MSc Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence

Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions, Part-Time, Sandwich (Thick) out of college.

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Recent algorithmic and technological advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and wearable technology have resulted in its increased adoption in digital health solutions. Big technology companies and start-ups are increasingly employing AI to solve a range of problems for patients and hospitals. These innovative AI solutions will help diagnose disease, recommend treatment plans, recommend assistive technologies, detect vital signs with no specialised equipment, and more.

The UK government has highlighted the importance of AI in the healthcare industry, with the recent (2018) announcement to give £50m in funding to develop AI products to improve diagnosis of diseases including cancer.

The aim of this interdisciplinary course is to build a workforce of AI specialists in the area of digital health. Our graduates will understand the challenges in designing and deploying AI driven digital health products in an industry where regulation, responsibility, and legal implications are particularly important, and understand the requirements for bringing AI solutions to the digital health market to ensure they are safe, effective, and ethical.

Image description — Students working in computer lab

Key information

Next start date:

September 2019, January 2020, September 2020, January 2021

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

September: 12 months full-time, 24 months with a 12 month placement or 2 years part-time. January: 16 months full-time

Required subjects:

Computer Science/IT, Engineering, Design, Health and Social Care, Medical Science, Psychology, Business, Law, Forensic Science or similar

Entry requirements:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in a required subject, or equivalent.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS 6.0 (Academic), with a minimum of 5.5 in each component. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

Course details

Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification.

Download the programme specification (pdf 322kb)

Core units

Research Methods and Professional Issues: This unit will provide an overview of different research methods used to address clinical research questions. It will cover aspects of research design and how they apply to the question being asked whether the approach is quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods.

Foundations of Health Information Systems: Health information systems serve multiple users for various purposes and they provide the underpinnings for health-related decision-making. This unit aims to help you learn the fundamentals of health information systems by introducing the key concepts, principles, processes and related issues, and carrying out relevant activities in the analysis and design of health information systems. The unit will also cover health data generation, compilation, analysis, synthesis, communication and analytics. You will develop an understanding of the legal and ethical issues surrounding the implementation of health information systems and the use of electronic health data.

Artificial Intelligence: The aim of this unit is to provide you with an introduction to the principles and techniques employed within the greater field and sub-fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the skills and knowledge required to employ AI techniques to solve real-world and synthetic problems. We will approach AI from a computer-science perspective, with focus given to the challenges faced within the field, nature inspired algorithms, and their applications to complex real-world problems.

Accessibility and Assistive Technology: An introduction to the concepts of accessibility and assistive technology, exploring how technology can be used to support people with temporary, situational or lifelong disabilities by helping to overcome challenges to their self-care, educational, vocational and recreational independence. The aim of this unit is to provide you with an introduction to understanding diverse user needs, focusing on challenges caused by temporary, situational or lifelong disabilities. You'll also gather the skills and techniques necessary to conduct foundational, user-orientated research with people who have disabilities to inform the design of assistive technology that can help overcome challenges during specific tasks. You'll be trained in the ability to develop novel prototypes of inclusive assistive technology with an accessibility-first design philosophy combining advances in Human-Computer Interaction, Data, and AI.

Individual Masters Project: You will develop an understanding of the characteristics and implications inherent in the solution of a complex, real-world problem within the context of a substantial, independently-conducted piece of work.

Option units

Option units (choose two)

Neuronal Analysis: This unit focuses on the study and application of data analysis techniques in neuroscience. Such algorithms are either adapted or specifically designed for analysing neuronal activity in physiological and pathological brain states. The mathematical modelling of basic neuronal functions over the last century, inspired the development of sophisticated parallel data processors that imitate biological neurons and networks to a certain degree. A successful example is the widely used family of deep learning-based approaches. In parallel, methods from e.g., computational statistics, dynamical systems, partial differential equations and more recently machine learning, feedback to the neuroscience field; and provided valuable insights in the understanding of the nervous system. This unit discusses state-of-the-art analytical tools for identifying normal and altered behaviour of neuronal activity at multiple spatiotemporal scales, their applications and current limitations.

Blockchain and Digital Futures: The objective of this unit is to develop your skills and knowledge about the Blockchain technology and its usage. The material, lectures and seminars includes defining the Blockchain technology, its business aspect, issues, objectives, and challenges, covering Blockchain horizontal and vertical scaling, key basics of cryptography required for understanding the Blockchain technology concepts, different cryptocurrencies, and their issues, challenges, and networks. The unit also covers a few data analysis-based Blockchain technology scenarios and case studies. The aim is to develop related skills and an understanding of critically evaluating the key issues, challenges, and existing solutions.

Persuasive Technology and Behaviour Change: This unit will focus on the use and design of Persuasive Technology (PT) denoting technology-assisted solutions for influencing the attitude and behaviour of individuals and groups. You will cover mainstream psychological theories of persuasion, influence, decision making and behaviour change besides their application on a wide range of domains including health, business and e-learning. We will also discuss the risks and ethical consideration of persuasion and essentials for informed decision making. Analysis and design methods for persuasive technology solutions will also be studied. Studied case studies include applications for encouraging the increase in physical activities, digital well-being, anxiety and stress management skills and sleeping quality. We will also discuss the use of PT in a business context such as increasing staff engagement, digital marketing, user retention and energy consumption reduction.

Smart Systems: Artificial Intelligence is being embedded in various systems and tools to achieve better decision making and more autonomy. The unit draws on a large spectrum of smart systems technologies. It covers basic as well as advanced topics with the goal of providing an overall introduction into these technologies. Positioned at the cross of many disciplines, this unit introduces various facets of smart systems technology and illustrates how they apply to different environments. A selected set of innovative applications will be discussed to provide a practical insight into such technology covering in particular the underlying modelling, perception, reasoning and learning techniques.

Computer Vision: The field of Computer Vision has been developing rapidly over the last decade and became the cornerstone of many recent innovations across a number of domains and application areas, including state-of-the-art image classification (e.g. for use in search engines), object detection (e.g. in autonomous vehicles), semantic segmentation (e.g. in identification of tumours in x-ray images), biometrics (e.g. face verification) or automatic annotation of medical images, to name a few. There is a shortage of skilled individuals with deep understanding of the underlying principles and able to confidently apply them in order to solve real-world problems. This unit focuses on a number of Computer Vision techniques, ranging from traditional approaches established over many decades of research, to the latest state-of-the-art developments, together with appropriate tools. The unit entails a strong empirical element where Computer Vision models will be built and evaluated.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Placement opportunities

The optional placement provides an excellent opportunity for you to gain first-hand industry experience and apply the learning that you have achieved through the course.

The placement can be paid employment but voluntary work can be just as useful.

Find out more about placements for postgraduate students

International opportunities

Employment prospects are now truly international and BU encourages students to consider an international work placement or volunteering experience during their degree.

One way could be through the EU funded Erasmus mobility programme which supports placements or study exchanges in Europe.

Students can also participate in international placements outside of Europe. There are opportunities to engage with summer schools and volunteering projects. These experiences help students to enhance their global employability skills.

Your application

How and when to apply

There is no application deadline for this course. However, if you will need a visa to come to the UK to study, think carefully about the length of time it will take for your visa application to be processed and make sure your visa will be ready in time for the beginning of your course.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

The normal requirements for embarking upon this course are:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in a required subject, or equivalent
Required subjects: Computer Science/IT, Engineering, Design, Health and Social Care, Medical Science, Psychology, Business, Law, Forensic Science or similar

If you are in doubt if you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, please get in touch with the Future Students Enquiry team.

International entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

Careers

Upon completion of this course, you will possess the practical skills and theoretical knowledge necessary to enter the business computing profession, regardless of whether you currently hold any IT qualifications. As Information Technology forms a core part of the business function for many organisations, you will enjoy a wide range of career opportunities in a variety of industries.

Potential job roles

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

One set of study-related consumables such as a memory stick/ DVD
Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement
A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
Optional fieldwork travel, outdoor wear and footwear (where applicable)
Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.

Repeat units

Financial help available from BU

Deposits

International (non-EU) students need to pay a non-refundable £2,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Dr. Shahin Rostami - Course Leader

Dr. Shahin Rostami is a Senior Academic in Data Science. He teaches both postgraduate and undergraduate units, such as Search and Optimisation, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Mining and Analytic Technologies.

“Data science is without a doubt one of the most exciting fields to study. Here at BU we’ll give you the theoretical and practical background needed to start your career.”

Dr. Rostami holds a Ph.D. in the field of Computational Intelligence with applications to Concealed Weapon Detection. His research interests lie within Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, ranging from theory to their application to Digital Healthcare and Threat Detection. Currently, he is consulting for and supervising PhD research projects in Non-Contact Vital Sign Measurement and Multi-Objective Concealed Weapon Detection. He has published in many high-impact journals and conferences, and organised/chaired special sessions including the IEEE CIBCB 2017 “Machine Learning in Medical Diagnosis and Prognosis”. He also leads the Computational Intelligence Research Initiative (CIRI).

View Dr Rostami's staff profile

Dr. Huseyin Dogan - Principal Academic in Computing

Dr Dogan's research focuses on Human Factors, Assistive Technologies and Systems Engineering. He is the Co-Chair of the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) research group.

Dr Dogan received his Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Systems Engineering from Loughborough University, MSc in Human Computer Interaction with Ergonomics from University College London, and BSc in Computer Science from Queen Mary University of London.

He was the General Co-Chair for the 30th International British Computer Society Human Computer Interaction Conference (BCS HCI 2016). He has over 100 publications which include journal papers, conference papers, and technical reports. His research on Assistive Technologies (with Dr Paul Whittington) featured on the BBC South, BBC Radio Solent, The Ergonomist, Auto Express, Bournemouth Echo and The Sunday Times magazine.

View Dr Dogan's staff profile

Dr. Sharon Docherty - Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Research Methodology and Statistics

Dr Docherty is a Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Research Methodology and Statistics within the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (HSS) as well as the Research Data Management Champion for the Faculty. Her role involves the development and expansion of quantitative research and teaching within HSS. As well as contributing to the teaching and supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate level students, as a member of the Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit, she works closely with academics across the Faculty and University to provide quantitative methodological support. In addition, she provides methodological and statistical advice to health professionals in the NHS.