Health Data Science

This degree is assessed entirely online.

We use a variety of approaches to assess your understanding, progress, and performance throughout your degree. Assessment methods include:

• reflective learning
• writing computer programmes
• written and activity-based assessments
• structured and multiple-choice questions.

Whenever possible, your assessments will use real-life scenarios and/or data, and equip you with transferable skills for subsequent careers.

Hours for taught courses

To study part-time, we recommend you take no more than 30 credits per term. Students typically take one or two 15-credit short courses per term.

15 credits

• Around 150 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
• You’ll study 10 – 15 hours per week per term.

30 credits

• Around 300 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
• You’ll study 20 – 30 hours per week per term.

This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes.

You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.

Activities at fixed times

There may be some activities scheduled at a fixed time, such as online meetings with your tutor or assessments with deadlines. But otherwise, you can access and work through each course at your convenience.

Hours for 60-credit project and work-based placement

A 60-credit project or placement is around 600 hours of learning time.

This is around one term of full-time study.

You can dedicate a full term to your project or placement and work on it full-time.

Or you can complete your project or placement part-time, spreading the hours you dedicate to it over two terms.

Hours for 30-credit case study and work-based placement

A 30-credit case study or placement is around 300 hours of learning time.

That’s around 20 – 30 hours per week per term.

You will dedicate a full term to your case study or placement.

When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.

But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.

Your most important commitment will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.

Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your studies each week:

• Be realistic
• Create a weekly schedule as a guide

If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.

Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your tutors via MyAberdeen and email. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.

We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:

• Careers and Employability Service – including one-to-one advice sessions
• Disability support
• IT support
• Library support
• Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
• Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
• Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
• Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier

Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.

Learning resources

Access to all the books and resources you need are included in your tuition fee. They’ll be made available to you online and you do not have to buy your own copies.

Printing

You may wish to set aside a small budget for printing, depending on how you like to work.

There are several ways you may be able to get help funding your studies:

• Employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors
• Student loans
• Scholarships – search our funding database for scholarships

Find out more about funding options.

Student card

All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.

Entry requirements

We welcome students from all over the world.

See the minimum entry requirements above. If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check equivalent qualifications from your country.

Visa requirements

You do not need a student visa to study online with us.

English language requirements

Teaching is delivered in English.

If English is not your first language, use our English requirements checklist to see if you need to provide evidence of your English language skills when you apply.

English language tests and scores

If you do need to provide English language test scores, these are the tests and minimum scores we accept.

These are our Postgraduate Higher requirements.

IELTS Academic, IELTS UKVI Academic, or IELTS Online (not IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training)

• 6.5 overall
• 5.5 for listening and speaking
• 6.0 for reading and writing

TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition

• 90 overall
• 17 for listening
• 21 for reading
• 20 for speaking
• 21 for writing
• TOEFL DI code is 0818

Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency

• 176 overall
• 162 for listening and speaking
• 169 for reading and writing

LanguageCert Academic / LanguageCert Academic SELT

• 70 overall
• 60 for listening and speaking
• 65 for reading and writing

Oxford ELLT Digital – English Language Level Test Online

• 7.0 overall
• 5.0 for listening and speaking
• 6.0 for reading and writing

PTE Academic (online test not accepted)

• 62 overall
• 59 for listening, reading, speaking and writing

Skills for English: SELT

• B2 pass with merit

Duolingo – tests taken from 1 July 2024 onward

• 120 overall
• 95 for listening and speaking
• 105 for reading and writing

University of Aberdeen English Pre-sessional Programme (PSE)

• Pass
• Valid for one year. Refresher can be offered if out of date

Pre-sessional academic English preparation programmes undertaken at other UK universities

• Pass at an equivalent of 6.5 (C1)
• B2 in all four skills
• Certification must be within one year prior to the start of your course

For more information about language qualifications see our English Language Requirements page.

You apply through our online Applicant Portal. It allows you to upload relevant qualifications and documents.

What you need to apply for this degree

• Degree transcript
• Personal statement
• Degree certificate
• CV / Resume

Apply now

Start with our step-by-step guide. It explains degree transcripts, what to write in your personal statement and how to use our Applicant Portal.

You can apply to start in either September or January.

Apply as early as you can. This is so we have time to review your application and get a decision to you. We also want to ensure you have time to enrol before teaching starts.

September 2025 intake

For our September 2025 intake, the application deadline is 8 September 2025.

You will need to accept your offer and provide any outstanding documents to meet the conditions of your offer by 15 September 2025.

Teaching starts on 22 September 2025.

January 2026 intake

Teaching starts on 26 January 2026.

Application deadlines will be announced in due course.