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Health Data Science MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Discover how cutting-edge techniques are revolutionising medical research with UCL's Health Data Science MSc. This dynamic programme immerses you in advanced computational methods in artificial intelligence and machine learning tailored for analysing large, complex biomedical data. You'll gain the skills and expertise to drive innovations that enhance healthcare and medicine.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£16,000
£8,000
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
£18,250
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 academic year
2 academic years
5 academic years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree, or equivalent, in a clinical or a scientific discipline with a significant computational or mathematical element. Students are expected to understand the basic concepts of statistics, such as sampling and variation and to be familiar with simple statistical tests, such as those used in the medical literature for hypothesis testing. A self-paced online programme is available for students who want to revise this material at the start of the academic year.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


Health Data Science is a rapidly expanding field with a vibrant job market, offering abundant opportunities for skilled health data scientists in both large organisations and innovative health start-ups. This programme provides a deep dive into cutting-edge techniques that leverage the ever-growing biomedical data encompassing the health of diverse populations.

You'll master the skills to link, characterise and analyse complex datasets, such as electronic health records, and design and conduct sophisticated health research studies. The programme integrates UCL’s world-class expertise across health informatics, health data science, clinical epidemiology, computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and biomedical statistics.

Guided by our renowned academics, you’ll gain invaluable insights into groundbreaking research at the forefront of this field. With UCL's strong connections to hospitals, health data science firms, MedTech companies, pharmaceutical companies, and health small and medium enterprises (SMEs), you'll have ample opportunities to gain practical, industry-relevant experience, setting you up for a successful career.

Who this course is for

The programme provides a good grounding in biomedical statistics and scientific programming for data management and analysis, and no prior knowledge is assumed. Applicants should ensure that evidence of their readiness for this kind of training is clearly presented either through their educational history or in their personal statement. 

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

  • Study at a university ranked 9th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2025), 6th in the world for public health (ShanghaiRankings 2023) and rated number one for research power and impact in medicine, health and life sciences (REF 2021).
  • Learn from UCL’s renowned researchers in health data science and biomedical informatics, including health informaticians, clinicians, statisticians and computer scientists.
  • Access to a highly interactive and engaging learning community of like-minded peers, researchers and academics, with regular networking opportunities for academic and professional development.
  • The programme content is aligned with the Health Data Research UK (HDR UK), the UK's national institute for health and biomedical informatics research – which means everything you study is underpinned by the latest health data science developments.
  • Flexibility to conduct a dissertation project in a field of your interest.
  • Opportunities to work with our partners. For example, by taking part in scientific seminars or an internship, or by doing an industry-sponsored dissertation.
  • A strong emphasis on applying knowledge and developing in-demand skills for your career.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

This programme has been designed to meet the growing need for health data scientists who can create, manage and analyse large datasets, as identified by health research funders and industry.

A rapidly growing field, employers recruiting in health data science include government agencies, technology companies, consulting and research firms, and scientific organisations.

Our graduates have gone onto work for large multi-national companies, national health services, SMEs or pursuing their interests in universities, working towards PhDs.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 cohorts.

Employability

Some of the most stimulating and productive research today makes use of big datasets for healthcare acquired in large-scale collaborative, or public or private, initiatives. You’ll develop sought-after skills in this exciting area of research – skills you can then take with you into academia, industry or healthcare, depending on the direction you want to take.

Networking

A number of employers support the programme in different ways, including providing paid internships to select students.

Teaching and learning

We use a combination of traditional lectures, practical classes, and seminars.

Meet the academics currently leading this programme on the UCL IHI website.

Assessment is conducted through classical written exams, online exams, coursework, and in-class quizzes.

Each 15-credit module equates to around 150 learning hours. This is spread out over the whole period of the module which typically runs over 10 weeks. This includes the time you spend in taught sessions, independent study, group work and assessment.

Typically, a module has three contact hours per week with 30 taught hours in total. Independent study normally requires 200-300 hours per module.

Blended modules have ten weeks of online study and three intensive days of face-to-face teaching.

Overall, we expect full-time students to study a full 40-hour week, with time outside classes spent in self-directed study. Part-time and flexible students study at a pro-rata rate.

Modules

You will take five compulsory taught modules, three optional modules and complete a compulsory dissertation. The majority of compulsory modules are in the First Term followed by optional modules in the Second and Third Term.

Taught modules are mostly delivered face-to-face.

You will take five compulsory taught modules, three optional modules and complete a compulsory dissertation over two years.

Taught modules are mostly delivered face-to-face, although some blended learning modules are available as options.

You take five compulsory taught modules, three optional modules and complete a compulsory dissertation over two to five years.

Taught modules are mostly delivered face-to-face, although some blended learning modules are available as options.

Compulsory modules







Optional modules








Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Health Data Science.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

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Balcony and Winter Garden UCL, Great Ormond Street, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford St, WC1N 1EH, London, UK - Open day

Life and Medical Sciences Postgraduate Open Evening

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Discover UCL’s Master's degrees in health, medicine, brain sciences and life sciences at our upcoming Open Evening! Join us to learn more about our Master’s degrees, meet our academic teaching staff, and see where postgraduate study may take you.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £16,000 £8,000
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500 £18,250

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no additional costs for this programme.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Health Data Science at graduate level.
  • Why you want to study Health Data Science at UCL.
  • What particularly attracts you to this programme.
  • How your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging programme.
  • Where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute of Health Informatics
Institute of Health Informatics

ihi.education@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.