Health Informatics (M.S., Certificate)

Candidates for master's program requirements: 

A bachelor's degree is required for admission, regardless of field. Students without prior coursework in program areas will complete foundation courses to complement their academic background.

Applicants must submit: 

• A completed graduate online application
• Submit an official e-transcript from the institution where your highest degree was earned sent to gofurther@hood.edu

GRE or GMAT exams are not required. 

All application materials should be submitted by July 15 for fall admission and December 1 for spring admission. Applications will continue to be reviewed after the deadline on a space-available basis.

Transfer credit policy for admitted students

Students may transfer a maximum of 6 graduate credits from an external, accredited institution, or another Hood graduate program prior to the first semester of study in the current program. Please review the full graduate transfer credit policy in the College catalog.

Candidates for certificate requirements: 

Applicants to the health informatics certificate program must have earned: 

A bachelor's degree is required for admission, regardless of field. Students without prior coursework in program areas will complete foundation courses to complement their academic background.

Application Requirements 

An information technology or healthcare background is not required but is a plus on admission. Students with a relevant information technology or healthcare background are encouraged to apply and discuss possible course waivers and substitutions with their assigned adviser. 

Students planning to change their careers are encouraged to contact a health informatics adviser to discuss the program and its requirements. For these students, it is also particularly important to describe in the goals statement how they envision themselves in the health informatics field. 

Transfer credit policy for admitted students

Students may transfer a maximum of 6 graduate credits from an external, accredited institution, or another Hood graduate program prior to the first semester of study in the current program. Please review the full graduate transfer credit policy in the College catalog.

Program of Study - M.S.

The 30-credit M.S. in health informatics includes a 3-credit capstone project. All of the classes are taught in the evening or online by experts in the field, who interact personally with their students. The degree includes a required “gateway” foundational course that differs according to the student’s background in either biology or computer science.

Foundation Courses

The foundation coursework represents background knowledge and skills necessary for successful completion of degree requirements. The foundation course may be waived by the program director, based upon an analysis of the student’s previous work. A student holding a baccalaureate degree in computer science will normally be granted exemption from, but not receive graduate credit for, the foundation course. Any foundation course required is in addition to the 30 credits required for program completion.

If exemption is not granted, students must complete one of the following foundation courses:

Core Requirements

Students in the health informatics M.S. program must complete the following core requirements:

Electives

Students in the health informatics M.S. program must complete an additional 9 credits of electives:

Program of Study - Certificate

Foundation Course

The foundation coursework represents background knowledge and skills necessary for successful completion of degree requirements. The foundation course may be waived by the program director, based upon an analysis of the student’s previous work. A student holding a baccalaureate degree in computer science will normally be granted exemption from but not receive graduate credit for the foundation course. Any foundation course required is in addition to the 12 credits required for program completion.

If exemption is not granted, students must complete one of the following foundation courses:

Core Courses

Students in the health informatics certificate program must complete the following core requirements:

*ITMG 516 cannot be applied to the health informatics M.S. program; however, the nine other credits earned in the certificate are applicable toward the M.S.

Not all Health Informatics programs are created equal. Ours stands out for the following reasons:

•    Applied Learning: Real-world case studies, health system simulations, and group projects that model decision-making in clinical and administrative contexts.
•   Faculty with Industry Experience: Instructors who’ve led EHR rollouts, AI development, and digital health strategy for major hospitals and government agencies.
•   Interdisciplinary Focus: Courses draw on nursing, IT, data science, public health, and ethics—offering a holistic view of health information.
•   Hands-On Tools: Training on real informatics tools like Tableau, SAS, Python, Epic Systems, and low-code platforms such as IBM Watson Health.  
•   Capstone Projects and Internships: Students work with hospitals or healthcare startups to solve real-world problems.
•   Career Mentorship: Direct access to healthcare leaders and personalized career planning sessions. 

Health informatics is one of the fastest‑growing fields in healthcare — combining clinical domain knowledge, data, technology, and workflow optimization. Graduates of Hood College’s Health Informatics program are well positioned for these roles. Below are typical careers with estimated salary ranges in Maryland and the broader Mid‑Atlantic region, based on recent data. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.

   Clinical Informatics Specialist / Analyst

Working with healthcare teams to improve EHRs, analyze clinical workflow, and deliver insights for quality improvement.
Estimated Salary Range (MD / Mid‑Atlantic): $80,000 – $110,000 per year.

   Health Informatics Manager or Director

Leadership over strategy, system implementation, staff oversight, linking clinical and technical stakeholders.
Estimated Salary Range (MD / Mid‑Atlantic): $130,000 – $180,000+ per year.

   Data Scientist in Healthcare

Advanced analytics, predictive modeling, interpreting big data (claims, genomics, sensor data), and supporting population health.
Estimated Salary Range (MD / Mid‑Atlantic): $115,000 – $160,000+ per year.

   Health IT Quality and Compliance Specialist

Ensuring safety, usability, regulation compliance (e.g. HIPAA), testing and validation of systems, and policy enforcement.
Estimated Salary Range (MD / Mid‑Atlantic): $90,000 – $130,000 per year.

   Health Information Management and Coding Professional

Accurate coding, medical record management, documentation, data integrity, and regulatory reporting.
Estimated Salary Range (MD / Mid‑Atlantic): $60,000 – $95,000 for most roles; $100,000+ for leadership positions.

   Informatics Consultant or Product Manager

Advising clinics, health systems, and vendors on informatics strategy, workflow redesign, system implementation, and training.
Estimated Salary Range (MD / Mid‑Atlantic): $120,000 – $180,000+ per year.

    Chief Medical or Health Informatics Officer

Executive role with oversight of clinical informatics strategy, data governance, IT/clinical interface, and institutional leadership.
Estimated Salary Range (MD / Mid‑Atlantic): $200,000 – $300,000+ per year.

These roles exist across hospitals, government agencies, biotech firms, insurance companies, academic research institutions, and health IT startups.