Starting in fall 2027, students can enroll in a new degree that channels all the opportunities – and the ethical framework – to successfully use artificial intelligence to solve real-world public health programs. The degree, a master’s in professional studies, or MPS, is called Applied AI for Public Health Data Science. The online program can be completed either part- or full-time.
“Public health researchers now have access to a wealth of data with the potential to improve public health – from satellite observations to wearable sensors to electronic health records and more,” said Professor Amir Sapkota, chair of the SPH Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (EPIB). “Our new MPS degree enables students to leverage this vast array of health data, harnessing rapidly evolving AI to usher in a new era of proactive public health.”
The program is housed in SPH EPIB, a department with multiple programs in the U.S. News & World Report top 25. The new 30-credit degree draws on expertise from across the University of Maryland to bring together diverse but relevant fields – including public health, epidemiology and bistatistics, data science and AI – creating a dynamic degree with significant career and leadership opportunities for its graduates.
What sets this program apart is that AI isn’t tacked on to an existing curriculum. We’ve developed coursework that integrates AI tools and methods into epidemiological and biostatistical training and situates these skills in an ethical-use framework.
Jennifer Bachner
EPIB clinical professor and SPH Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
“This new degree prepares graduates for roles at the intersection of public health and AI, such as leading disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness at health departments, building better healthcare delivery systems and shaping responsible-AI policy at federal, state and local health agencies,” said Dr. Jennifer Bachner, EPIB clinical professor and SPH Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. “Employers are struggling to find professionals who can successfully apply AI tools in these critical roles.”
Through hands-on coursework and a final project, graduate students integrate AI and data science with public health, policy, ethics and leadership to address practical health challenges. Students will tackle problems like detecting and forecasting disease outbreaks, early prediction and prevention of heat-related illnesses or identifying emerging mental health needs, Sapkota said.
Working with complex health data, students will learn how to use AI and machine learning approaches to translate computational insights into meaningful public health decisions. Throughout, the program will focus on responsible AI use – such as examining issues related to bias, equity and transparency to assess the strengths and weaknesses of AI use.
“What sets this program apart is that AI isn’t tacked on to an existing curriculum,” Bachner said. “We’ve developed coursework that integrates AI tools and methods into epidemiological and biostatistical training and situates these skills in an ethical-use framework. Graduates won’t just know how to deploy models – they’ll understand when to trust them and how to explain the outputs to decision-makers and policy leaders.”
Sapkota concurred. “The tools from this degree will prepare students to take on many of the most critical and challenging problems in public health today.”
Find more information about the MPS in Applied AI for Public Health Data Science.