Stellenbosch University
Data Science and Data Engineering
The purpose of the focus area in Data Engineering is to prepare students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution where the work environment has fundamentally changed and there is a flood of data that needs to be structured, modelled and analysed for data-driven organizations, to discover the underlying knowledge. Data Engineering contains all the tasks required to make data available for analysis, knowledge discovery and decision-making processes. The most important task of a data engineer is to develop and maintain an organization's data pipeline systems and implement algorithms to transform data into a usable format for analysis. The tasks of a data engineer include data collection, data storage, data synchronization, data transformation, data cleaning, data management, and data model development.
This requires a considerable set of technical skills, including in-depth knowledge of database design and various programming languages. Data engineers are often responsible for building algorithms to provide easier access to structured and unstructured data, but it requires an understanding of the goals of an organization using large datasets. Data engineers need excellent communication skills to connect with different stakeholders inside and outside the organization to understand what Big Data business leaders want to earn and also to present their findings in a way the audience can easily understand. Throughout the degree, the focus area in Data Engineering is built on the foundations of Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. Students develop the engineering skills to create mathematical, physical, and statistical models of real systems, including data systems. After obtaining the qualification, Stellenbosch University's Data Engineers can integrate these areas of knowledge to critically analyse complex systems to come up with innovative solutions to problems. This degree is accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa and hence, is recognized through the Washington Accord.