Health Data Science (Taught)

Gain the skills needed to harness complex data and make fact-based recommendations on public and global health challenges. Develop hands-on experience in statistical modelling, programming and epidemiology, and learn how to apply this to real-world applications.

Work with leading academics in the field and prepare to make your mark in a profession that relies on data-driven solutions to improve health outcomes.

Why Lancaster?

• Learn from international experts and their latest research in epidemiology, data modelling and public health

• Make an impact through a placement with a public health organisation and gain experience in applying your skills to real-world problems

• Develop interdisciplinary skills in statistics, computing and epidemiology

• Have the opportunity to attend our Zanzibar summer school, which is run by World Health Organisation collaborating centres and focusses on infectious diseases

Is this programme right for me?
Every aspect of healthcare relies on the advanced technical skills of data scientists, trained to combine deep statistical thinking with expertise in health and computer science. The field of health data science offers a variety of specialist roles across a wide range of organisations – from the public to private sectors, in the UK and overseas.

Lancaster’s MSc Health Data Science provides high-quality training in health informatics and global health. It is an ideal qualification if you want to work as a data scientist in healthcare. It also provides broad interdisciplinary skills with a focus on health research, combining knowledge from diverse fields such as data science, epidemiology and public health.

Typically, programme participants have a background in a quantitative discipline such as statistics, epidemiology, computer science, economics, biomedical sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, engineering, or any other discipline where quantitative methods are used. We also welcome intercalating medical students from Lancaster University and other medical schools.

What will I study?
Our MSc in Health Data Science focuses on developing key analytical and computational techniques used to generate insights from complex health data.

The programme begins with three core modules:

• Statistical Modelling for Health Research

• Programming for Health Data Science

• Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology

These modules establish a robust foundation in the three pivotal areas of health data science: epidemiology, statistics, and computer science.

This is followed by three additional modules where you will learn to apply this foundational knowledge to tackle real-world health problems:

• Handling Routinely Collected Health Data

• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

• Evaluation of Healthcare and Health Policy

These modules will teach how to harness the power of health data, how to model outbreaks of infectious diseases, and how to quantify health impacts at a population scale. You will be encouraged to work across various disciplines.

This approach enhances problem-solving skills and prepares you to address complex healthcare challenges through collaborative efforts.

Practical experience
The programme emphasises real-world applications and offers you the opportunity to engage with a national or international public health organisation during a 12-week project placement.

You’ll work as part of a multidisciplinary team with one of our high-profile partners. In the past, these have included the NHS, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Clinton Health Access Initiative and Yale University. Additionally, you’ll have access to training events and will be invited to the seminar programme run by the Centre for Health Informatics Computing and Statistics (CHICAS), giving you the opportunity to join an international network of researchers in Health Data Science.