Postgraduate conversion courses in data science and artificial intelligence

In October 2019 we launched a funding competition inviting providers to bid for £13.5 million in funding as part of the AI and data science postgraduate conversion course programme. The funding aimed to:

• accelerate the number of highly skilled workers entering the UK AI and data science workforce by 2,500 by autumn 2023
• increase the diversity of the AI and data science workforce by funding 1,000 scholarships
• increase the knowledge base about conversion courses, flexible provision and outreach for mature students.

Between April 2020 and March 2023, the programme funded 28 higher education providers (including 11 as part of a consortium led by Coventry University) to develop new university AI masters’ conversion courses to quickly upskill graduates. The scope of the programme was extended in 2021 to include the National Data Skills pilot.

37 postgraduate conversion courses in AI and data science were developed and delivered, of which over 30 were entirely new.

The programme exceeded its target to deliver 2,500 graduates into the UK AI and data science workforce by autumn 2023. 7,600 students were enrolled up to September 2023 and it's expected that the programme will produce at least 6,000 new graduates in total.

To address the lack of diversity in the AI and data science workforce, funding for up to 1,000 scholarships was made available, each worth £10,000. The scholarships were targeted at graduates from backgrounds often underrepresented in these industries, particularly female, disabled and black students.  

The provision of scholarships has helped to drive increased diversity. By September 2023 more than 950 scholarships had been awarded to students from groups considered to be underrepresented in higher education.

In February 2022, as a result of the success of the initial funding competition, the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announced its intention to deliver a further 2,000 scholarships, each worth £10,000 each. In addition to the funding provided by DSIT, business and industry partners were encouraged to provide co-investment for scholarships.

We launched a funding competition in October 2022 and invited providers to bid for up to £17 million as part of a new AI and data science postgraduate conversion course scholarship programme. The funding aimed to:

• increase the diversity of people entering the UK AI and data science workforce
• increase industry support to diversify the UK AI and data science workforce
• increase the supply of digitally skilled workers by converting graduates who did not study a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate degree.

Between April 2023 and March 2025 £16.4 million was awarded to 31 providers (including seven as part of a consortium led by Coventry University) to deliver 1,636 scholarships worth £10,000 each. The scholarships aimed to continue to encourage more women, black students and disabled students to study AI and data science at universities. The eligibility criteria was also expanded to target students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Between May 2022 and May 2024 Group GTI was commissioned to act as the programme's employer engagement partner to help employers partner with universities to co-fund scholarships for students.

Funding that has been awarded as part of this competition will continue to be delivered up to the end of the 2024-25 academic year.