Department of Natural Sciences | Master of Data Science in Health

Master of Data Science in Health (MDS) at Durham University

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Gain the quantitative skills you need to effectively analyse data in the fast-moving field of health. Drawing on rich and varied sources of data, our graduates have the potential to make a big difference.

From security cameras and satellites to our mobile devices, homes and in the workplace, we are surrounded by data. At the same time, developments in technology have made the field of data science more accessible than ever, creating new opportunities to gain insight into the interactions between people and their environment – nowhere is this more true that in the health sector where the effective use of data is playing a vital role in tailored care for individuals and in improving health outcomes for the public as a whole.

Drawing on this, we have created the Master of Data Science in Health, a conversion course that opens up a future in data science even if your first degree is in a non-quantitative subject. You will learn from practicing researchers who are making a difference across a range of industries. Shared core modules across the suite of MDS courses will equip you with wider statistical and machine learning skills, while subject-specific modules focus on the complex data used in the health system. It is equally suitable whether you are planning to use quantitative analysis in a research capacity, or if you are a health or social care graduate who wants to develop transferable data and modelling analysis skills for the workplace.

The course begins with a range of introductory modules before progressing to more advanced contemporary techniques such as Statistical Analysis (in R) and Computer Science (in Python). You will also take modules that explore the use of data for clinical and public health decisions, relevant modelling techniques such as Survival & Epidemiological Methods and address questions such as Governance and Privacy.

The course culminates in the research project, an in-depth investigation into an area of interest in which you apply the skills you’ve learned during the course to a specific topic or issue in health or social care. The Durham Research Methods Centre can help with the allocation of project topics through partnerships with local NHS Trusts and the wider health sector.

The skills and knowledge that constitute a Masters qualification in Data Science are widely sought by employers around the globe. In today’s data-driven society, the ability to capture, analyse and communicate information and trends from the data generated by business, governments and their agencies, communities and organisations is highly prized.

It follows that Data Science is a rapidly expanding career sector with opportunities for stimulating and rewarding work in many sectors including the areas of science, humanities, health, environmental and social where understanding and expertise in data is leading to transformations in the way people live and work.

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