Digital Health (MSc)

The MSc in Digital Health explores the principles and practice of digital health as well as applied skills commonly needed for digital health careers.

Course information

Healthcare is being transformed by digital technologies and big data analytics. On the MSc in Digital Health you will explore the principles and practice of digital health implementation.

Highlights

• Aimed at students intending to follow a career in digital health.
• Interdisciplinary character helps you to develop a more rounded understanding of digital health questions and concepts.
• Applied components provide practical skills in medical data analysis and the use of digital technologies to address healthcare challenges.
• Links with the Sir James Mackenzie Institute for Early Diagnosis bring you into contact with current digital health research across different disciplines.
• Integrated training programme connects your academic learning with the development of personal and professional competencies.

The MSc in Digital Health is distinguished by its interdisciplinary character and an emphasis on applied skills that will be of particular value if you are looking to follow a career in digital health.

Digital technology is transforming healthcare. It is enabling faster diagnosis and better treatment of illnesses, supporting improvements in patient care, and making healthcare settings more efficient. That transformation is creating a need for professionals who understand existing medical technologies and who have the skills and expertise to develop new technologies, analyse medical data, and inform policy on medical data analytics. Students from the MSc in Digital Health will be able to fill those roles.

On the MSc you will learn about the theoretical underpinnings of digital health. You will look at different forms of health data, the technology that generate them, methods used for processing and analysis, and how digital data is integrated in clinical decision making. In particular, you will develop an appreciation of the challenges in handling, storing and analysing big data in healthcare contexts. An understanding of these principles provides a basis for studying the practical applications of digital health and developing your understanding of how digital health concepts can be applied to solve real-world medical problems. You will learn practical skills in medical data analysis and the use of digital technologies to address healthcare challenges. You will develop your understanding of techniques for programmatically processing medical data such as genetic data, medical images, and patient vital signs. You will also learn about digital health governance and the ethical considerations that can arise when designing and executing medical data analysis studies.

Careers

The University of St Andrews’ global reputation makes its graduates highly valued by employers. The MSc in Digital Health is aimed at students intending to follow a career in digital health, and you will develop skills commonly needed for digital health related careers in healthcare settings, pharmaceutical companies, medical technology industries, and government.

In addition to broadening your subject knowledge and applying established techniques of research and enquiry, you will develop and demonstrate essential skills including:

• critical thinking and creativity
• analysis and appraisal
• problem solving and decision making
• personal leadership and project management
• interpersonal communication and team working