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[Translate to English:] © Jürgen Huhn​/​TU Dortmund
Multidisciplinary Master of Science

New Degree Program “Data Science in Sports and Health” Ready to Launch

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Graphic elements show statistics and data floating semi-transparently on a picture of someone jogging. © metamorworks​/​stock.adobe.com
The English-language Master's degree program combines modules in data science with modules in sports medicine and health sciences as well as training and movement sciences.
From improving athletic performance to testing new methods of physical therapy, the collection and analysis of large amounts of data has become increasingly important in both sports and health-related fields. In a new English-language master’s degree program, the Institute of Sports and Sports Science at TU Dortmund University will prepare students for academic and professional careers as data scientists with specialized expertise. After gaining full accreditation, the M.Sc. in Data Science in Sports and Health could start as early as winter semester 2025/2026.

As new technologies continue to enable and improve the collection of detailed data in all areas of life, the demand for data-driven decision making has also increased in companies and organizations of the health and sports industries. For example, professional sports teams are looking to improve the performance of their players by analyzing their training data or insurance companies would like to test customer engagement with preventive health care programs. At the same time, methodological advances in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence also open up new possibilities for innovative research in sports and health sciences.

“With the M.Sc. in Data Science in Sports and Health, we want to address this growing demand for specialized professionals,” says Vahid Farrahi, assistant professor of Data Analytics in Sports Sciences and one of the program’s initiators. His colleague Dr. Marcus Schmidt, departmental academic coordinator for the new degree program, adds: “We also created the program to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific innovation in the health and sports sciences. As part of that, we also hope to train future research talents and are aiming to provide opportunities for students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree.” The specialized degree program at the Institute of Sports and Sports Science is the first of its kind in Germany.

Multidisciplinary training

The four-semester program combines modules in data science with modules in sports medicine and health sciences as well as training and movement sciences, which are the focus of the institute’s research groups led by Professor Philipp Zimmer and Professor Thomas Jaitner, respectively. To facilitate the multidisciplinary program, the Department of Arts and Sports Sciences will collaborate with the Department of Statistics: students will join methodological and theoretical modules in advanced data science held at the Department of Statistics.

Schmidt explains: “Alongside proficiency in data analysis, the development of interdisciplinary communication skills is one of the key aspects of the master’s degree program. Furthermore, it not only teaches students theoretical and methodological knowledge, but also trains them in practical applications at the intersection of the scientific fields. For example, students can gain hands-on experience collecting their own research data or apply their skills in statistical inference and advanced statistical learning using artificial intelligence for large-scale and complex data sets in real-world settings.”

Career Opportunities in Academia and Industry

Admissions will take place every winter semester. All students who have completed their bachelor’s degree in sports sciences, health sciences, statistics, mathematics, computer sciences, biomedical engineering, or other closely related fields are eligible for application. “The English-language program prepares students for international professional careers in related industries, private and public health care providers as well as in academia,” says Farrahi. “All our students will be able to work in an intercultural and interdisciplinary environment. Additionally, the degree program offers international students interested in a career in data science, sports and health the opportunity to gain a foothold in Germany.”

After receiving positive feedback during the peer review, the accreditation of the master’s degree program in Data Science in Sports and Health is expected to be completed by the end of June. On the program’s website, interested students can join a mailing list to be notified when application opens. Students who have completed their bachelor’s degree in Germany will be able to apply using the Campusportal. International students with EU citizenship or students who have obtained their bachelor’s degree in an EU member state will submit their application to the International Office. Applications from students with non-EU citizenship and a bachelor’s degree from a non-EU state have to be submitted via uni-assist, the processing and service center for in­ter­na­tio­nal applications.

Further information

Contact for inquiries:

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