Healthcare Data Science (EPSRC CDT)
About the course
The Oxford EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Healthcare Data Science is a four-year doctoral cohort-based training programme offering opportunities for doctoral study in computational statistics, machine learning, data engineering and infectious disease analytics within the context of ethically-responsible health research.
This course is jointly run by a range of Oxford departments including the departments of Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering Science, the Nuffield Department of Medicine, and the Nuffield Department of Population Health.
The Oxford EPSRC CDT in Healthcare Data Science is based in the Oxford Big Data Institute (BDI) a purpose-built research institute at the heart of the University's biomedical campus.
The Institute combines researchers from genomics, epidemiology, population health, and infectious disease alongside those from computer science, statistics and engineering to develop the field of big data as applied to biomedical research. Scientists working in the Institute form an analytical hub, deeply connected to the wider experimental and clinical community in Oxford and beyond, working to solve some of the major challenges in medical research. The BDI aims to develop, evaluate and deploy efficient methods for acquiring and analysing information at scale and for exploiting the opportunities presented by large-scale studies. Its activity includes, the analysis population scale data, derived from health records, genetics and biomarkers, the analysis of images and application of machine learning, and the analysis of single cells and molecular proteomic and transcriptomic data.
Course structure
The course begins with a training year, which consists of two terms of intensive training in core data science principles and techniques followed by a third term where you will usually undertake two ten-week research projects in two of your chosen research areas. One of these projects will usually become the basis of your doctoral research, carried out in the following three years.
During the first year, your day will typically comprise of lectures each morning with practical computational exercises each afternoon.
The taught courses covering core subjects such as computational statistics, machine learning, data engineering, ethics and governance, and health research methodology include the following:
- Ethics
- Software Engineering
- Statistical Methods
- Research Methods
- Machine Learning
- Bayesian Statistics
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Image Analysis
- Biomedical Time Series Analysis
- Device and Sensor Data
- Genetics
- Infectious Diseases
- Modelling for Policy Making
- Data Governance
- Data Engineering
- Health Data Quality
- Health Data Standards
- Data-driven Innovation.
In each case, you will develop an understanding of relevant concepts and techniques that is not only enough to enable their application and integration but will also serve as a solid foundation should you choose to pursue research in that area.
Each term of taught modules concludes with an extended, team-based two-week data challenge where you will work in small groups with clinicians and domain experts to address questions using large healthcare datasets.
At the start of the second term you will usually select from a pool of projects. These projects are proposed by Oxford faculty members but you may also contact faculty members to jointly propose projects. There are always more projects than students, and students are typically matched to, at least, their first choice, but it is not possible to guarantee that you will be able to work with a particular member of staff.
You will usually undertake two ten-week placements with research groups within the University. These will provide you with experience of working as part of an active research group and the opportunity to explore specific areas before writing a proposal for your doctoral research.
At the end of the summer of the first year, you will normally select one of the two projects to become the basis of your DPhil research.
In some cases, we are able to offer studentships that are linked to industrial or partner funding. These studentships are usually linked to a specific research project and supervisor. If you are offered one of these studentships, your DPhil research project will be allocated to you prior to the start of your course.
In years two to four you will carry out individual research on a project within the scope of the programme, specifically the development of novel statistical, machine learning or computational methods with application to health or healthcare data. Training will continue in academic reading, writing and presentation skills, ethics, responsible research and innovation, and career development and planning.
While working on your research project, you will have the opportunity to participate in a range of activities including an ethics placement, four-week external data challenge, seminar series and annual CDT retreats.
Attendance
The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.
Provision exists for students on some courses to undertake their research in a ‘well-founded laboratory’ outside of the University. This may require travel to and attendance at a site that is not located in Oxford. Where known, existing collaborations will be outlined on this page. Please read the course information carefully, including the additional information about course fees and costs.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.
The Big Data Institute has dedicated teaching spaces for classes, workshops, group exercises, and presentations, as well as study space for students during their first year. The institute has many large and small meeting rooms, a large café, and an open, furnished atrium, affording space for formal and informal interaction with research groups, other programmes, and partner organisations. You will have access to a secure research computing infrastructure that supports containerised processing, and you will be able to push your own applications to cloud infrastructure provided by partner organisations. There is central support for common applications and services, including a JupyterHub server for Jupyter notebooks.
The institute houses internationally recognised research groups in genomic medicine, medical image analysis, mobile and sensor data, infectious diseases, and large-scale clinical trials. It is also home to the Ethox Centre and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities.
When you move out to your DPhil research department you will also have access to the facilities provided by that department. You will remain a member of the CDT and will retain access to the Big Data Institute.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre (MSDTC) and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the department.
Teaching on taught modules and subsequent research supervision are provided by leading academics from a range of departments at the University. You will benefit from dual supervision for the duration of your research project; at least one of the members of the supervisory team will have a strong background in core data science.
You will have the opportunity to meet your supervisors on a regular basis. These meetings typically take place at least once every two weeks, averaged across the year and agreed by both parties, to discuss your progress.
Assessment
All modules, data challenges and activities during the taught course component involve some aspect of formal assessment, including written reports, problem solving, and group and individual presentations. At the end of year one, you will submit a short DPhil proposal which will be examined orally by the CDT directorate to evaluate your progress and the suitability of the project.
All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of six terms as a PRS student you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status within ten terms of admission, to show that your work continues to be on track.
Both milestones normally involve an interview with two assessors (other than your supervisor) and therefore provide important experience for the final oral examination.
You will be expected to submit an original thesis after, at most, four years from the date of admission.
To be successfully awarded a DPhil in Healthcare Data Science you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.
Graduate destinations
It is expected that graduates will be well placed to take on leading roles in industry, academia and the public sector, including areas where health and health care data is used to direct policy or make decisions about patient care.
Changes to this course and your supervision
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
We know that factors such as socio-economic circumstances and school performance can make it difficult for students to demonstrate their full potential. This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background. For further details, please refer to the information about improving access to graduate study in the How to apply section of this page.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. Contextual data may also be used in the assessment of studentships.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours
The above qualification should be achieved in one of the following subject areas of disciplines:
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Engineering Science
- Computer Science; or
- A science subject which equips you with demonstrable quantitative skills
A master's qualification (either in integrated master's degree or standalone) in one of the above subjects is preferred but not required. Substantial professional experience or a graduate qualification may be a substitute for a lower grade at undergraduate level.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
- Research or working experience in a relevant field may be an advantage.
- Whilst not required, or expected, publications demonstrating previous research experience in a relevant field and a track record demonstrating an interest in research are likely to advantage your application.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced* | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency† | 191 | 185 |
*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process and are expected to take place around a month after the application deadline.
Interviews are usually held remotely and are approximately 30 minutes in length. The interview takes the form of a series of questions to assess readiness to study, specifically your foundational mathematical, statistical and computational skills, and your interest in working at the interface between machine learning and data driven research in health and healthcare.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
Some postgraduate research students in science, engineering and technology subjects will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate prior to applying for a Student visa (under the Student Route). For some courses, the requirement to apply for an ATAS certificate may depend on your research area.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre
The Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre (MSDTC) accommodates the interdisciplinary, cross-departmental DPhil programmes in medical sciences.
Several are structured DPhil programmes, which provide students with the opportunity to undertake two or three 'rotation' projects and relevant course work in their first year of each four-year structured programme. The main doctoral project starts in the second year of such programmes. Other programmes are wholly research based, allowing students to take a research project from the initial proposal through to submitting their thesis. Most of our programmes receive external core-funding, for example from Cancer Research UK and EPSRC.
The MSDTC also accommodates the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars’ Programme, the DPhil in Cancer Science programme funded by CRUK which welcomes applications from clinicians, basic scientists, and medical undergraduates, and the DPhil in Inflammatory and Musculoskeletal Disease which is funded by the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research and is open to medical students wishing to undertake DPhils in the fields of musculoskeletal disease, inflammation and immunology.
Each programme has a distinctive intellectual flavour, designed to nurture independent and creative scientists. Students are supported in their development through:
- supervision and mentoring by world-class academics training in a wide range of research techniques;
- a nurturing research culture with development of student resilience and maintenance of mental health and wellbeing from the start and throughout each programme; and
- being part of a supportive community within individual programmes and across the multi-disciplinary MSDTC.
Funding
For this course, we recommend that you visit our dedicated funding pages which include details of a range of external funding, loan schemes for postgraduate study. Some scholarships may also be available through our fees, funding and scholarship search tool. You should review the information carefully, including the eligibility criteria and application deadlines, noting that not all funding opportunities are available for postgraduate diploma and postgraduate certificate courses.
Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:
Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.
For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.
Costs
Annual fees for entry in 2025-26
Information about course fees
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges.
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.
Continuation charges
Following the period of fee liability, you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.
Where can I find further information about fees?
The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.
Additional information
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs, which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
The following colleges accept students on the Healthcare Data Science (EPSRC CDT):
Before you apply
Before you begin an application, we recommend that you consult the Medical Sciences Graduate School's website to identify the most suitable course for your intended area of research.
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the December deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students
If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission.
Application fee waivers for eligible associated courses
If you apply to this course and up to two eligible courses during the same application cycle, you can request an application fee waiver so that you only need to pay one application fee. We recommend that you use your application fee waiver to apply only for eligible courses that are closely related in research area to this one.
To be considered eligible for an application fee waiver, each additional course must be:
- doctoral level eg a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) or Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) course; and
- offered by one of the departments in the MPLS Division or one of the departments in the Medical Sciences Division.
If this is the first eligible course that you are applying to, you can request an application fee waiver for an additional course after you have submitted your application for this course. If you have already applied to another course that the meets the eligibility criteria shown above, you should request an application fee waiver before starting an application to this course.
Remember to state clearly in your request which course(s) you intend to apply to. If your request is successful, you will receive an application fee waiver code that is valid for this admission cycle (ie for entry in the 2025-26 academic year). Our Application Guide provides instructions for entering your application fee waiver code.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.
You may wish to make informal enquiries with the HDS CDT team before you apply in order to work out whether this is the right course for you, and the likely availability of funding. You should do so via the contact details provided on this page.
Improving access to graduate study
This course is taking part in initiatives to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly.
Socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used as part of an initiative to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Proposed field and title of research project
You will not usually choose your research area until the end of year one, so you do not need to specify a research field, or project title beyond "EPSRC CDT in Healthcare Data Science" in your application.
If you would like to express your interest in any of the industry- or partner-linked projects listed on the HDS CDT website, you should quote the Project ID here.
You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).
Proposed supervisor
As you will not choose your research supervisor until the end of year one, you do not need to specify a supervisor beyond "HDS cohort-based training programme" in your application.
Referees:
Three overall, of which at least two must be academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Academic references are preferred, although a maximum of one professional reference is acceptable where you have completed an industrial placement or worked in a full-time position.
Your references will support:
- intellectual ability
- academic achievement
- motivation and interest in the course and the subject area
- and your ability to work both in a group and independently.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Statement of purpose/personal statement:
A maximum of 500 words
You should provide a statement of your research interests, in English, describing how your background and research interests relate to the programme. If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
It will be normal for students’ ideas and goals to change in some ways as they undertake their studies, but your personal statement will enable you to demonstrate your current interests and aspirations.
The statement should focus on academic or research-related achievements and interests rather than personal achievements and interests.
This will be assessed for:
- your reasons for applying;
- evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study;
- the ability to present a reasoned case in English;
- capacity for sustained and focused work; and
- understanding of problems in the area and ability to construct and defend an argument.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.