Admissions to the Lisbon Data Science Starters Academy are managed through the Admissions Portal.
The 2026/2027 edition has no admission exam and no random candidate selection. SLU01–03 are part of Specialization 1 and are completed after the course starts.
All classes, materials, presentations and communication are in English. You must be able to communicate comfortably in spoken and written English to benefit from the course.
Before applying
Read the prerequisites and assess whether you are ready for the course. You should expect to spend 10–15 hours per week on average, with a minimum of 5 hours even during a busy week. Specialization 1 and the Capstone may require more time.
Batch 10 is remote. Bootcamp attendance is required for certification. Hackathon 1 is required to continue after Specialization 1, and Hackathon 6 is required for certification. You may miss no more than one of Hackathons 2–5 and remain eligible for a certificate. All scheduled events follow Europe/Lisbon time.
By applying, you agree to follow the Code of Conduct and the Refund Policy. Dishonesty during coursework, submissions, hackathons or the Capstone violates the Code of Conduct and may lead to expulsion.
Registration steps
- Create an account in the Admissions Portal.
- Confirm your email address using the link sent by the Portal. Check your spam folder if it does not arrive promptly.
- Sign in and accept the Code of Conduct and Refund Policy.
- State whether you are applying for a scholarship.
There is no attendance-mode preference survey for the 2026/2027 edition. Complete every visible registration step in the Portal by the registration deadline.
Applicants who do not request a scholarship proceed directly to payment. Scholarship applicants must wait for the scholarship interview and decision before receiving payment instructions.
Important dates
| Activity | Date/Deadline |
|---|---|
| Signup and registration completion | 24 Sep–15 Oct 2026 |
| Scholarship interviews | 12–16 Oct 2026 |
| Payment-document submission | 12–17 Oct 2026 |
| Introductory session and academy access | 18 Oct 2026 |
| Setup period | 18–24 Oct 2026 |
| Specialization 1 | 25 Oct–21 Nov 2026 |
Dates and deadlines use Europe/Lisbon time. Signup closes after 15 October, but applicants who signed up on time may complete the remaining registration steps until the end of 15 October. Payment documents are accepted until the end of 17 October.
Enrollment and payment
After completing registration, applicants who did not request a scholarship receive payment instructions. Choose the ticket that applies to you and submit the requested payment documents in the Portal. Enrollment is complete only after staff verifies those documents.
The 2026/2027 fees are:
- Student: €250. You must upload proof of current student status, such as a valid student card issued by an educational institution.
- Regular: €500.
- Company: €1,500.
- Scholarship: €20, after scholarship approval.
An invoice with a company VAT number (NIF in Portugal) is available only with a Company ticket. Student and Regular invoices can contain only a personal VAT number.
Scholarships
Scholarships are intended for applicants who are unemployed or living on a low or no income. Requesting a scholarship during registration places your application in the scholarship review path and cannot be changed afterward.
Scholarship interviews take place from 12 to 16 October 2026. Be prepared to provide evidence of unemployment or low income. If approved, your ticket becomes a Scholarship ticket and you receive instructions to pay the €20 fee. Under the current process, a refused scholarship application does not automatically become a Regular application; the admission ends.
What happens after enrollment
The admissions flow is:
Signup → email confirmation → Code of Conduct and Refund Policy → scholarship choice → payment, or scholarship review followed by payment → staff verification → enrollment
Course access starts on 18 October for enrolled students. SLU01–17 are mandatory Specialization 1 units. Each requires a score of at least 16/20 by the end of 21 November 2026. A student who does not meet that requirement cannot participate in Hackathon 1 or later course activities.
This is the admissions process for Batch 10 of the Lisbon Data Science Starters Academy, covering the 2026/2027 edition.