The workload is heavy as you would expect for an MSc programme. Students have reported spending on average 12 hours per week on independent study in addition to 6 hours of lecture time. However, estimates varied quite a lot from student to student, depending on previous relevant experience they had.
There are two modules per semester. Typically, assessment for each module includes 2 or 3 literature reviews and a practical assessment to analyse a dataset(s). So in essence you are submitting work every two or three weeks. Semester 1 tends to be the hardest term as the theory can be challenging to begin with, and students are getting used to managing their time & workload. Semester 2 has a more practical focus as one of the modules is a project module, and by semester 3 students tend to be quicker at writing papers, and are more comfortable with data science topics having covered a lot of the ground work already.