Fully Online Master's Degree Programs in Health Informatics (MSHI)
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The short answer is, yes, there are various fully online master of science in health informatics programs available! These programs are ideal for healthcare professionals who wish to advance their career, those with an inclination towards computer science and information systems, and even career-changers.
In general, students do not need to have a background in computer science or healthcare to succeed in an online MS in healthcare informatics programs. Administered on the web, they can be accessed by students all over the globe. They are delivered in the form of online video lectures, with discussion forums, chat rooms, and Q&A sessions allowing students to interact with professors and their peers. A number of these programs also deliver lectures asynchronously, so students can view them at their own convenience.
An online MS in health informatics typically comprises 33 to 38 credit-hours and can be completed in two years. While course curricula may differ for individual programs, in general, students can look forward to a deep dive into topics such as information technology, health systems, healthcare management, healthcare data, and privacy and security.
Check out six fully online MS in health informatics programs and four related programs.
Featured MS Health Informatics Programs
Fully Online MSHI Programs
The University of Scranton offers an online master of science in health informatics (MSHI). This is a fully online program allowing students to interact with professors and classmates through email, online discussion forums, virtual chat sessions, and instant messaging. The program provides students with skills in communication, computer science, leadership, and information systems, so that they excel in the growing and lucrative field of health informatics. It also allows students without backgrounds in health or computer science to succeed.
Admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, a professional resume, a statement of intent, three letters of reference, and proof of English proficiency for international students.
Made up of 33 credit-hours, courses in this program include an introduction to health informatics, healthcare knowledge for health informatics, information technology for health informatics, database principles and applications, community health for health informatics, and public policy for health informatics.
In the program, students learn how to maintain reports and pull important data from software applications, databases, and health information systems. This data helps physicians, nurses, and other professionals to do their job. Students also learn how to make decisions based on data, developing skills in computer science, communication, and information systems.
At the end of the program, graduates can take up roles such as medical informatics analyst, informatics specialist, clinical informaticist, and informatics consultant.
- Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Accreditation: The Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $747 per credit-hour
Arizona State University – College of Health Solutions
In partnership with the University of South Wales in Sydney, the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University (ASU) offers a 100 percent online master of international health management (MIHM) which prepares graduates to create global-minded solutions to healthcare challenges.
Students enrolled in the 30-credit-hour program can choose between four tracks in hospital management, health economics, health informatics, or quality improvement in healthcare. Coursework in the program includes healthcare management and finance, comparative healthcare systems, high-value patient-centered care, and healthcare systems and design. No GRE or GMAT scores are required to apply this program.
Candidates for the MIHM should have a bachelor’s or master’s in a related science or health-based field (biology, pre-med, social work, etc).
- Location: Tempe, Arizona
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
- Expected Time to Completion: One year (full-time); two years (part-time)
- Estimated Tuition: $24,120
The University of Cincinnati offers an online master of health informatics degree. The program arms healthcare professionals with the technical, data analytics, management and business knowledge needed for a successful career in healthcare.
Admission requirements for the program include a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, a minimum grade point average of 3.0, unofficial transcripts from all college or universities attended, a letter of intent, two letters of recommendation, a professional resume, a completed online application, and TOEFL scores for international students. An IT background or healthcare experience are not required. GRE and GMAT scores are also not required for students with a GPA of 3.0.
Comprising 33 credit-hours, the curriculum includes courses such as health information legislation, privacy and security, project and program management, database modeling and design, leadership and strategic management in health settings, and an introduction to healthcare data science.
The program helps students develop a wide range of skills in communication, leadership, technology, and analytics. Upon successful completion of the program, students can take up roles as application specialists, database managers, data quality managers, consultants, IT coordinators, data analysts, and project managers.
- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $747 per credit-hour
Liberty University offers an online master of science in health informatics degree. The distance-based program is ideal for working professionals and individuals looking for a career in healthcare.
Admission requirements for this program include a bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited university, a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, a completed online application, official college transcripts, and proof of English proficiency for international students.
The program consists of 42 credit-hours. The coursework includes topics such as organizational behavior in health systems, managerial epidemiology, health informatics, health systems and delivery, legal and ethical issues for health professionals, quantitative methods in healthcare management, and health data analytics.
Students are trained to improve the efficiency, innovation, security, and effectiveness of information technology. They also dive deep into statistical literacy, upcoming information systems, and project management. The skills and knowledge they gain in this program can ensure they land lucrative career opportunities in the field of healthcare.
- Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $565 per credit-hour
The University of Illinois offers a fully online master of science in health informatics program. The program prepares students to tackle important issues such as rising costs, patient-centered experience, and healthcare quality.
Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, undergraduate grade point average of 3.0, official transcripts from each institution attended, a current resume, personal statement, two recommendation letters, and proof of English language proficiency for international students. GRE or GMAT scores are not required.
The program comprises 38 credit-hours. The curriculum has been designed to provide students with real world skills such as using technology for data collection and decision making. Some of the courses include communication skills in health informatics, ethics and legal issues in health informatics, healthcare information systems, health information systems analysis and design, topics in health informatics, and healthcare data.
Students develop strategic and critical thinking skills, understand how health information technology is used for collecting and transforming data, as well as making information and knowledge accessible across organizations. They acquire knowledge of health informatics for guiding their organization in the implementation, evaluation, and development of health informatics strategies.
Graduates of the program can work in one of the numerous areas in the healthcare industry such as hospitals, business and industry, life sciences research, government, and academia.
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
- Expected Time to Completion: 30 months
- Estimated Tuition: $750 per credit-hour
The University Of Central Florida offers an online master of science in healthcare informatics. This is a 100 percent online program and does not require any campus visits. It provides students with an understanding of the management, business, and clinical aspects of health informatics.
In order to get accepted into the program, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree, an official transcript from each university or college attended, a goal statement, and a current resume, among other requirements. Prior experience in healthcare is not required.
The 38-credit-hour program consists of courses such as healthcare informatics and information technology, biostatistics and decision analysis, system analysis and design, project management in healthcare informatics, healthcare database management, and privacy and security in healthcare informatics.
The program trains students to manage patient data and maintain information systems. Additionally, students learn about data architecture, system analysis, and project management.
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Accreditation: (CAHIIM) Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $772.69 per credit-hour
Online Programs Related to MS in Health Informatics
George Washington University (MS in Biomedical Informatics)
George Washington University offers an online master of science in health sciences (MSHS) in biomedical informatics. The program teaches students to leverage data for solving complex clinical and public health issues.
Major admission requirements for the program include a bachelor’s degree, a grade point average of at least 3.0, a written personal statement, a current resume, two letters of recommendation, official transcript from every college and university attended, and TOEFL scores for international students.
Made up of 36 credit-hours, the program trains students to foster innovation in healthcare. Courses include high-performance computing, topics in healthcare leadership, the principles of medical informatics, healthcare informatics, medical decision making and decision support systems, and issues and trends in health systems.
The program teaches students how to apply data science fundamentals to healthcare, conduct data analysis and data programming, and develop programming skills. On completion of the program, students can work in roles such as health informatics director, healthcare IT project manager, health information consultant, or clinical informatics specialist.
- Location: Northwest, Washington, D.C.
- Accreditation: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $980 per credit-hour
Arizona State University (MAS in Health Informatics)
Arizona State University offers an online master of advanced study in health informatics. The program is taught by knowledgeable faculty members who continue to practice and engage actively with the medical community. The program is ideal for professionals with or without a medical background.
Admission requirements include a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, a minimum grade point average of 3.0, a completed graduate admission application, official transcripts, a current resume or curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and proof of English proficiency for international students.
The program is made up of 30 credit-hours. The coursework includes topics such as population health management and analysis, the fundamentals of health informatics, health informatics database modeling and applications, workflow analysis and redesign in health systems engineering, clinical decision support and evidence-based medicine, and leadership and change in clinical environments.
Graduates of the program develop a wide range of skills that they can apply to a number of healthcare careers. A few roles they can take up include senior informatics analyst, data scientist, healthcare IT project manager, clinical informatics manager, clinical analyst, and health informatics analyst.
- Location: Tempe, Arizona
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $959 per credit-hour
The University of Scranton (Graduate Certificate)
The University of Scranton offers an online graduate certificate in health informatics.
The program’s admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university (or the equivalent), an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, a completed online application, a professional resume, a statement of intent, three letters of reference, and proof of English proficiency for international students.
The 12-credit program includes courses such as an introduction to health informatics, healthcare knowledge for health informatics, the principles of computer science and software development, and information technology for health informatics.
Students learn how to use computers to process and store data, use software for troubleshooting problems, and tackle issues such as spam, phishing, spyware, and viruses. At the end of the program, graduates can take up roles such as health informatics consultant, nurse informaticist, medical informatics analyst, and clinical informaticist.
- Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Accreditation: The Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 months
- Estimated Tuition: $757 per credit-hour
University of Illinois (Graduate Certificate)
The University of Illinois also offers an online post-master’s certificate in health informatics. This is an ideal choice for those who already have a master’s, doctorate, or professional degree.
Admission requirements for the program include a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution, a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, a minimum of two years of work experience, official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, a current resume, a personal statement, and TOEFL scores for international students. GRE or GMAT scores are not required.
The program consists of 24 credit-hours and helps students advance their career in health informatics. Some of the courses include healthcare data, information sources in biomedical and health information sciences, healthcare information systems, the management of healthcare communication systems, and health information systems analysis and design.
The program helps students develop skills for evaluating the organizational state of health information technology; prepare for addressing ethical, social, organizational and legal issues; and sharpen their management and communication skills. At the end of the program, graduates are well-equipped to take up roles such as informatics analyst, clinical informatics specialist, clinical informatics director, and informatics manager.
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 18 months
- Estimated Tuition: $19,832 for the program
