phd health informatics ireland

MSc Healthcare Informatics

Course features.

• Trains graduates in medical and allied professions and those with an information technology background in healthcare informatics
• Enables students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and utilise tools of medical informatics
• Flexible approach to teaching and learning to accommodate busy clinicians
• Currently funded under the National Development Plan, Graduate Skills Conversion Programme

Course Overview

Information management and the utilisation of associated technology is becoming a major activity of the healthcare professional. This course is directed to medical practitioners, those in allied professions and also at those working in ICT areas in the health sector.

This course is eligible for UCD Global Excellence Scholarships. For more information on these scholarships and application details  visit this link .  

The course is primarily aimed at existing and future employees in the health service and IT industry sector who are looking to move into the area of Healthcare Informatics, expand their current knowledge in the area, or get more involved in health IT implementation projects in their respective work locations.

The assignments for the various modules are primarily focused on work-based topics, with these assignments being undertaken primarily as group or team work.

This team-based process mirrors the actuality of IT systems implementation projects or health data / business intelligence analysis in this sector.

Course Description

MSc in Healthcare Informatics (90 ECTS) is broken down as follows; 

Core modules (40 ECTS):

• Clinical Information & Decision Support Systems (10 ECTS)
• Biostatistics and Data Management (10 ECTS)
• Medical Records (5 ECTS)
• Information Visualisation (5 ECTS)
• Interoperability, Standards & XML (5 ECTS)
• Information Governance in Health (5 ECTS)

Optional modules (20 ECTS), choice of: 

• AI for Pathology and Histopathology (10 ECTS)
• AI for Medical Image Analysis (10 ECTS)  
• Health Data – What is it and where does it come from? (5 ECTS)
• Corporate Information Systems in Health (5 ECTS)
• Informatics Systems Implementation in Health (5 ECTS)
• Human Computer Interfaces (5 ECTS)
• Artificial Intelligence in Health (5 ECTS)
• Data Programming with R (5 ECTS)
• Personalised Medicine (5 ECTS)
• Data Mining in Health (5 ECTS)
• Medical Devices and their connectivity (5 ECTS)
• Clinical Biomarkers (5 ECTS)
• Bioinformatics (5 ECTS)
• Data Programming with R (5 ECTS)
• Artificial Intelligence in Health (5 ECTS)

Research / Dissertation module (30ECTS)

The lecturers will come from both UCD and the Health Service to ensure an appropriate mix of theory and application in the content.

Applicants will normally hold a NQF Level 8 academic award.

Where an applicant does not hold a Level 8 award, consideration will be given to those with relevant and appropriate qualifications and experience working in or closely with the health system. Such candidates may be interviewed to ensure applicability to the programme prior to acceptance.

Candidates who may enter via this route would typically be those currently employed but looking to change the focus of their career into the Health Informatics arena, or those that have health experience but are currently unemployed and looking to re-enter the workforce in the Healthcare Informatics field.

• International applicants should contact the Academic Programme Director for a full list of entry requirements
• For more information, please visit   UCD Global .

Important dates

• The next intake for MSc Healthcare Informatics is September

Apply Online

• You can apply via the  UCD application portal . Please search for the course code, X523
• If you have any problems or queries with the online application process please Email:  [email protected]  or Tel: + 353 1 716 1142/ 1476

For information on cost, please see  UCD Fees website .

Financial Support available

Springboard.

A number of places for this course are government funded under the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) via the Springboard.ie website. The following are eligible to apply for courses (subject to the applicant meeting all requirements, e.g. academic requirements): 

• Returners  (formerly referred to as Homemakers): May apply to all courses if they meet the nationality/visa requirement and residency criteria
• People  in employment : May apply to all courses if they meet the nationality/visa requirement and residency criteria. 
• The  unemployed  or  formerly self-employed:  All courses are open to these categories of applicants, with the exception of the two-year part-time ICT conversion courses which are not open to those in receipt of a Jobseekers-related payment. 

Depending on your situation, the fees are provided in full or subsidised. For more information, and to apply, please visit  www.springboard.ie  . 

Key Information:

• Major Code X523
• Duration 12/24 Months
• Schedule Full-Time
• Next Intake September

Download the Healthcare Informatics Brochure

Healthcare informatics with prof neil o'hare, ready to take the next step.

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

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PhD Global Health

"The PhD in Global Health brings early-stage researchers from a range of disciplines and nationalities together to discuss, debate, and collaborate on pressing issues in global health. While working towards their independent research projects, our PhD students have the opportunity to work, socialise, and learn alongside other doctoral candidates in the Centre."

Dr Frédérique Vallieres Course Director P: +353 1 896 2130 E: [email protected]

Programme Supervisors

Dr Felicity Daly - PhD Public Health and Primary Care Global Health| P: +353 1 896 4177 E: [email protected]

Dr Kristin Hadfield - PhD Psychology Global Mental Health | Child & Adolescent Mental Health & Wellbeing P: +353 1 896 4178 E: [email protected]

Dr Frédérique Vallieres - PhD Psychology Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Settings | Psychological Trauma | Health Systems Strengthening | Human Resources for Global Mental Health P: +353 1 896 2130 E: [email protected]

Dr Meg Ryan - PhD Public Health and Primary Care or PhD Psychology Global Mental Health | Reproductive Justice | Gender-Based Violence |Psychotraumatology |Counselling Psychology & Psychotherapy P: +353 1 896 2764 E: [email protected]

Programme Aims & Structure

The PhD in Global Health (formerly INDIGO) programme aims to provide promising early career researchers with a world-class experience and scholarship. A four-year, full-time programme with a flexible structure, the PhD Global Health aims to produce leaders in global health research, policy, and practice. Typical for our doctoral candidates is to spend a considerable portion of their doctoral degree conducting research as part of ongoing global health and global mental health projects, in collaboration with one of our many national and international partners . Students who successfully complete their PhD will receive either a PhD Psychology or PhD Public Health and Primary Care, dependent on their supervisor.

The following outlines the major milestones of the PhD process, the timing of which may vary depending on the individual candidate and their respective research requirements:

In addition to their own research obligations, doctoral researchers are expected to attend and participate in the TCGH's weekly research seminars, held every Tuesday during lunch time.

By the end of their doctoral training, students gain first-hand knowledge and experience of conducting practical research in one or more of the following principal research areas : (1) Global Mental Health; (2) Health Systems Strengthening; (3) Human Resources for Health, and (4) Equitable Access to Inclusive Health.

By working closely with their supervisors, mentor panels, TCGH partners, and fellow doctoral researchers, our PhD students emerge from the programme confident in their ability to independently design and conduct global health research. Students also have the opportunity to avail of career development opportunities by getting involved with the following TCGH activities:

• Research grant writing and submission to funding bodies
• Academic writing and publication
• Critical thinking and conceptual framing of international development work
• Conducting research in resource-constrained settings and/or with vulnerable populations
• Post-graduate teaching and co-supervision through engagement with BA or MSc programmes

We are currently reviewing applications for doctoral theses that are related to the following research topics:

• Global Health ( Supervisor: Dr Felicity Daly ) - Supervisor for PhD Public Health and Primary Care
• Child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing; resilience; randomised controlled trials; parent-child relations; refugee youth and families; climate change ( Supervisor: Dr Kristin Hadfield ) - Supervisor for PhD Psychology
• Global mental health; social determinants of mental health; sexual reproductive health and rights, LGBTQIA+ health and mental health, gender-based violence, ( Supervisor  Dr Meg Ryan ) -  Supervisor for PhDs in Psychology or Public Health and Primary Care
• Global mental health; global health and international development; psychological responses to trauma; human resources for health and task-sharing models of health service delivery; health system strengthening, ( Supervisor:   Dr Frédérique Vallières ) - Supervisor for PhD Psychology

Please note that, unless otherwise indicated, there is currently no funding available for PhD posts, so candidates must be self-funded or have secured their own bursaries. That said, the opportunity to apply for a Trinity Postgraduate Research Award is available to those who have secured a place on the programme. When reaching out to potential supervisors, please provide information on whether you have secured funding for your tuition fees and stipend and, if not, what funding you would intend to apply for in order to support yourself while conducting the PhD. Note also that proposed PhD projects should be consistent with the funding available; if you have not already secured funding to support conducting the research itself, your research proposal should be for a research project which could be conducted at no or relatively low cost.

Admission to the PhD Global Health programme at Trinity College Dublin is highly competitive. Applicants must possess a strong academic record, international research experience, and a keen interest in global health research. Admission to the programme takes place in three stages. 

Stage 1: To be considered for a position on the course, candidates must submit ALL of the following documents to relevant supervisor via email at least 3 months before September 1st or March 1st registration deadlines:

• Personal statement
• Updated curriculum vitae
• Research concept cote outlining the candidate’s proposed research
• Copy of the candidate’s academic record(s)

Stage 2: If the above documents are in order, and where there is capacity to provide supervision to the applicant, the candidate may be asked to take part in an informal interview.

Stage 3:   Should the candidate succeed beyond this first two phases of the selection process, they will then be asked to put through a formal application through the TCD online application system. As this point, Academic Registry will vet the candidate's application to ensure that the programme requirements are met.

Requirements

The PhD in the Trinity Centre for Global Health is intended for individuals with a keen interest in global health research. This includes more academic, theory-based research as well as operational, systems, and services-orientated research with organisations involved in ongoing global health activities. Given the cross-disciplinary nature of the programme, applications are invited from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds who wish to advance their research skills and to answer questions that further our understanding of how to best address important challenges for global health.

Trinity College Dublin has high academic entry requirements for post-graduate courses. Applicants must* have:

• A relevant master’s degree from an Irish University or an equivalent degree from a university in another country
• A fluent command of the English language (see below for English language requirements)
• A strong understanding of research principles and methodologies (as assessed by the applicant’s research concept note)
• Previous experience conducting research in resource-constrained settings is preferable, but not mandatory.

*In exceptional cases, individuals who demonstrate that they have exceeded the above standards through other professional and academic routes may also be considered for the PhD Global Health programme.

English Language Requirements:

All applicants whose first language is not English, must provide supporting documentary evidence of their competence in English. The following test results are recognised by Trinity College Dublin:

• IELTS: Grade 6.5 with no individual band below 6
• TOEFL: 88 – internet based, 230 computer-based, 570 paper-based
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English: Grade C
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: Grade C

Additional information for international students is available from the Graduate Studies Office .

Fees are payable on an annual basis and vary depending on which School the PhD student is registered to.

We understand that pursuing doctoral studies implies a significant financial commitment and we strongly encourage students to seek out bursaries and scholarships that might be available to them. Listed below are current opportunities for funding as well as some of the scholarships past PhD Students have avail of:

• Health Research Board Fellowship Grants  ( www.hrb.ie )
• Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme  ( www.research.ie )
• Trinity Postgradate Research Funding (Trinity College Dublin): Funds students on a full-time basis wtih a stipend for four years and covers applicable university fees in addition to a stipend of EUR 6,500.00 per annum. Candidates can apply during the formal online application process. Please tick the appropriate box when asked whether you would like to be considered for this scholarship.  ( Graduate Studies )
• Tempere Tuberculosis Foundation, Finland
• Robert S. McNamara Fellowship : Every year, the RSM programme provides grants of up to $25,000 to PhD candidates from developing countries to conduct innovative, development-related, PhD research under the supervision of a research advisor at a host institution abroad. The online application form is available on the World Bank website  http://www.worldbank.org/scholarships . For further application details please consult the Application Guidelines:  http://worldbank.org

Current PhD Researchers

TCGH doctoral researchers are considered integral members of the TCGH team and are often part of one of more of the various ongoing research projects in the Centre.

Prof Mac MacLachlan (Maynooth)

Dr David Hevey

Dr Fintan Sheerin

Dr Vivienne Brady

Dr Meg Ryan

Dr Kristin Hadfield

Dr Tania Bosqui

Publications

Recent publications arising from the PhD Global Health:

• Warraitch, A. , Lee, M., Bruce, D., Curran, P., Khraisha, Q ., Wacker, C., & Hadfield, K . (2024). An umbrella review of reviews on challenges to meaningful adolescent involvement in health research. Health Expectations, 27(1), e13980.
• Warraitch, A. , Bruce, D., Lee, M., Curran, P., Khraisha, Q ., & Hadfield, K. (2023). Involving adolescents in the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of health research: an umbrella review protocol. BMJ open, 13(6), e069695.
• Warraitch, A. (2022). Challenges to meaningful involvement of youth in health research. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(9), 493-493.
• Khraisha, Q. , Sawalha, L., Hadfield, K. , Al-Soleiti, M., Dajani, R., & Panter-Brick, C. (2024). Coparenting, mental health, and the pursuit of dignity: A systems-level analysis of refugee father-mother narratives. Social Science & Medicine, 340, 116452.
• Maiorano, N. , Travers, Á., & Vallières, F. , (2023). The relationship between rape myths, revictimization by law enforcement, and well-being for victims of sexual assault. Violence against women, 29(14), 2873-2890.
• Perera, Camila, Aldamman, Kinan , Hansen, Maj, Haahr-Pedersen, Ida , Caballero-Bernal, Joyce, Caldas-Castañeda, Olga N., Chaparro-Plata, Yosbelly, Dinesen, Cecilie, Wiedemann, Nana, Vallières, Frédérique, A brief psychological intervention for improving the mental health of Venezuelan migrants and refugees: A mixed-methods study, SSM - Mental Health, 2, 2022, p100109 , Journal Article.
• Haahr-Pedersen I, , Hyland P, Hansen M, Perera C , Spitz P, Bramsen RH, Vallières F ., Patterns of childhood adversity and their associations with internalizing and externalizing problems among at-risk boys and girls., Child abuse & neglect, 121, 2021, p105272 , Journal Article.
• Hearns, A. , Hyland, H., Benninger-Budel, C. and Vallières, F. , (accepted). ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD: Implications for the rehabilitation of survivors of torture seeking international protection. Torture.
• Perera C , McBride KA, Travers Á, Tingsted Blum P, Wiedemann N, Dinesen C, Bitanihirwe B, Vallières F., Towards an integrated model for supervision for mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian emergencies: A qualitative study.,  PloS one , 16, (10), 2021, pe0256077 , Journal Article
• Murphy, D. , Vallières, F., Murphy, J., McElroy, E. and Hyland, P. (2020). Risk factors associated with general and specific dimensions of psychosis in a nationally representative sample of adults from the United States. Psychosis: Psychological, Social, and Integrative Approaches. https://doi.org/10.1080/17522439.2020.1791238
• Perera, C. , Salamanca-Sanabria, A., Caballero-Bernal, J., Feldman, L., Hansen, M., Bird, M., Hansen, P., Dinesen, C., Wiedemann, N. and Vallières, F. (2020). No implementation without cultural adaptation: A process for culturally adapting low-intensity psychological interventions in humanitarian settings. Conflict and Health, 14, 46 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-020-00290-0
• Haahr- Pedersen, I. , Ershadi, A., Hyland, P., Hansen, M., Perera, C. , Sheaf, G., Holm Bramsen, R., Spitz, P. and Vallières, F. (2020). Polyvictimization and psychopathology among children and adolescents: A systematic review of studies using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Child Abuse and Neglect, 107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104589
• Haahr-Pedersen, I., Perera, C. , Hyland, P., Vallières, F., Murphy, D. , Hansen, M., Spitz, P., Hansen, P., & Cloitre, M. (2020). Females have more complex patterns of childhood adversity: Implications for mental, social, and emotional outcomes in adulthood. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11 :1. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1708618
• Aldamman, K., Tamrakar, T., Dinesen, C., Wiedemann, N., Murphy, J., Hansen, M., Badr, E.E., Reid, T., & Vallières, F. (2019). Caring for the mental health of humanitarian volunteers in traumatic contexts: the importance of organisational support. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10 :1. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1694811
• Sherwood, L. , Hegarty, S., Vallières, F., Hyland, P., Murphy, J., Fitzgerld, G., & Reid, T. (2019). Identifying the Key Risk Factors for Adverse Psychological Outcomes Among Police Populations: A Systematic Literature Review . Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32, 688-700. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.224311 .

Do I get to select my supervisor, or will I be assigned one? Potential students are encouraged to apply todo a PhD in the Trinity Centre for Global Health having identified a member of staff within Trinity College Dublin that has agreed to supervise their work. Supervisors should have expertise in the area of research of interest to the candidate, as well as the availability to take on additional PhD students. You will not be assigned a supervisor.

Do I have to teach or supervise other students while enrolled in the PhD Global Health? There are a number of opportunities for doctoral researchers to both teach and co-supervise students enrolled in the BA Psychology, MSc Global Health, or MSc Glbal Mental Health programmes. This allows researchers to gain valuable teaching and supervision skills as part of their doctoral training. Supervision of master's theses is generally shared with a full-time academic staff member.

How many courses must I take for credit in order to fulfil the requirements of a PhD? The number of compulsory modules varies across Schools. Therefore, the number of ECTS credits required to fulfil the requirements of a PhD is entirely dependent on the School in which you are enrolled. Should you be invited to submit a formal application, you would enrol in the School where your primary supervisor is based. Attending and presenting at the weekly TCGH Seminars each term is mandatory for all PhD candidates in the Trinity Centre for Global Health.

What are the deadlines for submitting an application to the PhD in the Trinity Centre for Global Health? Trinity has two enrolment periods: September and March intakes. If candidates wish to be considered for the March intake, it is strongly advised that they submit their application by December 1st. For a September start, it is strongly advised that candidates submit their application by June 1st.

Am I permitted to have a co-supervisor from another institution? A second, or even third, co-supervisor may be beneficial. Typically, co-supervisors are located within organisations in the country where the student’s research is taking place. In 2014, TCD introduced an internal PhD advisory system whereby all PhD students are assigned two advisors in addition to their appointed supervisor. These mentors will be chosen by you and your supervisor and approved by the Director of Postgraduate Teaching and Learning. You will be expected to arrange a meeting with your supervisor and your two mentors at least once a year to review your progress and the annual report on your work, which you will be expected to write ahead of this meeting. Students are responsible for preparing an annual report based on the research they have been undertaking.

Will I have the opportunity to study or work in other institutions outside of Trinity College Dublin during the course of my PhD? Many of our PhD students spend time with one of our numerous international collaborating partners . This includes, but is not limited to, spending time in partner academic institutions in both low and middle-income countries, UN agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations. As many of our students’ research takes places in resource-poor contexts, it follows that many of our students spend a considerable amount of their time outside of the Trinity Centre for Global Health.

What funding options are available to PhD students? Unfortunately, there is very little funding available for PhD students. For current openings for funded PhD positions as well as relevant PhD funding bodies please see Fees and Bursaries.

What if I do not have a background in Global Health, can I still apply? As an interdisciplinary Centre, applications are welcome from individuals with diverse educational and academic backgrounds as long as the research conducted as part of their PhD is clearly related to the area of Global Health. Preference is given to applicants whose research falls under one of the Centre’s principal research themes. Individuals should also clearly demonstrate a deep understanding of the principles and theories of Global Health research.

For further information about past graduates and their research projects please click on the link below.

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Health Informatics MSc

Course details.

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Contact(s):

Read instructions on how to apply

Register your interest here for more information or to be notified when applications are open.

Brief Description

Equips graduates with the skills, knowledge and abilities to evaluate the opportunities and limitations of health care technology and its impact on improving the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, safety and quality of health care delivery, taking cognisance of the social, legal, ethical and technical issues and ensuring compliance with the standards and regulations governing systems in this domain.

Health informatics is a multi-disciplinary, multi-dimensional field. This field focuses on the creation, modelling, management and sharing of health data and knowledge to support data analysis and timely decision-making in medicine and health care together with the information science and technology to support these tasks. It is not solely a technical discipline but focuses on the relationship between the technology and its use in real-world settings i.e. solutions are designed in context, taking into account the social, cultural and organisational settings in which computing and information technology will be used in health care sectors.

The M.Sc. in Health Informatics aims to equip graduates with the skills, knowledge and abilities to:

• Evaluate the opportunities and limitations of health care technology and of its impact in improving the efficiency,
• cost-effectiveness, safety and quality of health care delivery.
• Express user requirements for health care information systems.
• Integrate computing and managerial knowledge and experience with health-related knowledge and experience.
• Ensure compliance with the standards and regulations governing systems in this domain.
• Formulate, evaluate and apply evidence-based solutions in the delivery of health care.

This one-year programme comprises three semesters: two taught semesters; in the third semester students will complete a substantial dissertation.  Standards in health care (systems, vocabulary, messaging and security), ethical and legal issues in health informatics as well as issues concerning quality and Human-Computer Interaction will be emphasised throughout this programme.  

Delivery Methods At least 50% of the material for each taught semester will be delivered via distance education.  Students will be required to attend 5 in-house blocks each semester.  An in-house block comprises a consecutive Friday and Saturday.  In each academic year, one series of in-house blocks will be delivered at the University of Limerick (UL) and it is expected to deliver another series of in-house blocks at some other location in Ireland subject to demand.

 Content of modules can be found by using the search option on the book of modules .

• A Health Care Administrator/Clerical Officer, Health Care Manager or Health Care Professional who holds a primary undergraduate degree (2.2 honours or higher)
• An applicant who holds a primary undergraduate degree (2.2 honours or higher) in a health sciences discipline
• An IT specialist who holds a primary undergraduate degree (2.2 honours or higher) with experience of working in a health care setting.
• An applicant with at least 5 years relevant work experience who can satisfy the course admission team that he/she has the ability to complete and benefit from this course.  Such applicants shall be required to undertake an interview.

Note your degree must be an Honours (Level 8 - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland ) degree or equivalent.

WHAT TO INCLUDE WITH YOUR APPLICATION:

• Qualification transcripts and certificates
• A copy of your birth certificate (long document)
• A statement of purpose
• If your qualifications have been obtained in a country where English is an official language this will suffice

If this is not available, the following additional documents must be provided: • English translation of your qualification(s)/transcripts AND • English language competency certificate

For more information  Click Here

EU - €7,430

Non- EU - €20,700

Further information on fees and payment of fees is available from the Student Fees Office website. All fee related queries should be directed to the Student Fees Office (Phone: +353 61 213 007 or email [email protected]. )

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Graduate and Professional Studies

+353 (0)61 234377 University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

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Health Sciences Informatics, PhD

School of medicine.

The Ph.D. in Health Sciences Informatics offers the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research projects in clinical informatics and data science at one of the world’s finest biomedical research institutions. In keeping with the traditions of the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Ph.D. program seeks excellence and commitment in its students to further the prevention and management of disease through the continued exploration and development of health informatics, health IT, and data science. Resources include a highly collaborative clinical faculty committed to research at the patient, provider, and system levels. The admissions process will be highly selective and finely calibrated to complement the expertise of faculty mentors.    

Areas of research:

• Clinical Decision Support
• Global Health Informatics
• Health Information Exchange (HIE)
• Human Computer Interaction
• Multi-Center Real World Data
• Patient Quality & Safety
• Population Health Analytics
• Precision Medicine Analytics
• Standard Terminologies
• Telemedicine
• Translational Bioinformatics

Individuals wishing to prepare themselves for careers as independent researchers in health sciences informatics, with applications experience in informatics across the entire health/healthcare life cycle, should apply for admission to the doctoral program.

Admission Criteria

Applicants with the following types of degrees and qualifications will be considered:

• BA or BS, with relevant technical and quantitative competencies and a record of scientific accomplishment as an undergraduate; 
• BA or BS, with relevant technical and quantitative competencies and a minimum of five years professional experience in a relevant field (e.g., biomedical research, data science, public health, etc.); or
• MA, MS, MPH, MLIS, MD, PhD, or other terminal degree, with relevant technical and quantitative competencies

Relevant fields include: medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, nursing, ancillary clinical sciences, public health, librarianship, biomedical science, bioengineering and pharmaceutical sciences, and computer and information science. An undergraduate minor or major in information or computer science is highly desirable.

The application is made available online through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine's website . Please note that paper applications are no longer accepted. The supporting documents listed below must be received by the SOM admissions office by December 15 of the following year. Applications will not be reviewed until they are complete and we have all supporting letters and documentation.

• Curriculum Vitae (including list of peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations)
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• Official Transcripts from undergraduate and any graduate studies
• Certification of terminal degree
• You are also encouraged to submit a portfolio of published research, writing samples, and/or samples of website or system development

Please track submission of supporting documentation through the SLATE admissions portal.

If you have questions about your qualifications for this program, please contact [email protected]

Program Requirements

The PhD curriculum will be highly customized based on the student's background and needs. Specific courses and milestones will be developed in partnership with the student's advisor and the PhD Program Director.

The proposed curriculum is founded on four high-level principles:

• Achieving a balance between theory and research, and between breadth and depth of knowledge
• Creating a curriculum around student needs, background, and goals
• Teaching and research excellence
• Modeling professional behavior locally and nationally.

Individualized curriculum plans will be developed to build proficiencies in the following areas:

• Foundations of biomedical informatics: e.g., lifecycle of information systems, decision support
• Information and computer science: e.g., software engineering, programming languages, design and analysis of algorithms, data structures.
• Research methodology: research design, epidemiology, and systems evaluation; mathematics for computer science (discrete mathematics, probability theory), mathematical statistics, applied statistics, mathematics for statistics (linear algebra, sampling theory, statistical inference theory, probability); ethnographic methods.
• Implementation sciences: methods from the social sciences (e.g., organizational behavior and management, evaluation, ethics, health policy, communication, cognitive learning sciences, psychology, and sociological knowledge and methods), health economics, evidence-based practice, safety, quality.
• Specific informatics domains: clinical informatics, public health informatics, analytics
• Practical experience: experience in informatics research, experience with health information technology.

Basic Requirements & Credit Distribution

• 15 "core" quarter credits (5 courses)
• 8 quarter credits of Student Seminar & Grand Rounds
• 60 elective quarter credits
• 6 quarter credits practicum/research rotation
• 36 mentored research quarter credits (12 in year 1, 24 in year 2)
• Research Ethics

• Academic Programs

PhD in Health Sciences Informatics Program

The PhD is a campus based program only.

Directed by Hadi Kharrazi, MD, PhD, the program offers the opportunity to participate in ground breaking research projects in clinical informatics at one of the world’s finest medical schools. In keeping with the tradition of the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the program seeks excellence and commitment in its students to further the prevention and management of disease through the continued exploration and development of health IT. Division resources include a highly collaborative clinical faculty committed to research at the patient, provider and system levels. The admissions process will be highly selective and finely calibrated to complement the expertise of faculty mentors.

Areas of research:

• Clinical Decision Support
• Global Health Informatics
• Health Information Exchange (HIE)
• Human Computer Interaction
• Multi-Center Real World Data
• Patient Quality & Safety
• Population Health Analytics
• Precision Medicine Analytics
• Standard Terminologies
• Telemedicine
• Translational Bioinformatics

Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative

As diverse PhD students at Johns Hopkins, Vivien Thomas scholars will receive the academic and financial support needed to ensure their success, including up to six years of full tuition support, a stipend, health insurance and other benefits, along with significant mentorship, research, professional development and community-building opportunities.

Click here to read more.

Application Requirements for the PhD in Health Sciences Informatics

Applicants with the following degrees and qualifications will be considered:

• BA or BS, or
• BA or BS, and a minimum of five years professional experience in a relevant field, or
• MA, MLS, MD or other PhD, with no further requirements.

"Relevant fields" include medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, nursing, ancillary clinical sciences, public health, librarianship, biomedical basic science, bioengineering and pharmaceutical sciences and computer and information science. An undergraduate minor or major in information or computer science is highly desirable.

The Application Process

Applications for the class entering in academic year 2025-2026 will be accepted starting in September 1, 2024 through December 15, 2024. (The application is made available through the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine here. )

Please note that paper applications are no longer accepted. The supporting documents listed below must be received by the SOM admissions office by December 15, 2024 . Applications will not be reviewed until they are complete and we have all supporting letters and documentation. 

• Curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official transcript of school record
• Certification of terminal degree
• Statement of Purpose
• You may also submit a portfolio of published research, or samples of website or system development to support your application if you wish.

This program does not require the GRE.

Important Transcript Information

It is the policy of the School of Medicine Registrar that new students have a complete set of original transcripts on file prior to matriculation showing the degree awarded and date. An official transcript is one that is addressed to the Office of Graduate Student Affairs and sent directly from the granting institution to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Office of Graduate Student Affairs, 1830 East Monument Street, Ste. 620, Baltimore, MD 21287. The transcript envelope must be sealed and stamped on arrival at the OGSA office. Transcripts addressed to the student can not be accepted even if they are sent to the OGSA address above.

Program Description

Individuals wishing to prepare themselves for careers as independent researchers in health sciences informatics, with applications experience in informatics across the entire health/healthcare life cycle, should apply for admission to the doctoral program. The following are specific requirements:

• A student should plan and successfully complete a coherent program of study including the core curriculum, Oral Examination, and additional requirements of the Research Master’s program. In addition, doctoral candidates are expected to take at least two more advanced courses. In the first year, two or three research rotations are strongly encouraged. The Master’s requirements, as well as the Oral Examination, should be completed by the end of the second year in the program. Doctoral students routinely will not be receiving a Masters degree on their way to the PhD; particular exceptions will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Doctoral students are generally advanced to PhD candidacy after passing the Oral Examination. A student’s academic advisor has primary responsibility for the adequacy of the program, which is regularly reviewed by the Doctoral Study Committee (DSC) of the Health Sciences Informatics (HSI) program.
• The student must have a minimum of two consecutive semesters (four quarters) of full time enrollment and resident on campus as a graduate student
• To remain in the PhD program, each student must receive no less than an B in core courses, must attain a grade point average (GPA) as outlined above, and must pass a comprehensive exam covering introductory level graduate material in any curriculum category in which he or she fails to attain a GPA of 3.0. The student must fulfill these requirements and apply for admission to candidacy for the PhD by the end of six quarters of study (excluding summers). In addition, reasonable progress in the student’s research activities is expected of all doctoral candidates.
• During the third year of training, generally in the Winter Quarter, each doctoral student is required to present a pre-proposal seminar that describes evolving research plans and allows program faculty to assure that the student is making good progress toward the definition of a doctoral dissertation topic. By the end of nine quarters (excluding summers), each student must orally present a thesis proposal to a dissertation committee that generally includes at least one member of the Graduate Study Committee of the Health Sciences Informatics program. The committee determines whether the student’s general knowledge of the field, and the details of the planned thesis, are sufficient to justify proceeding with the dissertation.
• As part of the training for the PhD, each student is required to be a teaching assistant for two courses approved by the DHSI Executive Committee; one should be completed in the first two years of study.
• The most important requirement for the PhD degree is the dissertation. Prior to the oral dissertation proposal and defense, each student must secure the agreement of a member of the program faculty to act as dissertation advisor. The University Preliminary Oral Exam (UPO) committee must consist of five faculty members, two of whom to be from outside the program, with the chair of the UPO committee coming from outside the program. The Thesis Committee comprises the principal advisor, who must be an active member of the HSI program faculty, and other, approved non HSI faculty members. Thesis committees must meet formally at least annually. Upon completion of the thesis research, each student must then prepare a formal written thesis, based on guidelines provide by the Doctor of Philosophy Board of the University.
• No oral examination is required upon completion of the dissertation. The oral defense of the dissertation proposal satisfies the University oral examination requirement.
• The student is expected to demonstrate the ability to present scholarly material orally and present his or her research in a lecture at a formal seminar, lecture, or scientific conference.
• The dissertation must be accepted by a reading committee composed of the principal dissertation advisor, a member of the program faculty, and a third member chosen from anywhere within the University. All University guidelines for thesis preparation and final graduation must be met.
• The Executive Committee documents that all Divisional or committee requirements have been met.

Program Handbook

Details about our program's policies are provided in our handbook here .

In addition, mentoring advising and resources are provided in this appendix .

An annual discussion and planning form is provided here for your reference.

Course Offerings

The proposed curriculum is founded on four high-level principles:

• Balance between theory and research, and between breadth and depth of knowledge: By providing a mix of research and practical experiences and a mix of curricular requirements.
• Student-oriented curriculum design: By creating the curriculum around student needs, background, and goals, and aiming at long-term competence using a combination of broadly-applicable methodological knowledge, and a strong emphasis on self-learning skills.
• Teaching and research excellence: By placing emphasis on student and teaching quality rather than quantity, by concentrating on targeted areas of biomedical informatics, and by close student guidance and supervision.
• Developing leadership: By modeling professional behavior locally and nationally.

The Health Sciences Informatics Doctoral Curriculum integrates knowledge and skills from:

• Foundations of biomedical informatics: Includes the lifecycle of information systems, decision support.
• Information and computer science: E.g. computer organization, computability, complexity, operating systems, networks, compilers and formal languages, data bases, software engineering, programming languages, design and analysis of algorithms, data structures.
• Research methodology: Includes research design, epidemiology, and systems evaluation; mathematics for computer science (discrete mathematics, probability theory), mathematical statistics, applied statistics, mathematics for statistics (linear algebra, sampling theory, statistical inference theory, probability).
• Implementation sciences: Methods from the social sciences (e.g., organizational behavior and management, evaluation, ethics, health policy, communication, cognitive learning sciences, psychology, and sociological knowledge and methods.) Health economics, evidence-based practice, safety, quality.
• Specific informatics domains: Clinical informatics, public health informatics.
• Practical experience: Experience in informatics research, experience with health information technology.

To achieve in-depth learning of the above knowledge and skills we adopt a student-oriented curriculum design, whereby we identify “teaching or learning processes,” that is, structured activities geared towards learning (i.e., courses/projects/assignments, seminars, examinations, defenses, theses, teaching requirements, directed study, research, service, internships). These processes were selected, adapted, or created in order to meet a set of pre-specified learning objectives that were identified by the faculty as being important for graduates to master.

The requirements are:

• 35 quarter credits/17.5 semester credits Core Courses (9 courses + research seminar 8 quarters)
• 48 quarter credits/24 semester credits Electives (may include optional practicum/research)
• 6 quarter credits/3 semester credits ME 250.855 practicum/ research rotation
• 36 quarter credits/18 semester credits ME 250.854 Mentored Research
• 125 TOTAL quarter credits/62.5 semester credits

Students are required to be trained in HIPAA and IRB submission, and to take the Course of Research Ethics.

IRB Compliance Training:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/institutional_review_board/training_req…

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Health Psychology Practice (Structured PhD)

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Course Overview

Course outline, course fees.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Psychology Practice is a four-year (full-time) postgraduate research and professional training qualification. It is also available part-time (six years' duration). The PhD has been developed in line with the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) ratified guidelines for postgraduate programmes for Health Psychology Practitioners. The PhD provides ‘Stage 2’ training in Health Psychology Practice, building on ‘Stage 1’ academic training in health psychology provided through Masters programmes in Health Psychology.  

This is a new and exciting Programme, the first of its type in the Republic of Ireland. Trainees, through supervised practice in applied settings, develop core health psychology practice skills to work as Health Psychology Practitioners. Health Psychologists are employed in a number of settings, including hospitals, academic health research units, health services, primary care, government departments and university departments.  

The programme combines a PhD thesis with training and supervised practice to develop five core Health Psychology competencies:

• Generic Professional Competence
• Health Psychology Interventions Competence
• Consultancy Competence
• Teaching and Training Competence
• Research Competence  

The PhD allows students to gain eligibility for Registered Membership of the PSI as a Registered Psychologist and become a full member of the PSI Division of Health Psychology.

Supervised practice

Supervised practice will allow students to gain direct experience of professional working and to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to practice as an independent health psychologist. During the course of the programmes students will:

• Gain experience within at least two distinct settings: relevant settings shall include university or educational settings, health promotion organisations, community settings and health services.
• Gain experience with a minimum of two different types of clients: relevant client groups shall include health service users and providers, health professionals, health professional students, multidisciplinary research groups and community groups.
• Document a minimum of 140 hours client contact time over the duration of their training. Contact time should be spread across a number of client groups and settings.

Supervision

Students will have one primary supervisor based at NUI Galway, who should be eligible for Registered Membership of PSI and for Full Membership of the Division of Health Psychology. Co-supervisors may be appointed as required to facilitate students to gain the required competencies and breadth of experience, and to develop a multi-disciplinary perspective.

Programmes Available

Postgraduate Research PhD Full-time: 6 years; part-time 4 years Applications are made online via the  University of Galway  Postgraduate Applications System . 

Learning Outcomes

Entry requirements.

A PSI accredited MSc in Health Psychology, or equivalent, is required for entry. Entrants will be expected to have no less than an upper second class honours undergraduate degree in psychology. Candidates should be proficient in the use of the English language. Students are selected by a Course Committee comprising the course Director(s), prospective research supervisor(s) and Head of School of Psychology.  An interview process forms part of the selection procedure.

  Assessment

  The Programme is assessed by:

• Examination of PhD Thesis:  the PhD thesis must demonstrate the advancement of knowledge through original research on a health-related topic. The thesis must adhere to the requirements, structure and format outlined in the University Guidelines for Research Degree Programmes.
•   Examination of portfolio of competence: t he portfolio of competence provides evidence that the trainee has gained relevant experience in each of the five practice competencies (listed above).

Who’s Suited to This Course

Current research projects.

Health Behaviour Change Research

Current funded research opportunity

Work placement, related student organisations, career opportunities, find a supervisor / phd project.

If you are still looking for a potential supervisor or PhD project or would like to identify the key research interests of our academic staff and researchers, you can use our online portal to help in that search

Curriculum Information

Glossary of terms, year 1 (90 credits), year 2 (90 credits), year 3 (90 credits), year 4 (90 credits), year 5 (90 credits), year 6 (0 credits), year 7 (0 credits), year 8 (0 credits), year 9 (0 credits), current projects.

Dr. Molly Byrne

Research interests:

• Developing and evaluating behavioural health interventions.
• Chronic disease (particularly coronary heart disease and diabetes): self-management and psychosocial aspects.
• Sexual issues, sexual counselling and chronic illness.

Dr Jenny Mc Sharry

• Interventions to change health-related behaviours and the use of behaviour change techniques.
• Understanding and managing health in the context of multiple illnesses.
• Illness perceptions of people with chronic conditions.
• Adherence to medication.

Researcher Profiles

Dr Jenny McSharry

Fees: Non EU

Extra information.

EU Part time: Year 1  €4,250 p.a. (€4,390 including levy) 2024/25

All students, irrespective of funding, must pay the student levy €140.

Dr Molly Byrne E:   [email protected] T: +353 91 495 182

Dr Jenny McSharry, E:  [email protected] T: +353 91 495 754

Postgraduate Prospectus 2024 PDF (3.3MB)

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