Pre-Masters in Law and Social Science (3-Terms), Leading to Master of Data Science (Health) Study Group - Durham University International Study Centre - Queens Campus, UK

Pre-Masters in Law and Social Science (3-Terms)
The Pre-Masters in Law and Social Science prepares you for a choice of progression degrees at Durham University. When you have completed the programme and achieved the required grades, you can progress to a range of postgraduate degrees at Durham University.

Who is this programme for?

This programme is for international students looking to study a Masters degree in law or social sciences at Durham University.

• Explore a wide range of topics through one of five distinctive routes: Anthropology, Archaeology, Geography, Law and Politics.
• Improve your academic and English language skills needed for entry to your chosen Masters degree.
• Gain the opportunity to progress to a large number of impressive postgraduate degrees at this world-renowned university.
• Develop your ability to critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of a range of research methods.
• Engage in a new, culturally exciting community and enjoy studying abroad in the UK.

What will you study?
You will study core modules, which cover general skills, and designated modules that relate to your progression degree. This means your Pre-Masters programme will be tailored to the specific needs of your chosen degree.

Core modules

• Academic English Skills
• Advanced Academic Writing and Critical Reading
• Extended Research Project
• Globalisation*
• Research Methods for Social Science

When you complete the Pre-Masters in Law and Social Science, and achieve the required grades, you can progress Master of Data Science (Health) at Durham University.

Leading to: Master of Data Science (Health)

The Master of Data Science (Health) shares a common core with the other Master of Data Science programmes and will provide graduates with quantitative skills required for the practical analysis of health data. Health is a large and growing sector in the economy, and effective use of data is essential for improving clinical care for individual patients as well as overall public health. While generic data science skills are useful for Health Data Scientists, health data often have special characteristics (for instance, patient data or clinical metrics) which also require specialised techniques for collection, analysis, and management. This programme includes modules about using data for clinical and public health decisions, relevant modelling techniques such as survival and epidemiological methods, and also addresses questions such as governance and privacy.

Shared core modules with the suite of Data Science Master courses will ensure that you get equipped with the wider statistical and machine learning skills required for your career. You will be carrying out team building activities, presenting case studies and carrying out both formative and summative assessments with students from all four faculties of Durham University, ensuring that you learn how to represent not just your own discipline but to also listen and integrate views and skills from other disciplines. An additional contribution to the academic environment will be provided by the Durham Research Methods Centre which will also help with the allocation of project topics through partnerships with neighbouring NHS Trusts and other collaborators in the health sector.

All around us, massive amounts of increasingly complex data are being generated and collected, for instance, from mobile devices, cameras, cars, houses, offices, cities, and satellites. Business, research, government, communities, and families can use that data to make informed and rational decisions that lead to better outcomes. It is impossible for any one individual or group of individuals to keep on top of all the relevant data: there is simply far too much. Data science enables us to analyse large amounts of data effectively and efficiently and as a result has become one of the fastest growing career areas.

Core modules:

The Master of Data Science (Health) programme is comprised of the following core modules:

• Introduction to Computer Science (optional under certain conditions)
• Introduction to Statistics for Data Science
• Introduction to Mathematics for Data Science (optional under certain conditions)
• Models and Methods for Health Data Science
• Health Informatics and Clinical Intelligence
• Research Project

Examples of optional modules

• Computational Social Science
• Society, Health and Wellbeing
• Machine Learning
• Data Exploration and Visualization
• Strategic Leadership
• Programming for Data Science