Academic Programmes

PhD in Health Informatics by Thesis

Objectives and contents

This is a three-year full-time PhD research programme provided by thesis. The programme aims to produce researchers in Health Informatics and Digital Health Systems. Registered students are assigned two supervisors to guide them throughout their research programmes.  Also, they are given the first 6 months of their studies to develop research proposals and expected to finish the proposal evaluation process by the end of the first year.  Once proposals are approved, students are expected to immediately start conducting research. 

PhD students are encouraged to develop soft skills which they can learn themselves under the guidance of their supervisors or through attending different seminars provided within the CoICT. Also, they can attend some of the masters' courses to help them acquire knowledge and build specific skills necessary to build relevant research capacity, subject to supervisors' recommendations. Particularly, all PhD students are recommended to attend a postgraduate course on Research Methodology. However, attending an MSc course does not contribute any credit to the PhD degree provided by thesis.  

All PhD students are given a working space in the PhD room to which they have access 24/7. The room is equipped with important facilities to provide a conducive environment for studying and conducting research. The department management and postgraduate team are available to provide specific support students may need to facilitate their research work.

Expected learning outcomes

Upon completion of the PhD programme, graduates will have the knowledge and skill to propose, design, and conduct different research related to Health Informatics and Digital Health Systems.  Similarly, graduates will have the competence to conduct quality research using different methodologies.

Career prospects

Students graduating from this programme can work in different capacities as:

1. Researchers in Health Informatics and Digital Health Systems.
2. Innovators of digital health solutions to address different challenges in health care delivery and facilitate health systems management.
3. Tutors in universities and colleges 
4. Managers of digital health systems initiatives 
5. Leaders of digital health initiatives in healthcare organisations and health programmes.

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for admission into this programme, the student should satisfy the general University od Dar es Salaam minimum requirements for admission into a PhD programme. Additionally, applications should have a master's degree from institutions recognized by Tanzania Commision for Universities (TCU) in:

1. Either Computer Science, Computer Engineering, IT Systems Engineering or any other ICT-related programmes 
2. Electrical Engineering-related Programmes with IT courses.
3. Medicine and other Health Science fields.

Registration Process
Detailed information about the registration process and the required supporting documents is available on the main UDSM website under the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies. Open the link HERE

Fee Structure

For Tanzanian students, the school fee for this programme is TZS 2,500,000/= per year. For international students, the fee is USD 4,020 per year. The fee can be paid in instalments per semester.

The University may change schools fees in each new academic year. Therefore, for accurate/ updated information about fees and other related direct costs paid to the University please visit the University Webpage on the fees structure for postgraduates programmes under CoICT. See the Registration Process page HERE and UDSM Postgraduate Fees Structure for the 2021/2022 academic year.

For more information about this programme please contact the Department of Computer Science and Engineering by email through cse@udsm.ac.tz or Telephone +255(0) 222700225. Otherwise, you are welcome to visit us to learn more about this programme at CoICT Kijitonyama Campus along Alli Hassan Mwinyi Road, Block A Room 002. We are open Monday to Friday from 08:00 am to 04:00 pm, except weekends and public holidays.