MSc/PGDip/PGCert Health Informatics (UCL/UoM Joint Award)

Year of entry: 2025

Overview

Degree awarded
Master of Science, PGDip, PGCert
Duration
1yr FT, 2-5yr PT
Entry requirements

We require an honours degree (minimum upper second class) from a UK university or overseas equivalent in:

  • computer science
  • health services research
  • biological sciences
  • statistics
  • pharmacy
  • nursing
  • medicine

Students who do not meet these requirements but have appropriate professional experience will also be considered.

Applications from candidates who don't meet usual admissions criteria are also reviewed by the Dean of Students at UCL.

Full entry requirements

Number of places/applicants
80
How to apply

To apply for a course you will need to complete and submit an online application form at UCL.

Please complete the online form here .

Course options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
Y Y N N

Course overview

Health Informatics is the study of how information and information technology can transform the organisation and delivery of healthcare. This joint course with University College London (UCL) has been designed to prepare students for leadership roles and develop a health informatics workforce that is equipped to address present and future challenges in healthcare.

You will learn about:

  • the different types of information systems and technologies that are used in healthcare;
  • how they are commissioned, designed, implemented and introduced into use;
  • how the data that the are used to capture can drive improvements in care.

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MSc Health Informatics Joint Degree: UCL and University of Manchester

Open days

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses. On this day, you will find out more about the course and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have. For more information, see Open days .

Fees

Please see information the UCL MSc Health Informatics page for details of course fees.

Additional expenses

Additional costs include:

  • the cost of travel to and from Manchester or London (depending on the module location and where you are based);
  • accommodation costs.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Contact details

School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Contact name
Teaching Administration
Telephone
Email
Website
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/health-informatics-msc
School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

We require an honours degree (minimum upper second class) from a UK university or overseas equivalent in:

  • computer science
  • health services research
  • biological sciences
  • statistics
  • pharmacy
  • nursing
  • medicine

Students who do not meet these requirements but have appropriate professional experience will also be considered.

Applications from candidates who don't meet usual admissions criteria are also reviewed by the Dean of Students at UCL.

English language

Students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of an approved qualification in English Language or achieve a level of no less than 7.0 IELTS.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Application and selection

How to apply

To apply for a course you will need to complete and submit an online application form at UCL.

Please complete the online form here .

Course details

Course description

This course focuses on how information and information technology are used in the organisation and delivery of healthcare.

Our MSc in Health Informatics (jointly awarded by The University of Manchester and UCL) offers an innovative and exciting training in a uniquely challenging and important field.

Our blended learning MSc will equip you with the skills to work in this exciting field by providing:

  • a unique combination of personal learning, theoretical challenge and practical application;
  • blended approach which combines face-to-face contact and distance learning, harnessing the advantages of both across two campus;
  • flexible study allowing you to complete the programme full-time in one year, or flexibly over up to five years;
  • engagement with leading thinkers in the field across the UK and internationally;
  • participation in a thriving network of academics, clinicians and informatics professionals.

Our programme is suitable for health professionals currently in work or graduate students.

The University of Manchester and UCL are uniquely placed to provide the health informatics training required for a modern health service.

You will have access to the largest UK health informatics faculty, including researchers who develop and apply solutions in a range of healthcare settings and direct national programmes in research education/training.

In 2020 we have written a new textbook Developing Medical Apps and Health Interventions and have published core competencies for clinical informaticians across the UK with the Faculty of Clinical Informatics.

Both institutions sit in two of the largest regional health economies in the UK, hosting the greatest concentration of digital-led NHS programmes. A team of six professors and 13 senior academics contribute to the programme, alongside NHS and industry professionals.

PhD with integrated master's

If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health.

You can also visit this page for examples of projects related to integrated master's courses.

Aims

The programme aims to:

  • provide you with the skills to manage healthcare systems;
  • provide you with an understanding of the healthcare system, from treatment of individuals to the wider population;
  • emphasise the importance of informatics in patient driven healthcare;
  • embed key health informatics principles, concepts and skills in students' working practices;
  • combine leadership and transferable skills with technical skills training.

Special features

The programme is delivered via blended learning, which combines online learning and short three day sessions on campus either at UCL or The University of Manchester.

Each taught module is delivered largely online over eight or nine weeks with a short block of intensive face-to-face teaching. The online element includes video lectures, podcasts, written material as well as interactive exercises and discussions. The face-to-face teaching includes lectures, seminars, problem-based workshops and experiential learning.

The programme is designed for students in full-time wok who already have a first-degree in a relevant discipline. We accept applications from people with a wide range of qualifications, and we consider professional experience if students do not have a relevant first degree. Students who wish to study full-time can take the programme in one year but should be aware that they will be taking modules that are largely delivered online.

The programme will encourage intellectual curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. It will teach transferable skills for lifelong learning and cultivate reflective practice. The content reflects the changing needs of healthcare.

We see learning and teaching as collaborative 'knowledge construction', which recognises the contribution of all stakeholders (academic staff, service users and carers, and students).

This is demonstrated in the programme through contributions made by these stakeholders, providing case-studies, examples, invited seminars and participation in group work.

We will promote translational thinking so that informatics knowledge, know-how, skills and understanding are applied to new health challenges to ensure that informatics is embedded as an enabler of change.

The structure of the programme ensures that you will share this knowledge with each other and learn to work in teams.

Teaching and learning

Programme delivery

Most of taught modules are delivered online over eight or nine weeks with a short block of intensive face-to-face teaching.

The online element includes:

  • video lectures
  • podcasts
  • written material
  • exercises
  • discussions.

The face-to-face teaching includes:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • experiential learning.

Whilst the majority of this programme is delivered online, students will typically be required to spend three days on campus for every module. For half the modules, the face-to-face teaching will be at UCL, for the other half it will be at the University of Manchester. Students will also be asked to attend a separate induction day based at UCL at the start of the year.

The types of assessment on this programme may include:

  • coursework
  • examination
  • presentations
  • research project.

Each 15-credit module equates to around 150 learning hours. This is spread out over the whole period of the module which typically runs over 9 weeks. This includes the time you spend in taught sessions, independent study, group work and assessment.

We offer:

  • A Postgraduate Diploma: made up of four compulsory modules (60 credits) and four optional modules (60 credits). The duration is either one year (full-time study), two years (part-time study) or up to five years (flexible study).
  • A Postgraduate Certificate: made up of four compulsory modules (60 credits). The duration is either one year (full-time study), two years (part-time study) or up to five years (flexible study).

Coursework and assessment

You will use a number of assessed and non-assessed activities to develop key skills and expand your knowledge base. There is a mix of assessment: written assignments, exam, group work and other activities such as moderated discussion boards.

Course content for year 1

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits for an MSc. 

Full-time students will be required to take four compulsory modules (60 credits); four optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).  Part-time students will be required to take four core modules in Year 1, and four further modules in Year 2. 

Core units:

  • Essentials of Informatics for Healthcare Systems;
  • Health Information Systems and Technologies;
  • Standards and Interoperability;
  • Principles of Health Data Analytics.

Course content for year 2

Optional units:

  • Usable Health Systems Design;
  • Personalised Health Informatics;
  • Decision Support Systems;
  • Patient Safety;
  • Learning Health Systems;
  • Modern Information Engineering;
  • Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare.

Optional units have been organised into themes from those that explore more technical topics health informatics (Modern Information Engineering), those that are more focussed on understanding organisations (Patient Safety).

At no point are choices restricted to a single theme.

All students undertaking an MSc will undertake an independent research project in a report form of a journal article of up to 6,000 words.

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Health Information Systems IIDS61001 15 Mandatory
Standards & Interoperability IIDS61102 15 Mandatory
Modern Information Engineering IIDS61301 15 Mandatory
Essentials Informatics for Healthcare Systems (UCL) IIDS62001 15 Mandatory
Principles of Health Data Analytics (UCL) IIDS62102 15 Mandatory
Standards & Interoperability IIDS61102 15 Optional
Usable System Design IIDS61201 15 Optional
Modern Information Engineering IIDS61301 15 Optional
Decision Support Systems IIDS61402 15 Optional
Decision Support Systems IIDS61412 15 Optional
Learning Health Systems (UCL) IIDS62201 15 Optional
Patient Safety (UCL) IIDS62302 15 Optional
Personal Health Informatics (UCL) IIDS62401 15 Optional
Displaying 10 of 13 course units

Course collaborators

This is a joint course with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Health Informatics

Facilities

The University of Manchester offers extensive library and online services to help you get the most out of your studies.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

All graduates of this course will be prepared for technical and management roles leading the digital transformation of healthcare. Graduates of the course have gone on to leadership roles in the NHS and other healthcare organisations here and overseas.

Some of our graduates have moved into roles in industry in pharmaceutical companies or consulting organisations. Others have gone on to further study, taking on PhDs or fellowships while others have launched their own businesses.

Health Informatics is a subject of growing importance, with exciting career development prospects for clinicians, managers, administrators and technologists.

Associated organisations