MS in Healthcare Data Science and AI (ONLINE)

Our innovative, online MS program in Healthcare Data Science and AI is offered collaboratively by Georgen Institute for Data Science and the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Health Lab and provides working professionals with the opportunity to upskill and/or change career paths with formal training.

The curriculum is designed for professionals from various backgrounds, including those already working in both in technical or clinical the healthcare roles, and prepares program graduates for roles in data analytics, data science, and AI applied to the healthcare industry.

Program Objectives

Students will learn:

  • Various data science, AI, and machine learning methods and techniques applicable to deriving new insights from healthcare data
  • Practical aspects of accessing (including understanding its provenance) and analyzing healthcare data
  • How to develop data science solutions with real-world clinical/healthcare data sets in a fair, reproducible, and ethical manner

Coursework

The program consists of eight online courses offered during fall and spring semesters.

Courses will be delivered online via zoom lectures. Students will also receive access to the University’s computing infrastructure, which has common software packages for data science installed on the system.

Program courses include:

  • Python Programming and Tools for Data Science (fall)
  • Statistical Foundations and Data Visualization (fall)
  • Applied Machine Learning and Healthcare Data Mining (spring)
  • Inferential Statistics for Data Science (spring)
  • Healthcare Data Management and Clinical Informatics (fall)
  • Introduction to Privacy Fairness and Ethical Considerations for Healthcare Data Science (fall)
  • Deep Learning for Healthcare (spring)
  • Healthcare Data Science Practicum (spring)
A student using a computer to analyze data.

Getting Real-World Experience

Practicum Project

A culminating practicum project course provides students with experiential learning opportunities to take the skills they acquired in the first seven courses and apply them to a real-world healthcare problem and clinical dataset under the supervision of industry, academic, and/or research lab mentors who will collaborate with the program.

Program Duration

The Healthcare Data Science and AI MS program is 32 credits, or the equivalent of eight graduate level courses. The time is takes to complete this program can be adjusted for the needs to the student:

  • Full-time student can complete the program in two semesters (one year) by taking four courses each semester
  • Part-time students can complete the program in:
    • Four semesters (two years) by taking two courses each semester
    • Eight semesters (four years) by taking one course each semester

Courses are currently offered in the fall and spring semesters (live synchronous and also recorded) in the late afternoons or early evenings to accommodate typical working hours for professionals.

Sample Schedules

We’ve outlined two possible sample schedules students might take to complete program requirements.

Full-Time Course Sample Schedule

Fall semester:

  • Python Programming and Tools for Data Science
  • Statistical Foundations and Data Visualization
  • Healthcare Data Management and Clinical Informatics
  • Introduction to Privacy Fairness and Ethical Considerations for Healthcare Data Science

Spring semester:

  • Applied Machine Learning and Healthcare Data Mining (spring)
  • Inferential Statistics for Data Science (spring)
  • Deep Learning for Healthcare (spring)
  • Healthcare Data Science Practicum (spring)
Part-Time Course Sample Schedule

Fall semester—year one:

  • Python Programming and Tools for Data Science
  • Statistical Foundations and Data Visualization

Spring semester—year one:

  • Applied Machine Learning and Healthcare Data Mining (spring)
  • Inferential Statistics for Data Science (spring)

Fall semester—year two:

  • Healthcare Data Management and Clinical Informatics
  • Introduction to Privacy Fairness and Ethical Considerations for Healthcare Data Science

Spring semester—year two:

  • Deep Learning for Healthcare (spring)
  • Healthcare Data Science Practicum (spring)

Applying

Applications for fall 2025 are now OPEN. We do not have spring admissions. Applications for fall 2026 will be open in September 2025.

Application Fee

There is no application fee for the online Healthcare Data Science and AI MS program.

Application Review

Applications for the online program will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and decisions will be communicated within 30 days. Applications will not be considered after July 15.

Application Submission

Applications must be submitted online and should be initiated several weeks ahead of deadlines to ensure that all materials, including test scores and letters of recommendation, are received on time.

Eligibility

Student enrolling in this program should have an undergraduate degree. Exposure to introductory computer programming and undergraduate level calculus through credit bearing coursework or online certification is a prerequisite. If a student does not meet this pre-requisite, bridging courses in introductory programming or math for data science may be recommended.

While students from across the US and the world are eligible for this degree, the program does not provide F-1 visa or STEM-OPT sponsorship.