.08153.06, the French Ministry of Work) and private higher education (registered with the Rectorats de Nice under The UAI 062136P and of Paris under the UAI 0755832G).
The School opened its doors in 2015. Data ScienceTech Institute’s ambition is to provide data processing specialists to the industry: data scientists, data analysts, data engineers. These profiles are severely lacking in the labor market and are therefore highly sought after. The School responds to the growing demand for high-tech scientific and technological skills.
What degree(s) and certificate(s) does the School provide? Are there any professional certifications? Are they obligatory?
Once your studies and professional experience are completed, your achievements will be assessed by our Graduation Committee. If successful, you will be able to obtain the degree “Expert en Sciences des Données” (Expert in Data Science). DSTI is proud of its Applied MSc in Data Analytics, Applied MSc in Data Science & AI and Applied MSc in Data Engineering for AI, to have been fully accredited at Master’s level by the French Government via the RNCP mechanism. The RNCP “Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles” is a government recognition mechanism dedicated to scrutinising programmes’ suitability for the work market. A RNCP title rewards specific needs in terms of skills and knowledge transfer for immediate employability, which is the heart of DSTI philosophy.
Our students who successfully complete our programmes will also receive a degree from DSTI, certifying the completion of the academic curriculum and granting 60 ECTS credits at Master level, providing they’ve earned a bachelor’s degree beforehand.
In the Applied MSc in Data Analytics, two certifications are compulsory:
- Preparation of certification Analyzing Data with Microsoft Power BI (DA-100)
- Preparation of certification Microsoft Power Platform + Dynamics 365 Core (MB-200)
In the Applied MSc in Data Science and AI, two certifications are required:
In the Applied MSc in Data Engineering for AI programme, two certifications are required:
Students are prepared by professionals to pass these certifications. They are compulsory and the School will help towards the necessary registration fees.
Do you organise open days?
Data ScienceTech Institute regularly organises open days. We invite you to attend a full day class so you can put yourself in the shoes of a DSTI student. We also organise conferences, breakfasts and other professional events around Data Science. Check out our events page.
What are the career opportunites?
They are virtually limitless since all organisations need expertise in the Data Science field. Also, in spite of the youth of the School, all our students have found industrial placements very easily.
Indeed, the intensive aspect of our programmes allows the students of DSTI to be trained on a wide spectrum of skills necessary for the different professions in data science. This allows each student to naturally specialise according to his or her skills and abilities in particular fields.
How do the School partners contribute to DSTI?
Our various partner companies are all active in the life of the institute and contribute to it in many ways. Generally, companies provide us with hardware resources (computing power, servers), software (licenses) or human resources (professional lecturers).
In addition, the partners most involved in the life of the institute sit on the Scientific Advisory Board in order to guide the content of the programmes according to the needs of the job market.
Admission / Registration
What is the required level of English?
As the courses are taught entirely in English, a good level of English (written and oral) is necessary in order to become a student at DSTI. Moreover, as all of the students are international, the social life of the institute is also in English.
What is the application deadline?
Please see the different deadlines for applying for Spring or Autumn on the following page.
What is the admission process?
The application process is done online. More information here.
What are the tuition fees?
The following tuition fees are for the academic year of Autumn 2021 and will be subject to change for the next academic year.
Once you are admitted, you will need to pay a deposit.
- On-campus mode: 10%
- Self-Paced online mode: 10%
- Online mode: 10%
For the on-campus and online modes, tuition fees are payed in three installments in a period of four months.
For the SPOC mode, tuition fees are payed in three installments in a period of eleven months.
Students can pay by wire transfer or through our online payment system.
For the Applied MSc in Data Analytics
Autumn 2021 Entry:
For the Applied MSc in Data Science and AI
Autumn 2021 Entry:
For the Applied MSc in Data Engineering for AI
Autumn 2021 Entry:
What are the payment terms?
On-campus and off-campus modes:
– 10% for registration in order the secure the application.
– 90% before the start of the programme.
For students who benefit from financial aid (CPF, OPCO, etc.), a signed contract must be made available before the start of the programme, otherwise the student would pay the tuition fees out of their own funds and would then be reimbursed.
Self-paced online course mode:
All countries except those listed under “Article 14” of the International Monetary Fund:
– 10% for registration
– 40% before the start of the DSTI Warm Up
– 25% four months after the start of the programme
– 25% four months after the previous payment
All countries under “Article 14” of the International Monetary Fund:
– 10% for registration
– 60% before the start of the DSTI Warm Up
– 15% four months after the start of the programme
– 15% four months after the previous payment
For students who benefit from financial aid (CPF, OPCO, etc.), a signed contract must be made available before the start of the programme, otherwise the student would pay the tuition fees out of their own funds and would then be reimbursed.
How can I finance my training?
Several ways can help you finance your DSTI training. Many banks offer student loans in advance of your training. Also if you are registered unemployed, job-seeker, your unemployment office can also help you with tuition fees. In addition, a 6-month internship is integrated into the training, during which our students are offered internship remuneration generally well beyond the legal minimum, which allows you to absorb some of the tuition fees. In some cases, you may also receive support (total or partial) from your employer, particularly in the context of retraining.
How do you register if you are abroad?
Registration for Data ScienceTech Institute is only done online through our website; the procedure is the same if you are abroad.
Training
How many students are there per cohort?
DSTI is an industry-focused school and we need to keep our cohort size small in order to maximize practical participation.
Learn more about the student profiles here.
How long does the course last?
Applied MSc in Data Analytics (525 hours)
Full time (on-campus and online):
SPOC (asynchronous mode):
- 60 hours of support sessions
Applied MSc in Data Engineering for AI (805 hours)
Full time (on-campus and online):
SPOC (asynchronous mode):
Applied MSc in Data Science and AI (800 hours)
Full time (on-campus and online):
SPOC (asynchronous mode):
What are the strengths of the DSTI Applied MSc Programmes?
DSTI’s Applied MSc Programmes are built around four main areas: computer science, applied mathematics, business applications and ethics/law. The intensive programmes (400 hours per quarter) include plenty of practical work. You will also be prepared to take two professional certification exams per programme.
In which language is the programme?
All classes are delivered in the language of Shakespeare. Life in the School also happens in English with more than thirty nationalities including students and DSTI teachers.
Is the content of the programme different from one campus to another?
No. The training is identical as the classes take place at the same time. Thanks to our tele-teaching tools.
Can I change campus?
Yes, the flexibility at DSTI allows students to change campuses whenever they want. You can, for example, spend the first 3 months on the Paris campus, then the next 3 months on the Sophia-Antipolis campus. You can also visit your colleagues from another campus for a week.
Is there a difference between the Autumn and Spring entries?
There is no difference between the two entries, the programmes are identical.
What is the pace of the programme?
On average, we try to maintain a rhythm of 5 hours of classes per day, so 25 hours per week.
What are the evaluation procedures?
The modalities of evaluation depend on the modules, the teachers and the nature of the content taught. The more scientific modules (Mathematics and Statistics) require a classical knowledge test (examinations). However, the majority of the modules are evaluated via the submission of the different projects during the course.
It should be noted that the modules preparing for compulsory professional certifications do not have further evaluations. The certification exam is the only assessment.
As the evaluation procedures are under continuous assessment, any catch-ups are at the discretion of the school’s teachers and management.
Type of evaluation:
- Multiple choice quiz (MCQ)
- Projects and assignments
- Timed exams
- Certifications exams
Can I follow your programmes and work full-time simultaneously?
A full-time job on the basis of 35h per week represents 1,587h per year. It would be unreasonable to add 400 hours of high-level higher education plus personal work in a space of 3 to 9 months. However, we do have a part-time online course over 18 months that might suit you better if you wish to continue working as well as study. Please see the SPOC page.
Does the school have an e-learning platform?
Yes, the DSTI has a Learning Management System (LMS) with the Moodle platform. The structure of the teaching is replicated on this platform and students have access to all the teaching materials (PDF version of the digital tables, data sets and course materials, course recordings, etc.), but also to the schedules, assignments and a communication system between students and teachers.
You talk about tele-teaching; are the courses recorded?
Yes, all the classes are recorded and are made available to students to review or catch up with a class. We need to point out that the recordings are available for teaching support but under no circumstances are to be used to follow a programme in the form of MOOC.
*Unless you are following the 18 month part-time SPOC programme, in which case the recordings allow you to follow the course and work at the same time.
Internships
How long does the internship last?
There is a 6-month internship for each program.
Are you paid for internships?
Yes. Please note that the geographical location of your internship does not matter. The internship agreement is in French and needs to be signed by DSTI. Therefore, French laws apply to employers: any placement of more than two months must be remunerated.
Does DSTI help in finding an internship position?
Yes, the support of the school is assured for the search of internships. In addition, all internship offers received by the school are shared with the students.
Can you do a short-term contract or another form of employment instead of the internship?
Yes, any professional activity (internship, short-term contracts, permanent contracts, entrepreneurship, etc.) that validates the learning outcomes by applying the knowledge provided is accepted.
How does the internship work?
The internship must last 6 months. In line with its founding philosophy, DSTI respects the industry requirements of the employer for the evaluation of the internship and does not impose a report in a given format. The school may also sign confidentiality agreements review of the work produced requires it.
Online Education
Who is the off-campus mode?
This programme is for students who live outside metropolitan France and cannot come to study in France.
It is also accessible to students living in France and Monaco who cannot visit one of our two campuses. It should be noted that in this case, the on-campus tuition fee rate applies. You will be considered as an on-campus student and will benefit from our support in finding industrial placement and you will also have the opportunity to attend classes in one of the campuses at any time.
What is the content of the off-campus mode?
The content of the program is exactly the same as for on-campus students. Off-campus students follow the same courses and are subject to the same attendance and evaluation requirements.
Are there any particular differences with the on-campus mode?
There are differences which are not pedagogical but practical. Being on-campus facilitates many things like group work and coherence of the cohort.
What are the evaluation methods in off-campus mode?
The evaluation methods are the same as for on-campus students. Off-campus students are subject to the same evaluation procedures including for examinations of industrial certifications.
Can I follow the online programme at my own pace? Like a MOOC?
No, it is mandatory to attend live classes at the times indicated on the calendar and to participate.
Can I follow the course solely from watching the class recordings? Especially if I live on the American continent?
Due to time difference with the Americas, DSTI may consider a request to follow the programme in deferred mode. However, this modality is strongly discouraged for all the reasons described above, but also for the lack of interaction with the rest of the cohort. Again, if this is your case, the SPOC mode facilitates access for students of the American continent as it is based on part-time learning meaning you can watch the class recordings off-line.
Is it possible to switch from off-campus to on-campus or vice versa?
Yes this is possible, tuition fees are simply adjusted one way or the other at the time of change. However, an off-campus student who decides to come to France would have to spend at least 50% of his schooling on-campus in order to benefit from the support for industrial placement.