About This Program
Looking to make a difference in healthcare? The M.S. degree in Health Informatics prepares graduates for careers at the intersection of healthcare and technology. With a focus on data analytics and information management, our program prepares graduates to use data and information to improve patient outcomes and drive innovation in healthcare. Read more...
Contact Information
- Meghan Harper | iSchool@kent.edu |
330-672-2782
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- Fully online
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*
Computer and information research scientists
- 19.7% much faster than the average
- 40,300 number of jobs
- $140,910 potential earnings
Computer and information systems managers
- 15.2% much faster than the average
- 667,100 number of jobs
- $171,200 potential earnings
Database administrators
- -0.7% little or no change
- 78,000 number of jobs
- $104,620 potential earnings
Database architects
- 8.7% much faster than the average
- 66,900 number of jobs
- $135,980 potential earnings
Accreditation
Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA1 on a 4.000-point scale
- Official transcript(s)
- Résumé
- Goal statement
- Two letters of recommendation
- English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:2
- Minimum 94 TOEFL iBT score
- Minimum 7.0 IELTS score
- Minimum 65 PTE score
- Minimum 120 DET score
- 1
Applicants who do not meet the minimum 2.750 GPA requirement must submit a statement that addresses the circumstances that contributed to the GPA and preparation for success in graduate study. Applicants should include recent professional achievements that indicate an ability to perform at a higher academic level to be considered for conditional admission to the program.
- 2
International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester
- Application deadline: April 15
- Spring Semester
- Application deadline: November 15
- Summer Term
- Application deadline: March 15
All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted after these deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| HI 60401 | HEALTH INFORMATICS MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HI 60402 | LEGAL ISSUES IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | 3 |
| HI 60403 | HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3 |
| HI 60410 | HEALTH RECORDS MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HI 60411 | CLINICAL ANALYTICS | 3 |
| HI 60414 | HUMAN FACTORS AND USABILITY IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | 3 |
| HI 60636 | STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGIES IN HEALTHCARE | 3 |
| Major Electives, choose from the following: 1 | 9-12 | |
| PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS | ||
| FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT | ||
| SEMANTIC ANALYSIS METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES | ||
| DATABASE FUNDAMENTALS FOR INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS | ||
| HEALTH INFORMATION RESOURCES | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN INFORMATION STUDIES | ||
| INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE FUNDAMENTALS | ||
| USER EXPERIENCE EVALUATION FUNDAMENTALS | ||
| Culminating Requirement | ||
| Choose from the following: 1 | 3-6 | |
| MASTER'S INTERNSHIP IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| MASTER'S PROJECT IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| MASTER'S RESEARCH PAPER IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| THESIS I | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 36 | |
- 1
Students selecting HI 66199 as their culminating requirement will complete 9 credits of major electives. Students selecting HI 66092, HI 66099 or HI 66198 will complete 12 credit hours of major electives.
- 2
A maximum 4 credit hours of HI 60693 and a maximum 6 credit hours of HI 61096 may be applied towards the degree.
Graduation Requirements
| Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
|---|---|
| - | 3.000 |
- No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
- Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Reconcile the needs of clinical and non-clinical users of health information systems utilizing workflow analysis, systems analysis and project management principles.
- Analyze collected data of health information systems, utilizing principles of data mining, statistics and clinical analytics.
- Manage the implementation of health information systems in multiple health care venues using principles of organizational dynamics and change management.
- Facilitate communication between clinical and non-clinical users of health information systems.
- Successfully obtain the credential of Certified Associate in Health Information Systems.
Dual Degree with M.P.H. in Epidemiology
Students have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the M.P.H. degree in Epidemiology and the M.S. degree in Health Informatics. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page.
The fully online dual degree prepares students for careers at the intersection of public health, data science, healthcare technology and disease prevention and response. Students learn how to build and manage health data systems and analyze and interpret public health data.
Dual Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| BST 62019 | BIOSTATISTICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| BST 63014 | APPLIED REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH DATA | 3 |
| EHS 62018 | ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CONCEPTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| EPI 62017 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 63014 | EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CHRONIC DISEASES | 3 |
| or EPI 63015 | EPIDEMIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES | |
| EPI 63016 | PRINCIPLES OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH | 3 |
| HI 60401 | HEALTH INFORMATICS MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HI 60402 | LEGAL ISSUES IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | 3 |
| HI 60403 | HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3 |
| HI 60410 | HEALTH RECORDS MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HI 60411 | CLINICAL ANALYTICS | 3 |
| HI 60414 | HUMAN FACTORS AND USABILITY IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | 3 |
| HI 60636 | STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGIES IN HEALTHCARE | 3 |
| HPM 62016 | PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| HPM 63020 | COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| SBS 64634 | SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH BEHAVIORS | 3 |
| Health Informatics (HI) Graduate Electives (50000 level or higher) 1 | 6 | |
| Major Electives, choose from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| USING R IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| USING SAS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| USING EXCEL IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| DATA MANAGEMENT AND LOGIC USING SAS® SOFTWARE | ||
| SURVIVAL ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH | ||
| CLIMATE CHANGE AND POPULATION HEALTH | ||
| BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS | ||
| PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| REGULATORY AFFAIRS IN CLINICAL RESEARCH | ||
| UNDERSTANDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH | ||
| ADVANCED EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| ETHICAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND CLINICAL RESEARCH | ||
| LONGITUDINAL DATA ANALYSIS | ||
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE I | ||
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | ||
| FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT | ||
| SEMANTIC ANALYSIS METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES | ||
| DATABASE FUNDAMENTALS FOR INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS | ||
| HEALTH INFORMATION RESOURCES | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN INFORMATION STUDIES | ||
| INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE FUNDAMENTALS | ||
| USER EXPERIENCE EVALUATION FUNDAMENTALS | ||
| Culminating Requirement | ||
| EPI 60192 | APPLIED PRACTICE EXPERIENCE IN EPIDEMIOLOGY 2 | 2 |
| PH 61199 | INTEGRATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE | 1 |
| Health Informatics Elective, choose from the following: | 3-6 | |
| MASTER'S INTERNSHIP IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| MASTER'S PROJECT IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| MASTER'S RESEARCH PAPER IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| THESIS I | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 66 | |
- 1
A maximum 4 credit hours of HI 60693 and maximum 6 credit hours of HI 61096 may be applied toward the degree.
- 2
It is expected that students enrolled in EPI 60192 who do not complete the course in one term will continuously register for EPI 60292 each semester, until all requirements have been met. Credit hours for EPI 60292 do not apply toward the minimum total credit hours for the dual degree.
Dual Degree with M.S. in Clinical Epidemiology
Students have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the M.S. degree in Clinical Epidemiology and the M.S. degree in Health Informatics. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page.
The fully online dual degree prepares students for careers at the intersection of clinical research, data science, healthcare technology and disease prevention and response. Students learn how to build and manage health data systems and analyze and interpret health data.
Dual Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| BST 62019 | BIOSTATISTICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| BST 63013 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH | 3 |
| BST 63014 | APPLIED REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH DATA | 3 |
| EPI 62017 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 63016 | PRINCIPLES OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH | 3 |
| EPI 63019 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH | 3 |
| EPI 63020 | ADVANCED EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| HI 60401 | HEALTH INFORMATICS MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HI 60402 | LEGAL ISSUES IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | 3 |
| HI 60403 | HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3 |
| HI 60410 | HEALTH RECORDS MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HI 60411 | CLINICAL ANALYTICS | 3 |
| HI 60414 | HUMAN FACTORS AND USABILITY IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | 3 |
| HI 60636 | STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGIES IN HEALTHCARE | 3 |
| Health Informatics (HI) Graduate Electives (50000 level or higher) 1 | 6 | |
| Major Electives, choose from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| USING R IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| USING SAS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| USING EXCEL IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| DATA MANAGEMENT AND LOGIC USING SAS® SOFTWARE | ||
| PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS | ||
| SCIENTIFIC WRITING FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH | ||
| PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| REGULATORY AFFAIRS IN CLINICAL RESEARCH | ||
| INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CHRONIC DISEASES | ||
| EPIDEMIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES | ||
| FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT | ||
| SEMANTIC ANALYSIS METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES | ||
| DATABASE FUNDAMENTALS FOR INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS | ||
| HEALTH INFORMATION RESOURCES | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN INFORMATION STUDIES | ||
| INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE FUNDAMENTALS | ||
| USER EXPERIENCE EVALUATION FUNDAMENTALS | ||
| Culminating Requirement | ||
| EPI 63192 | RESEARCH PRACTICUM IN CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2 | 3-6 |
| or EPI 63199 | THESIS I | |
| Health Informatics Elective, choose from the following: | 3-6 | |
| MASTER'S INTERNSHIP IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| MASTER'S PROJECT IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| MASTER'S RESEARCH PAPER IN HEALTH INFORMATICS | ||
| THESIS I | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 60 | |
- 1
A maximum 4 credit hours of HI 60693 and maximum 6 credit hours of HI 61096 may be applied toward the degree.
- 2
All students will be required to present their thesis or research-based practicum to the College of Public Health and Health Sciences at a presentation day, either in person or using videoconferencing technology.
Full Description
The Master of Science degree in Health Informatics prepares graduates for careers in managerial, analytical, consultative and executive roles working with healthcare systems and clinicians. Health informatics is the science of evaluating, implementing and utilizing technology to manage all information related to the patient care delivery process: clinical, financial, technological and enterprise-wide.
Three major components comprise the health informatics discipline:
- Information Systems: focuses on such issues as information systems analysis, design, implementation, management and leadership.
- Informatics: concerned with the study of structure, function and transfer of information, socio-technical aspects of health computing and human-computer interaction.
- Information Technology: focuses on computer networks, database and systems administration, security and programming.
The informatics field also draws contributions from computer science, the clinical sciences, social and organizational influences and business practices.