
About this Program
Health informatics is a dynamic and emerging field that uses information technology to collect, analyze and safeguard healthcare data.
Program Overview
Under the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, our health informatics hybrid master’s program will provide you with highly specialized skills related to data science and health information systems. You will be equipped with the knowledge to pursue roles in clinical and administrative settings as well as careers in research and development.
By connecting people, technology and data, health informatics professionals are an essential part of the patient-physician relationship and are instrumental in improving healthcare outcomes and safety. Our 30-credit master’s program is aligned with standards from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
Combining coursework in computer science, statistics, management and healthcare, the cross-disciplinary framework of our health informatics program appeals to anyone seeking a career in nursing, clinical health, public health, data science, health education and more.
We also offer a 12-credit health informatics certificate.
Degrees Offered
- Certificate
- MS
Department Offering
Related Graduate Programs
Are you ready to go further?
Applicants to the health informatics M.S. program must have earned:
- B.A. or B.S. in a life science, health science, computer science or information technology with a GPA of 2.75 or higher; or
- The health informatics certificate from Hood College (or demonstrating sufficient progress toward the certificate) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher; or
- M.A. or M.S in a health, computer science or information technology-related field with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Personal Statement of Intent (250 words): How will learning health informatics help you achieve your future goals?
- Please respond to one of the following prompts (no more than 600 words) to guide your placement in the appropriate foundational courses:
- From your perspective in computer, health or information sciences, what are the main challenges and opportunities for health informatics in the era of big data and artificial intelligence? How can health informatics leverage these technologies to enhance healthcare delivery and innovation?
- If your background does not include health, computer science or information technology, describe the education and experiences that have prepared you to study health informatics.
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:
Course | Credits |
CSIT 512 Elements of Computer Programming | 3 |
BIFX 502 Foundations in Computer Science | 3 |
Core Requirements
Students in the health informatics M.S. program must complete the following core requirements:
Course | Credits |
HIFX 500 Fundamentals of Health Informatics | 3 |
HIFX 501 Health Information System and Data Standards | 3 |
HIFX 502 Introduction to U.S. Healthcare Systems and Economics | 3 |
BIFX 503 Biostatistics in R | 3 |
BIFX 530/IT 530 Applied Database Systems | 3 |
BIFX 551 Advanced Programming for Bioinformatics | 3 |
HIFX 579 Health Informatics Capstone | 3 |
Total Credits | 21 |
Electives
Students in the health informatics M.S. program must complete an additional 9 credits of electives:
Course | Credits |
BIFX 545 Leading Reproducible Research | 3 |
BIFX 546 Machine Learning for Bioinformatics | 3 |
BIFX 548 Data Visualization for Bioinformatics | 3 |
BIFX 552 Bioinformatics Data Skills | 3 |
BMS 542 Ethics in Science | 3 |
CS 527/CS 427 Data Science | 3 |
CS 528/CS 428 Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
CS 543/CS 443 Machine Learning | 3 |
HIFX 575 Independent Study | 1-6 |
HIFX 597 Curricular Practical Training in HIFX | 1-6 |
HIFX 599 Special Topics | 3 |
Applicants to the health informatics certificate program must have earned:
- B.A. or B.S. in a life science, health science, computer science or information technology with a GPA of 2.75 or higher; or
- M.A. or M.S in a health, computer science or information technology-related field with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Personal Statement of Intent (250 words): How will learning health informatics help you achieve your future goals?
- Please respond to one of the following prompts (no more than 600 words) to guide your placement in the appropriate foundational courses:
- From your perspective in computer, health or information sciences, what are the main challenges and opportunities for health informatics in the era of big data and artificial intelligence? How can health informatics leverage these technologies to enhance healthcare delivery and innovation?
- If your background does not include health, computer science or information technology, describe the education and experiences that have prepared you to study health informatics.
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.
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:
Course | Credits |
CSIT 512 Elements of Computer Programming | 3 |
BIFX 502 Foundations in Computer Science | 3 |
Core Courses
Students in the health informatics certificate program must complete the following core requirements:
Course | Credits |
HIFX 500 Fundamentals of Health Informatics | 3 |
HIFX 501 Health Information System and Data Standards | 3 |
HIFX 502 Introduction to U.S. Healthcare Systems and Economics | 3 |
ITMG 516 Introduction to Data Analytics and Business Data Mining* | 3 |
Total Credits | 12 |
*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.
Program Contact

Program Director

Assistant Director of Graduate Admission