Statistics and Data Analysis Applied to Health

This advanced training course aims to equip students with essential skills for the analysis of quantitative data in the health field. Specifically, by the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:

• Work with real data using appropriate software tools, namely SPSS;

• Develop data analysis skills according to the collected information and the main objective of the study;

• Foster critical thinking in the use of different statistical methodologies and in the interpretation of results.

This course is therefore designed to prepare participants to analyse their data independently.

The course is offered within the scope of the partnership established between FFUL (Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon) and FCUL (Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon).

Coordination:

• Filipa Alves da Costa, Associate Professor with Habilitation, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon;
• Tiago Miguel Dias Domingues, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon.

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Legislation:

Regulamento n.º 638/2016 – Regulamento dos Cursos Não Conferentes de Grau da Faculdade de Farmácia da ULisboa

The course will take place from June 15, 2026, to June 30, 2026, in a face-to-face teaching format, with classes held on Mondays and Fridays from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Modules 3 and 6 will have an extended schedule, taking place on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The final assessment module will be held on a Tuesday, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

The course consists of a total of 125 hours, corresponding to 6 ECTS credits.

The training hours are distributed as follows:

• Theoretical training: 17 hours

• Practical training: 21hours

• Tutorial guidance: 4 hours

• Independent study hours:: 83 hours

Course Location: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, with online participation available. The first and last sessions will be held in person (except for students residing abroad).

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STUDY PLAN

This course focuses on the analysis of quantitative data collected in health research, with particular emphasis on the areas of social pharmacy and pharmaceutical technology. It is relevant for students whose doctoral projects involve either primary or secondary data.

The course is essentially practical in nature, focusing on the techniques most commonly used in these fields, making use of statistical software. Another key component of the course is the interpretation of the data generated.

All supporting materials, including presentations and recommended readings, will be made available two weeks in advance, allowing participants to adequately prepare for the topics to be discussed. The software will be provided free of charge to course participants, who may use their own laptops or, if preferred, use the faculty’s computers during the practical sessions. All sessions will be held in person to ensure maximum hands-on learning.

The course is structured into 8 modules and will be taught in Portuguese if all participants are native speakers. If at least one non-native Portuguese speaker is enrolled, the course will be taught in English.

TEACHING METHODOLOGY:

For each statistical technique covered, there will be a theoretical lecture of approximately 20 minutes to introduce or review the underlying concepts, followed by 5 minutes for questions and clarification. For each technique, students will be provided with scientific articles in the health field where the data were analysed using the respective method. A 30-minute discussion will be dedicated to interpreting and analysing the presented data. Additionally, 2 hours will be allocated for students to practise the relevant analyses using their own data (or datasets provided by the instructors if necessary).

LEARNING OUTCOMES AND SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED BY THE STUDENT:

Throughout the course, students will mainly develop skills in (supervised) data analysis and interpretation. The ultimate goal is for students to progressively gain the ability to perform data analysis independently.

ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY:

Application Period:

• 1st phase: from 1st September 2025 to 10th October 2025;
• 2nd phase: from 1st November 2025 to 10th December 2025.

Course start and end dates: 30th January 2026 to 21st February 2026

Target Audience:
This course is intended for PhD students and researchers in the fields of health sciences, medicine, nursing, and pharmaceutical sciences.

Scientific Area or Specialization:

Social Pharmacy

Admission Requirements:

Integrated Master’s degree in a Health-related area or equivalent.

Selection and Ranking Criteria:

Final grade of the degree and area of specialization of the PhD programme (for PhD students); current research area (for researchers).

• Minimum number of trainees for operation: 08
• Maximum number of trainees for operation: 30

Required Documents for Application: Academic Certificate, Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Registration Declaration for external PhD students not enrolled at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon (FFUL).

Application Fees and Tuition:

• Application fee: 10€ (Note: the application fee will not be refunded if the candidate is excluded or not selected).
• Course Tuition: €500 for general students  and €200 for external PhD students not enrolled at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon (FFUL).
• School Insurance Fee: 2,10€

Note: FFUL PhD students who wish to take the course as part of their mandatory 1st-year curriculum are exempt from the registration fee.

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Application Process:

Applications for the course are made exclusively through the FenixEdu Platform of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon (FFUL).

Access to the FenixEdu Platform:

• If you have never been a student at FFUL you must pre-register on the FenixEdu Platform.
• If you are a former student of FFULisboa and have already had an account campus@ulisboa or @edu.ulisboa.pt you should access the FenixEdu Platform and authenticate yourself with your account data. If you have lost access to your account, you can recover your password in the ULisboa users area.
• If you are a former student of FFULisboa and have never had an account campus@ulisboa or @edu.ulisboa.pt you must send an email to cncg@ff.ulisboa.pt indicating your full name and ID document number.

Access the FenixEdu Platform.

• On the tab “Candidate”, choose the type of application: “Advanced Training Courses”, select the desired course.
• Fill out the online form and attach all the required documents in digital format. In the application process you can indicate whether you want the invoice to be issued in the name of another entity/company/institution.
• Select the “Submit” option.

Applications will only be validated by the Academic Services once the applicant has paid the Application Fee.

For information regarding the application process and the course organization, please contact the Academic Services: doutoramentos@ff.ulisboa.pt