- Degree
- PhD in Health Data Sciences
- Course location
- Berlin
- In cooperation with
- • Institute of Public Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
• Institute of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
• QUEST Center for Responsible Research, Berlin Institute of Health
- Teaching language
- • English
- Languages
- The working language of the HDS PhD programme is English. The final dissertation must be submitted in English, and all required HDS coursework will be completed in English. Many of the elective offerings are also in English, and it is possible to complete the HDS programme without any German language knowledge. German speaking students could also take courses in German for elective credit (as long as these are relevant to HDS and approved by the HDS PhD Board).
- Full-time / part-time
- • full-time
- Mode of study
- Fully on-site with voluntary online elements
- Programme duration
- 6 semesters
- Beginning
- Winter semester
- Application deadline
- Please check the HDS PhD website in autumn 2025 for updated information on 2026 HDS PhD programme admissions. The application period typically runs from mid-January through the end of February. The 2026 HDS PhD cohort will begin their studies on 1 October 2026.
- Tuition fees per semester in EUR
- None
- Combined Master's degree / PhD programme
- No
- Joint degree / double degree programme
- No
- Description/content
- The goal of the multidisciplinary doctoral programme in Health Data Sciences for outstanding junior researchers is to provide a structured framework of studies, research, and teaching for promising scientists in the disciplines of Health Data Sciences (HDS).
The programme places particular emphasis on preparing students for future careers at universities, non-university research institutions, and other scientific public or private institutions in the fields of biostatistics, epidemiology, meta-research, population health science, public health, and medical informatics.
The scientific coursework serves to deepen methodological knowledge, instil fundamentals of sound scientific research practice, and promote effective dissemination of knowledge through teaching. The programme has three main focus areas:
• Methodology: Doctoral students attend courses in HDS domains to learn advanced health data sciences methods that they will later apply in a practical research setting for their individual research projects.
• Research: Interactive seminars and workshops serve to support doctoral candidates in all stages of their individual research project work, which will ultimately result in three scientific publications.
• Teaching: Under the guidance of experienced HDS faculty members, doctoral students prepare and teach courses focused on relevant topics.