Master's Degree in Health Data Science: Implementation and Assessment After Five Years

Area of Science:

• Interdisciplinary field combining computer science, statistics, and health domain knowledge.

Background:

• Growing demand for data scientists in healthcare and research.
• Need for specialized training to handle complex health data.

Purpose of the Study:

• Establish a Master's degree program in Health Data Science.
• Address the need for skilled data scientists in health-related industries.
• Incorporate feedback to continuously improve the curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Two-year curriculum with courses in computer science, mathematics, statistics, health, and biology.
• Extensive coursework (835 hours) and mandatory internships (5 months/year).
• Incorporation of student and alumni feedback for program adaptation.

Main Results:

• Successfully enrolled 53 students in the Health Data Science Master's program.
• Identified key areas for curriculum enhancement based on user feedback.
• Planned addition of modules in data management (ETL, data warehousing) and programming (Git, ALM).

Conclusions:

• The Master's in Health Data Science program effectively trains professionals in a critical emerging field.
• Continuous curriculum improvement based on feedback ensures program relevance and addresses evolving industry needs.
• Future enhancements will strengthen data management and software development skills for graduates.