What is Dartmouth's Online MS in Health Data Science?

Dartmouth's online Master of Science in Health Data Science is a 21 month, fully online graduate degree that trains working professionals to analyze complex health data and lead data-driven decision-making in healthcare, biomedical research, and public health. The degree is awarded by Dartmouth College through the Geisel School of Medicine.

Health data science is the science of data related to health systems, processes, and outcomes. Dartmouth's online MS combines theory with hands-on application across programming, data visualization, biostatistics, epidemiology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Students work with structured and unstructured data, intensively collected data, big data, imaging data, and omics data, the data types health data scientists actually encounter in practice.

Every course in Dartmouth's online MS in Health Data Science is developed and taught by Dartmouth faculty who are active researchers in the field.

Program at a Glance

• Degree: Master of Science (MS) in Health Data Science
• Institution: Dartmouth College, Geisel School of Medicine
• Format: 100% online, with weekly live lectures
• Length: 21 months
• Courses: 15 courses, taken one at a time, sequentially
• Class size: Approximately 25 students per cohort
• Capstone: Required final-term project using real-world health data
• Designed for: Working professionals

How Does the Online Program Work?

Dartmouth's online MS in Health Data Science is built around a predictable schedule so working professionals can plan around it. Students take 15 courses one at a time over 21 months, rather than juggling multiple courses at once.

Each course includes weekly live lectures with faculty, plus coursework students complete on their own schedule. Live class times and assignment deadlines are set consistently and announced in advance.

Cohorts are small, approximately 25 students, so students work in the same small groups throughout the program and build lasting professional relationships with peers and faculty.

The program's structure was designed with input from pedagogy experts specifically for effective online learning, not adapted from an in-person course.

Who Teaches Dartmouth's Online MS in Health Data Science? 

All course content is developed and delivered by Dartmouth faculty who are active researchers and practitioners in health data science, including Jennifer A. Emond, PhD, MS, Assistant Dean for Health Sciences MS Programs, and Monica Espinoza, PhD, Curriculum Director for Health Sciences MS Programs. Meet the faculty behind Dartmouth's online MS in Health Data Science →

Because faculty teach in the program while conducting active research, students learn current methods and see how those methods are applied to real biomedical and health systems problems.

What Will You Learn? 

Graduates of Dartmouth's online MS in Health Data Science are able to:

• Write code to wrangle, analyze, and visualize large and complex health datasets
• Apply biostatistical and epidemiological methods to health research questions 
• Build and evaluate machine learning models, including classification models
• Apply artificial intelligence methods to biomedical, healthcare, and behavioral health data
• Work with structured and unstructured data, imaging data, omics data, and intensively collected data
• Communicate findings to clinical, research, and executive audiences
• Recognize the ethical and practical implications of data-driven decisions in health settings

What Careers Does the Degree Prepare You For?

Graduates of Dartmouth's online MS in Health Data Science work as health data scientists, biostatisticians, clinical data analysts, and machine learning engineers across sectors including biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, healthcare delivery systems, behavioral health organizations, academic medical centers, government agencies, and non-profits.

Because the program is designed for working professionals, many students advance within their current organization while enrolled rather than changing employers after graduating.

What Support and Community Do Online Students Get? 

Online students at Dartmouth are part of the same Health Data Science community as on-campus students. Students are invited to the bi-quarterly Journal Club, which examines new research in AI and machine learning for health data science and is open to both remote and on-campus participants.

Students also connect with Dartmouth faculty, peers, and alumni throughout the program, and join the broader Dartmouth alumni network after graduating.

Online or On-Campus?

Dartmouth offers the MS in Health Data Science in both a 21-month online format for working professionals and an accelerated in-person format on campus in Hanover, New Hampshire. Both formats are taught by the same Dartmouth faculty and lead to the same degree. Compare the online and on-campus formats →