The redesign of the Medical Informatics Master of Science course at the University of Amsterdam

OBJECTIVES: To describe our new two years Master of Science (MSc) program starting in September 2006 at the University of Amsterdam- Academic Medical Center, The Netherlands. METHODS: We elaborate shortly on the mission, organizational structure and new contents of this new MSc course in medical informatics. RESULTS: Through the years, our medical informatics university program underwent some major revisions of which the transition from a four years course into a three years BSc program and a two years MSc program has been the most fundamental. The new MSc program is aimed at (international) baccalaureates in medical informatics, computer science, medicine, health sciences, and biology. Besides, health care professionals or professionals with a background in computer science may enter the program. The program length is two years, comprising four study semesters of 30 European Credits each (EC, 1 EC corresponding to 27 hours study load), equalizing 120 EC in total of which 48 EC are reserved for the master's thesis. CONCLUSIONS: With the new set up of the MSc program, that will be offered in English, we hope to both accommodate the learning needs of our own baccalaureates and to attract international baccalaureates and other professionals to this course. Our ultimate aim is to bring forth medical informatics specialists who are well equipped to make significant contributions to the field