Health Data Science MSc
About This Programme
The MSc Health Data Science at the University of Birmingham Dubai prepares data-driven innovators for one of the fastest-growing areas of healthcare, taught by the same faculty in the UK and the UAE. It covers electronic health records, machine learning and medical AI, genomics, ethics and health informatics, and needs no prior computing background: the necessary skills are taught from scratch. It runs for 12 months full-time or on a part-time basis. Students work hands-on with real health datasets to build practical solutions that connect technology and patient care, with training in clinical bioinformatics, epidemiology, clinical systems, integrated multimodal data analysis and omics analytics, and learn how healthcare systems operate and are governed. After the taught modules, students can join a leading research group in the UK or the UAE for their thesis.
Course Highlights
- No prior computing experience needed: the computational techniques for analysing health data are taught from scratch.
- Hands-on work with real health datasets, including electronic health records and genomics, to drive research, clinical care and innovation.
- In-depth study of healthcare systems, including how they operate, their ethics and their governance.
- The option to complete the thesis with a leading research group in the UK or the UAE, taught by the same faculty on both campuses.
- Birmingham is ranked 62nd in the world for Life Sciences and Medicine in the QS World Rankings 2026, and is one of the UK universities most targeted by leading graduate employers (top 2 in High Fliers' Graduate Market 2026 report), as stated on the course page.
What You'll Study
The programme runs at the Dubai and Edgbaston campuses, taught by the University's academics and researchers, who encourage independent, self-motivated learning from the outset. It has six taught modules, which build the expertise and computational tools to use health data in clinical and biomedical research, and an individual project, which must include computational work in health data and whose topic students choose with a supervisor. Assessment includes real-world problem-solving exercises, essays and oral presentations. Classes are designed for working professionals as well as full-time students, typically on two weekday evenings from 18:00 to 21:00 and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00. Each module is block-taught over two weeks; part-time students join the same classes but take fewer modules each year. The Programme Lead is Dr Marc Haber, Associate Professor of Human Genetics and Director of the Health Data Science Programme in the Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, and the Deputy Programme Lead is Dr Animesh Acharjee, Associate Professor in the same department.
Course modules
2026/27 session. 120 credits of taught modules and a 60-credit research project, all compulsory. Semester 1: Foundations of Computing Practices in Health Data Science, Essentials of Mathematics, Statistics and Programming, and Data Analytics and Statistical Machine Learning. Semester 2: Epidemiology and Health Informatics, Health Data Fundamentals and Integrative Multimodal Data Analytics, followed by the research project. Content may change.
- Foundations of Computing Practices in Health Data Science20 credits
- Essentials of Mathematics, Statistics and Programming20 credits
- Data Analytics & Statistical Machine Learning20 credits
- Epidemiology and Health Informatics20 credits
- Health Data Fundamentals20 credits
- Integrative Multimodal Data Analytics20 credits
- Interdisciplinary Health Data Research Project60 credits
Entry Requirements
Applicants must meet both the University's general entry requirements and the course's own criteria. Each application is reviewed by the course's Admissions Tutor, who decides whether to make an offer.
Careers
Demand for health data scientists is growing fast, and the course prepares graduates for careers in industry or academia where artificial intelligence, clinical science and biomedicine meet. The Careers Network Dubai offers information, advice and guidance to identify options, build skills and reach opportunities.
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and listed as Active on the Commission for Academic Accreditation register as the Master of Science in Health Data Science; the register also lists a Postgraduate Diploma and a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Data Science as Active.
Programme Details
Award
Master of Science (MSc)
Start Date
September 2026 (applications closed; September 2027 details to follow)
Typical Offer
2:1 Honours degree in biology, mathematics, computer science or another relevant subject
Duration
1 year full-time; 2 years part-time (an 18-month part-time route applied to the January 2026 intake)
Qualification
Masters
Subject Area
Health Sciences
Campus
Dubai
Study Pattern
Full time, Part time
Delivery Format
In person
Tuition Fee
AED 155,483/yr
September 2026 fees: MSc AED 155,483 full-time or AED 77,742 a year part-time; PG Diploma AED 103,655 full-time or AED 51,828 a year part-time; PG Certificate AED 51,828. Fees cover tuition, examinations and graduation, are charged for each year of study, can be paid in full or in three instalments a year, and do not include visa or living costs. Applications for September 2026 entry to this programme are closed, and details for September 2027 entry will be published later. Applications are made online through the University of Birmingham Dubai Admissions portal, with no application fee; postgraduate applicants upload transcripts for study completed so far, their degree certificate if available, and a CV. Decisions are usually made within 10 working days of all documents arriving. A non-returnable AED 5,000 deposit, deducted from tuition, is paid on accepting an offer. Scholarships of up to 30% are assessed from the application itself, with no separate form, and full-time students can apply for a student visa sponsored by the University.