3-Term Pathway - Pre-Master's in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - Continue to Master of Science - Health Data Science

This program will prepare students for entry to a postgraduate degree in a STEM-related subject at Lancaster university, where £17 million is currently being invested in state-of-the-art engineering facilities.

Deep statistical thinking combined with expertise in health and computer science is becoming increasingly fundamental in tackling public health problems across the world. The MSc in Health Data Science will equip srudents with advanced technical skills which will allow them to develop a career as a data-scientist in the health and care sector.

The MSc in Health Data Science, consists of an initial set of 4 core modules: “Statistical methods and models for health research”, “Programming for Health Data Science”, “Fundamentals for Health Data Science” and “Introduction to applied epidemiology”. These will allow students to develop and consolidate foundational skills in the three main areas of Health Data Science: epidemiology, statistics and computer science.

On completion of these modules, you will then progress onto one of two pathways: “Global health” or “Health informatics”.

Global Health

The “Global Health” pathway further develops students skills in statistical science with a focus on spatio-temporal methods of analysis of infectious diseases and how these are used to inform health policy decisions.

Health Informatics

The modules of the “Health Informatics'' pathway will focus on developing students knowledge and statistical skills in the analysis of routinely collected health data and in the economic evaluation of health care.

These two pathways will open new career opportunities as a data-scientist of a multidisciplinary team within international and national public health organisations and health care providers.

In addition to these taught modules, students will also undertake a 12-week project as part of a placement with one of Lancaster's partners, which include the World Health Organization and the National Health Service. This will provide students with a fantastic opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to real-world situations and challenges, allowing them to gain valuable professional experience as a part of a multidisciplinary team.

The placement project represents a substantial, independent research project. Supervised by an academic specialist, students will develop their ability to formulate a project plan, gather and analyse data, interpret their results, and present findings in a professional environment. This research will be an opportunity to bring together everything students have learnt over the year, expand their problem-solving abilities and manage a significant project. This will be a great experience for them to draw upon in an interview and in their career.