Master of Science in Health Data Science

All students in the School of Public Health are required to demonstrate competency in biostatistics and epidemiology. The epidemiology requirement may be satisfied in any one of the following ways:

1. Completing Epidemiology 600 (Fall & Winter) or Epidemiology 601 (Fall) 
2. Taking and passing the Epidemiology exemption examination.
3. Completing Epidemiology 516 and any necessary prerequisites to that course. (Option available to MS students but not to MPH students.)
4. EPID 621 as an option for students funded by the Training Program in Cancer Research

Rackham no longer requires a cognate for MS students. However, students enrolled in the MS program and planning to apply to the Ph.D. program should be aware that the Rackham 3 credit cognate requirement is still enforced for Ph.D. students. This requirement can be met by the Epidemiology requirement.

• BIOS 617: Theory and Methods of Sample Design (3 credits)
• BIOS 619: Clinical Trials (3 credits)
• BIOS 653: Longitudinal Data Analysis (3 credits) [Students who intend to pursue a Biostatistics Ph.D. program should take Biostat 653 (offered in the 2nd Fall semester) as the Elective Biostatistics Course.]
• BIOS 675: Survival Time Analysis (3 credits)
• BIOS 695: Analysis of Categorical Data (3 credits) Elective

• BIOS 607: Computing for Data Analytics (3 credits). BIOS 607 consists of three 1-credit modules: R, Python and C++. BIOS 607 is designed to prepare students with limited computing skills. In this way the MS in Health Data Science is flexible and inclusive as a professional workforce training program in health data analytics. Students can either take all 3 modules or waive some module(s) 6 with a previous course or by passing an exemption exam. In case some module(s) are waived, this requirement is considered satisfied, but the student still needs to take other open elective courses to fulfill the total 48-credit degree requirement.
• BIOS 615: Statistical Computing (3 credits)

MS students will fill out the remaining of their required  credit hours  courses to be selected from an approved list of over 100 courses. All current Biostatistics students are granted access to the approved list, which is maintained on a Google Drive document. The list includes additional electives in Biostatistics (600+ level) and Statistics (500+ level), Math 451, applied courses in public health or related topics, and courses in computational methods.

All MS students must complete an online course, Foundations of Public Health, which is offered as a non-credit requirement. Students must pass the course exam with a cumulative score of 80% or better to fulfill this degree requirement.  Incoming students will be notified about the availability of the module, instructions and deadline.

The first cohort of students enrolled in the MS in Health Data Science will begin in the Fall 2023 semester and take approximately two years (4 semester or 20 months specifically) to complete. Scheduling of courses will be done with Biostatistics Student Services Coordinator,
To complete the MS program within the proposed two years, students must be enrolled in classes full time.

Tables I and II below present two examples of course selections for a student with modest computing skills (e.g., having little knowledge of R programming or any other programming language) and for a student with strong computing skills (e.g., having extensive knowledge and experience in R, C++ and Python programming), respectively. Students who intend to pursue a Biostatistics Ph.D. program should take Biostat 653 (offered in the second Fall semester) as the Elective Biostatistics Course.

Table I: A possible sequence of course selections by an incoming MS student with modest computing skills, who begins with the three modules of BIOS 607

Semester	1st Fall	1st Winter	2nd Fall	2nd Winter
Courses	BIOS 601 (4)	BIOS 602 (4)	BIOS 615 (3)	BIOS 629 (3)
	BIOS 650 (4)	BIOS 651 (3)	BIOS 625 (3)	BIOS 626 (3)
	BIOS 607 (3)	BIOS 620 (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)
	EPID/Open Elective (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)
Credit Hours	14	13	12	9
Cumulative Credit Hours	14	27	39	48

Table II: A possible sequence of course selections by an incoming MS student with strong computing skills, who does not take BIOSTAT 607 but begins with BIOSTAT 625.

Semester	1st Fall	1st Winter	2nd Fall	2nd Winter
Courses	BIOS 601 (4)	BIOS 602 (4)	BIOS 615 (3)	BIOS 626 (3)
	BIOS 650 (4)	BIOS 651 (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)	BIOS 629 (3)
	BIOS 625 (3)	BIOS 620 (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)
	EPID/Open Elective (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)	Elective/Open Elective (3)
Cumulative Credit Hours	14	27	39	48

All students admitted to one of our residential programs are considered for financial support. There are four types of financial support that we offer our students: Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA), Training Grants and Fellowships.

Graduate Student Instructor (GSI)

Graduate Student Instructors are appointed at 50% effort, which involves working approximately twenty hours per week. This appointment includes full payment of tuition, health insurance coverage, registration fees and a monthly stipend. GSI’s are appointed to help with the instruction of Biostatistics courses offered to students from other Public Health Departments. The duties of a GSI can include preparing materials for and teaching labs, holding office hours, grading homework and exams, and tutoring.

Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA)

GSRA’s are appointed at 50% effort, which involves working approximately twenty hours per week on a research project. This appointment includes full payment of tuition, health insurance coverage, registration fees and a monthly stipend. GSRA’s generally work closely with a faculty member who is a principal or co-investigator on the research project. The duties of the GSRA can involve analysis of biomedical research data or statistical research. Currently, GSRAs are working on projects involving statistical methods development and application to bioinformatics, cancer, clinical trials, dentistry, diabetes, environmental health, epidemiology, genetics, health education, kidney disease, and survival analysis.

Training Grants

Students are also supported through involvement in training grants which provide support similar to the GSRA or GSI appointments. Currently, the Department has two training grants. Information can be obtained by clicking on the links below.

• Genomic Science Training Program
• Training Program in Cancer Research (PDF)

Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards

Awards for tuition assistance are available and are granted without a work obligation. These awards are generally made on the basis of academic merit, expected contribution to the field, and underrepresented backgrounds. Some examples of awards our students have received include:

• the Shapiro Award
• the Rackham Merit Fellowship for Historically Underrepresented Groups
• the Rackham Non-Traditional Fellowship
• the Rackham Regents Fellowship
• the School of Public Health Tuition Assistance Award.

Other award/scholarship opportunities exist for continuing students. They include:

• the Rackham One-Term Dissertation Grant
• the Barbour Scholarship
• the Pre-doctoral Fellowship
• the Susan Lipshutz Award
• the Rackham Travel Award.

The Rackham Sources of Aid page lists various sources of information on financial assistance available to students on campus.

Prospective students interested in applying for specific awards should contact Student Services at 734-615-9817 or [email protected].

Financial Aid

Many of our students are offered funding as GSIs, GSRAs or fellows. If a student does not receive such an offer, he or she may apply for financial aid through the University of Michigan’s Office of Financial Aid. This office requires applicants for any and all types of financial aid to complete the Free Application for Federal Student AID (FAFSA) provided by the American College Testing Center (ACTC). A FAFSA will be sent to you directly if you indicate your interest in financial assistance on the admission application form. FAFSAs are available from most high school or college libraries and financial aid officers, as well as from the School of Public Health Office of Student Affairs. FAFSA is also available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.