Our Bachelor of Science in Health Data Science features an interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates biostatistics, computer science, and informatics that will create an attractive package for employers working with health data locally, nationally, and internationally.
You will receive either a minor in computer science from the Department of Computer and Information Science, or a minor in informatics from the IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI.
Health data science is a burgeoning, interdisciplinary field requiring a diverse set of skills to extract knowledge and insights from data. Health data scientists will be at the center of an estimated $300 billion value added to the American health sector annually by big data and analytics.
Upon completing the Bachelor of Science in Health Data Science, you will be able to:
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[Video: Text and stick man appears with a thought bubble.]
[Words appear: All decisions rely on data… What should I do? When? How? Why?
Voiceover of woman beginning to speak: Every decision we make relies on data. Consider for a moment this question.
[Video: Text appears “Homework? Movies? How to decide…” alongside image of boy doing homework, stick figure man with a thought bubble, and a penguin holding a bucket of popcorn and a drink. The penguin’s shirt reads “I LOVE MOVIES.”]
Young woman: Should I do my homework or go to the movies? The answer probably relies on several factors. You might consider whether you’re doing well in the class…
[Video: Image of a boy holding up a homework with an A+ grade on it appears.]
Young woman: whether your homework will be accepted late…
[Video: Image of a homework late pass appears.]
Young woman: how much you enjoy the class, how good of a movie it will be, or even the likelihood that you’ll have a good time.
[Video: Text appears “Business Decisions… Best ROI, Future Returns…” alongside image of man in office excited about a chart and a woman at a desk speaking with a headset on.”]
Young woman: This is actually not that different from the types of decisions that businesses or research organizations make every day. In the movie/homework example, we used informal measures of our feelings, but stores like Kroger and Target use data collected from our previous purchases to predict what we’ll likely buy in the future.
[Video: Article on a computer screen appears that’s titled “The Emerging Field of Health Data Science” and begins scrolling]
Young woman: However, this kind of prediction is not confined to business. Precision medicine is using data to create individualized treatments for patients based on their environment, past medical history, and patient characteristics such as their genetic makeup.
[Video: Another article on a computer screen appears with an image of a young woman, that’s titled “Clue is an app that is using data in exciting ways to make strides in health research” and begins scrolling]
Young woman: Doctors use these findings to create personalized treatment plans…
[Video: A third article on a computer screen appears, that’s titled “Using It or Losing It? The Case for Data Scientists Inside Health Care” and begins scrolling]
Young woman: …that maximize effectiveness and lead to better health outcomes.
[Video: The Richard M Fairbanks website appears with the image of two African American girls working on laptops in a building with many windows.]
Young woman: The Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI is now offering a BS degree in health data science.
[Video: A landing page on the Richard M Fairbanks website appears, titled “Advance Human Health With Data Science”
Young woman: This degree will be at the center of an estimated 300 billion dollar added to the American health sector and will be composed of a 120-credit program.
[Video: The HDS “minors” landing page of the Richard M Fairbanks website appears.
Young woman: As part of this program, students will take several data science courses as part of their major and also coursework sufficient for a minor in either computer science or informatics.
[Video: The HDS “Admissions Criteria” landing page of the Richard M Fairbanks website appears.
Young woman: Admissions criteria may be found on the public health website for direct admissions, as well as transfers from internal programs and Ivy Tech.
[Video: An excel doc with lots of cells and numbers appears and begins scrolling.
Young woman: Health data science students are given a front-row seat to observing and participating in using data to make health decisions.
[Video: A chart on “Life Expectancy vs HIV Prevalence – 1990 to 2014” appears and a cursor begins to tamper with it.
Young woman: In the health data science BS program, our students learn cutting-edge methods for harnessing various data sources, uncovering and learning to tell the story of their data. They will be caught up in the current revolution in medical science where they will be among the key players making a difference in their field.
[Video: The website Indeed.com appears, with “Health Data Scientist” in the job title search field. The screen begins to scroll downward.
Young woman: Our program offers training so you can expect to start with a salary of at least $50,000 a year and upwards into the six-figure range. You’ll also be able to find a job anywhere with over 7,000 positions under health data scientist currently posted on indeed.com. Organizations such as Aetna, Blue Cross, Anthem, and IBM…
[Video: The term “Data Scientist” is then entered into the job title search field. The screen begins to scroll downward.
Young woman: … as well as over 20,000 positions under data scientist currently posted in Indeed at organizations such as Eli Lilly, Facebook, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley or Google.
[Video: The following text appears on a white background: Program Information Contacts; Spencer Lourens; Director, BS in HDS; slourens@iu.edu; Leah Jansen; Student Services Coordinator; lwissel@iu.edu; HDS Program Website; https://fsph.iupui.edu/academics/undergraduate/bshds/index.html.
Young woman: For more information on the BS degree in health data science at IUPUI, please contact Spencer Lourens at slourens@iu.edu or our student advisors in public health.
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Students in our Health Data Science program who have completed internships in the field have agreed to share their stories to help students like you discover a career path they'll love! Browse the student internship profiles to see what our students are up to.
Meet our health data science students
In addition to its focus on health, and the deep analytical skills obtained through the Health Data Science curriculum, a unique characteristic of the degree is the availability of minors in computer science or informatics.
Computer Science
The minor in Computer and Information Science will focus on the use and modification of sophisticated software tools, to provide students with the computational background necessary in developing the deep analytical capabilities necessary in their careers. This minor requires taking INFO-I453 and INFO-I425.
Informatics
The minor in Informatics will focus on combining principles from information systems, computer science, psychology, and sociology, to prepare students to tackle the challenges found in the health sciences. This minor requires taking CSCI-34000 and CSCI-36200.
To complete this degree, you will take a combination of general education courses, health data science major and core courses, electives, and a minor in computer science or informatics that together total at least 120 credits.
Take 2 courses for 6 credits
Take 2 courses for 6 credits
Take 1 course for 3 credits
Take 3 course for 9 credits
Take 2 courses for 6 credits
Take 3 courses for 9 credits
Take two courses for 6 credits
Major Courses
Take all 9 courses and internships for 27 credits
Take six courses for 20 credits
Required Informatics Electives:
Take six courses for 21 credits
Required Computer Science Electives:
Take up to seven courses (21 or 22 credits), at least four from PBHL, CSCI or INFO up to a total of 120 credits.
Degree electives
A minimum of 105 credit hours of required courses are listed for this curriculum. 39 credit hours are required in general education and preparatory courses and 12 required credit hours in public health. For those pursuing an informatics minor 53 credit hours are required in the major and minor areas. For those pursuing a computer science minor 54 credit hours are required in the major and minor areas. In addition, students must take a sufficient number of college-level elective courses to total a minimum of 120 credit hours. Contact the Office of Student Services at (317) 278-0753 for specific determinations.
Students who are interested in this degree are encouraged to contact the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health Office of Student Services at (317) 274-2000 to speak with one of our friendly, helpful advisors who can answer questions about degree requirements, eligible classes, course substitutions, and course waivers. We’re here to help you successfully complete the program.
Current IUPUI students
Declare or change your majorDirect admissions
In order to be admitted to this degree program a student must:
Our admissions counselor, Sarah Schmitt, is available to meet with you virtually or in-person.
Contact SarahIntercampus transfer
In order to be admitted to this degree program a student must:
Ivy Tech transfers
Please contact Kayla Rinker at kmrinker@iu.edu
