Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India: The rapid digitisation of data and evolution of technology are creating a growing need for data scientists to analyse complex data to better inform individual choices, clinical practice, industry priorities, public health initiatives, and policy decisions. To address this critical need, Ahmedabad University’s Bagchi School of Public Health has introduced a Master of Science in Health Data Science. The inaugural cohort will commence on July 1, 2027.
The two-year programme is designed to prepare professionals who can bridge health sciences with statistics, computing, and analytical methods for big data to help improve human and planetary health. The curriculum integrates statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, informatics, biomedical engineering, ethics and critical elements of public health. Graduates from the program will be competent in applying data-driven solutions to support evidence-based decision-making for complex health problems.
The programme incorporates recent developments in digital health, applied machine learning, artificial intelligence and analytics, with foundational knowledge about health at individual and population levels, with one year of coursework and one-year mentored interdisciplinary industry internship. Students will learn about emerging approaches for analysing complex health data, including medical imaging (pathology and radiology), multiomics (metabolomics, genomics, and other omics), exposome data, and other highdimensional datasets. Students will gain skills in advanced statistical and computational methods, including multivariate and discriminant analysis, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and integrative data analysis, to generate meaningful insights for health and biomedical research. The programme follows a progressive learning pathway designed to support students from diverse academic backgrounds. Learning is centred on methodological skills, real-world data on health, healthcare, and related factors, collaborative assignments, and applied projects.
The programme responds to the growing availability of digital health infrastructure and health data in India, as well as the increasing use of data-driven decision-making across clinical care, public health, biomedical research, industries related to health, and healthcare organizations. It aligns with national initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and prepares graduates to work across healthcare, biomedical research, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, digital health organisations, hospitals, public health organisations, government agencies, academia, and other national and international institutions.
The Master of Science in Health Data Science programme emphasises methodological rigour, ethical practice, responsible artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary collaboration, preparing students to develop solutions that are technically robust, meaningful for different stakeholders and populations, and socially responsible.
Dean of the Bagchi School of Public Health, Professor Kaumudi Joshipura, said, The mission of Bagchi School of Public Health is to improve human and planetary health through research, education and action. Technology to monitor health markers and inform lifestyle choices (including wearables), and technology used in environmental monitoring and healthcare are undergoing rapid transformation. Electronic health records, medical imaging, biomedical sensors, air quality monitors, data recorded through mobile phones, and artificial intelligence generating new possibilities for disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and population health. Healthcare organisations increasingly need professionals who can combine analytical and computational skills with an understanding of health systems, epidemiology, and the responsible use of health data.
The Master of Science in Health Data Science reflects Ahmedabad University’s interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial approach to education, bringing together public health, science, technology, and data to address complex challenges. For more information about the programme, visit: Master of Science in Health Data Science Ahmedabad University is a leading private, non-profit research university offering students a liberal education focused on interdisciplinary learning, practice orientation, and research thinking.
The University has been
Recognised by the Government of Gujarat as a Centre of Excellence.
Accredited with 'A' grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
Awarded Leadership and Management Team of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2025.
Awarded a 5-star rating, the highest awarded in the Gujarat State Institutional Rating Framework
(GSIRF) for 2021-22 and 2023-24, by the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), Department of Education, Government of Gujarat.
Awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Award for Excellence 2024 for its University Centre.
Awarded a 'Platinum Rating' by the Indian Green Building Council for sustainability and green practices.
Recognised by the UGC under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, becoming one of the very few private research universities to have been awarded this recognition for select research universities.
Recognised as a Highly Commended University for Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia 2023.
Awarded the AACSB’s Innovations That Inspire Award 2023 for its Foundation Programme.
Awarded Gold Rating by the Indian Green Building Council for achieving the Green Building Standards at its University Centre.
The University, established in 2009, is rooted in the vision of one of India’s finest educational foundations, the Ahmedabad Education Society, which was founded in 1935 by nationalist leaders. Programmes at the University range from bachelors to doctoral levels in humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and management through its 4 Schools and 10 Centres:
Amrut Mody School of Management | Bagchi School of Public Health | School of Arts and Sciences | School of Engineering and Applied Science | Ahmedabad Design Lab | Centre for Heritage Management | Centre for Learning Futures | Global Centre for Environment and Energy | International Centre for Space and Cosmology | Sahyog: Centre for Promoting Health | Stepwell Centre for Asian Futures | The Climate Institute | The Institute of Manufacturing and Economy | VentureStudio
An urban university, Ahmedabad promotes independent-mindedness and diversity across all dimensions of its activity and helps students mature into critical thinkers who are analytically equipped, practically oriented, and contextually aware global citizens. The University provides a contemporary educational framework that brings liberal arts, sciences, and the professions to engage together in creating new knowledge for addressing complex challenges of the society and in offering majors that merge the boundaries of disciplines to prepare students for the new economy.