Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI)

Who

The ideal student will have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and an interest in allied health, IT, or business. These individuals seek to work in areas of health informatics, e.g., clinical decision support, health IT, health management, telemedicine, project management, or consumer health informatics. 

Leadership Track

A report by B.E. Smith, Exploring the Benefits of Leadership Diversity, shows that despite progress in recent years, there remains room for considerable improvement in leadership diversity in healthcare. A 2015 survey by American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity in Healthcare Management found that while minorities represented 32% of patients in hospitals, they comprised only 14% of hospital board members, 11% of executive leadership, and 19% of mid-level and first-level managers.

On gender, despite a healthcare workforce that is 80% female, women occupy approximately 25% of hospital CEO positions. Representation by women of color is in the single digits.

Professionals in leadership positions in health informatics and health IT can earn even more. PayScale reports the top 10% of health IT project managers earn nearly $140,000, and the highest health informatics director salaries top
$200,000 annually.

What 

This 35-credit hour, 14-month, online degree is designed to give individuals the flexibility to pursue advance training in health informatics. The program offers students a unique combination of courses in a lockstep cohort format in.The program offers students a unique combination of courses in a lockstep cohort format in clinical operations & communication, clinical decision support, health IT standards & interoperability, data mining & analytics, big data management, practical applications of machine learning & artificial intelligence (ML & AI), business fundamentals, and real world learning experiences through a hands on technical capstone practicum.

Potential MSHI Careers

• Health Informatics Consultants​ Clinical Informatics Analyst ​
• Clinical Data Analyst
• ​ Chief Informatics Officer​
• Health Informatics Specialists​
• EHR Implementation Manager​
• Health Information Technology Project Manager

Salary Range: $50,000- $200,000 ( depending on position and location)

Where 

Online|Anywhere

Why 

Health informatics uses IT to organize and analyze health records to improve healthcare outcomes. This discipline has been around for 30+ years, but the rate of growth of this market increased largely due to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which was signed into law in 2009. This law includes the Health Information and Technology for Economic Clinical Health Act (HITECH). HITECH formulated the Meaningful Use (MU) program under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of health informatics is estimated to grow at a rate > 25% every 10 years. This results in the creation of 50,000 new jobs every year. Hence, the health informatics workforce is one of the fastest growing sectors (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The infrastructure supporting this industry aims to improve healthcare quality, decrease medical errors, reduce health disparities, and advance delivery of patient-centered care to the historically underserved. 

When

Online Course Calendar 2023-2024

Deadlines

Fall 2023 Cohort

• Applications open: January 1, 2023
• Applications close: July 14, 2023
• Early decision: April 1, 2023
• Classes begin: August 21, 2023

Completed applications are received and reviewed by the admissions committee. *Interviews are not guaranteed.

Scheduled Breaks

• Spring Break: 4/24/23 - 5/1/23
• Winter Break: 12/10/23-1/1/24

Admissions and Tuition Information

Click here for information on admissions and tuition.

Curriculum

Click here for information about the MSHI curriculum