14 September 2018
RECORDS MANAGEMENT SECTION
The University of Edinburgh
File ref: T3/30/37
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh EH8 9YL
Mr Ken Yan
Direct Dial 0131 651 4099
Sent by email: request-510765-
Switchboard 0131 650 1000
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xx.xx
Dear Mr Yan
Freedom of information request
Thank you for your email of 17 August 2018 requesting admissions statistics relating to
five specified postgraduate informatics programmes.
The University of Edinburgh is a global university, rooted in Scotland. We are globally
recognised for our research, development and innovation and we have provided world-
class teaching to our students for more than 425 years. We are the largest university in
Scotland and in 2016/17 our annual revenue was £929 million, of which £265 million was
research income. We have over 39,000 students and over 9,700 full-time equivalent
staff. We are a founding member of the UK’s Russell Group of leading research
universities and a member of the League of European Research Universities.
The School of Informatics provides students a good foundation in computer science and
offers a new perspective on ways that computational thinking can be applied to different
settings. Students develop a solid scientific understanding, and the practical skills
required to analyse, design, implement and maintain computer-based systems in any
setting. More information about the School of Informatics is available on our website at
www.ed.ac.uk/informatics.
Admissions statistics (questions 1 to 6)
For each of the last five years, you requested application, offer and acceptance statistics
for the five postgraduate degree programmes: Artificial Intelligence (MSc), Computing
and Informatics (MSc), Data Science (MSc), High Performance Computing with Data
Science (MSc), and Statistics with Data Science (MSc). You also requested this
information for international applicants. I have interpreted ‘international applicants’ as
those applicants with an overseas fee status. More information about fee status is
published on our website at
www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/fees-
finance/tuition/status.
Tables 1 to 4 provide this information for the years each programme was offered by the
University, in the last four complete admissions cycles, 2014/15 to 2017/18. The current
admissions cycle for entry in 2018/19 is not complete, so the University does not yet hold
UNIVERSITY SECRETARY Ms Sarah Smith
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336
this information. Data Science (MSc) has been offered since 2015/16, and Statistics with
Data Science (MSc) since 2016/17. The University does not offer Computing and
Informatics (MSc). You may be interested in the University’s
Degree Regulations and
Programmes of Study (DRPS) which lists all of the programmes the University offers, and
is published on the University website a
t www.drps.ed.ac.uk.
Table 1: Artificial Intelligence (MSc) admissions statistics, 2014/15 to 2017/18
All applicants
Overseas applicants
Year
Applicants
Offers
Acceptances Applicants Offers Acceptances
2014/15
301
171
129
204
132
103
2015/16
359
232
186
281
178
144
2016/17
524
300
246
395
228
186
2017/18
831
366
298
611
264
218
Table 2: Data Science (MSc) admissions statistics, 2014/15 to 2017/18
All applicants
Overseas applicants
Year
Applicants
Offers
Acceptances Applicants Offers Acceptances
2015/16
9
4
3
4
2
1
2016/17
344
177
125
262
130
93
2017/18
507
150
111
414
117
87
Table 3: High Performance Computing with Data Science (MSc) admissions statistics,
2014/15 to 2017/18
All applicants
Overseas applicants
Year
Applicants
Offers
Acceptances Applicants Offers Acceptances
2014/15
12
5
2
8
1
1
2015/16
106
59
41
82
41
29
2016/17
75
42
33
63
31
24
2017/18
84
41
28
70
33
24
Table 4: Statistics with Data Science (MSc) admissions statistics, 2016/17 to 2017/18
All applicants
Overseas applicants
Year
Applicants
Offers
Acceptances Applicants Offers Acceptances
2016/17
81
30
21
57
16
14
2017/18
327
144
91
277
117
78
Existing qualifications (questions 7 and 8)
You asked for the subject areas of successful applicants’ existing qualifications. To
respond to your request, we would have to manually interrogate each of the 2,688
applications which received an offer, note the subject of each applicant’s previous
qualification, and create a list for you. Doing this would cost more than £600, the limit
over which the University is not required to respond to freedom of information requests.
You also requested the average academic performance of successful applicants’ existing
qualifications. Our applicants come from a diversity of academic backgrounds, and may
have gained entry on the basis of a qualification that does not correspond to a UK degree
2
classification. In addition, the classifications of international qualifications vary according
to the country of study. To answer your request we would have to determine the
equivalency of these different qualifications or modes of entry. This would be a very
difficult and time-consuming process, requiring a great deal of analysis, skill and
judgement. Doing this would be the creation of information not otherwise held by the
University. The University is not required to create information to respond to freedom of
information requests so we do not hold the information to answer this part of your
request. However we can confirm that a UK 2.1 honours degree, or international
equivalent, is the standard level required to receive an offer for these four programmes.
Right to review
If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may ask the University to conduct a review
of this decision by contacting the University's Records Management Section
(www.ed.ac.uk/records-management/about/contact) in writing (e.g. by letter or email) or
in some other recorded form (e.g. audio or video tape). You should describe the original
request, explain your grounds for dissatisfaction, and include an address for
correspondence. You have 40 working days from receipt of this letter to submit a review
request. When the review process has been completed, if you are still dissatisfied, you
may appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner using the guidance at
www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal. If you do not have access to the Internet, please
let me know and I will provide a copy of the relevant web pages.
Privacy notice
The University of Edinburgh's privacy notice, which describes how we use the information
you have supplied about yourself and your request, is available on-line at
www.ed.ac.uk/records-management/freedom-information/make-a-request/privacy-notice.
Yours sincerely
Iain Phillips
Information Compliance Officer
If you require this letter in an alternative format, such as large print or
a coloured background, please contact the Records Management
Section on 0131 651 4099 or email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xx.xx
3
Document Outline