Health Informatics, M.S.
About the Program
Health Informatics is the intersection of healthcare, information science, and computer science. The M.S. in Health Informatics (MSHI) is an innovative, interdisciplinary, applied graduate degree program that addresses the intersection of healthcare and information technology to develop efficient systems, processes, and uses of health data across the continuum of healthcare delivery to improve patient care and advance individual and population health outcomes. The MSHI is focused on the resources, devices, and methods to optimize healthcare delivery. The program helps students develop the competencies and acquire the practical tools to succeed in today’s digital healthcare environment. Current students include physicians, nurses, therapists, data analysts, and information technology and allied health professionals. The degree is also well suited for individuals with no prior healthcare or information technology experience.
Time Limit for Degree Completion: 5 years
Campus Location: Temple University Center City (TUCC) is centrally located to regional rail. A large number of online course offerings extend the campus environment.
Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Part-time study is common among students as classes are offered on weekday evenings and the occasional weekend. A growing number of courses are available online.
Interdisciplinary Study: The degree program is interdisciplinary in nature with a focus on inquiry, insight, and innovation. The program builds an awareness of both clinical and technical challenges in the field.
Accreditation: The curriculum meets the curricular requirements of the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), which is the accrediting body of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Areas of Concentration: The MSHI offers three areas of concentration:
- Cybersecurity for Healthcare Professionals
- Healthcare Data Analytics
- Population Health Management
Job Prospects: Graduates of the program obtain positions in a variety of healthcare institutions or vendor settings in a wide range of positions such as project manager, electronic health record system implementation specialist, and health data analyst. A number of external organizations, including AHIMA, the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), conduct annual surveys of job prospects.
Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Students seeking a GRE waiver should consider taking classes on a non-matriculated basis. Non-matriculated students may take a maximum of 9 graduate-level credits. Upon completion of the credits, a student's academic performance is reviewed and a GRE waiver may be granted.
Transfer Credit: Graduate-level credits earned at another accredited institution may be evaluated during the application process. The maximum number of graduate credits a student may transfer is 6.
Financing Opportunities: Students in the MSHI program are generally working professionals. Therefore, funding for assistantships and academic internships is limited.
Admission Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadline:
Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1
Application review is done on a rolling basis throughout the year. Late applications may be considered for admission.
APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.
Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2
From Whom: Recommendations should be obtained from faculty and/or professionals familiar with the applicant's academic competence and/or professional work experience. Evaluators must use the official "Reference Report for Graduate Study," found at http://www.temple.edu/grad/admissions/documents/Web_GRAD_REFERENCE_REPORT.pdf. References should be emailed to hlthinfo@temple.edu.
Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree or its equivalent, as recognized by Temple University, from an accredited post-secondary institution is required.
International students must provide official documentation that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma, and/or certificate. While not required, applicants are encouraged to submit their transcript(s) to World Education Services (WES) for evaluation. More information on international student admission requirements is available at http://www.temple.edu/grad/admissions/international.htm.
Statement of Goals: Demonstrate your professional writing ability as you address your interest in obtaining the degree. Submissions should address the impact of informatics in the field of health and healthcare as well as discuss the impact a graduate degree has on one's career.
Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Required. Quantitative and verbal scores should be in the 50th percentile or above. A student may seek a GRE waiver by demonstrating academic proficiency by completing three courses in the program on a non-matriculated basis.
For applicants whose native language is not English, the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic exam is required:
TOEFL: 79 iBT or 550 PBT minimum
IELTS: 6.5 minimum
PTE Academic: 53 minimum
Resume: Current resume required.
Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30
Required Courses:
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Core Courses | ||
HIM 5101 | Fundamentals of Health Informatics | 3 |
HIM 5112 | Health Information Systems: Design and Decision Making | 3 |
HIM 5113 | Database Administration for Health Informatics Professionals | 3 |
HIM 5127 | Privacy and Security: Protecting Healthcare Data | 3 |
HIM 5128 | Health Data: Standards and Interoperability | 3 |
HIM 5129 | Health Data Analysis | 3 |
HIM 9995 | Capstone Project | 3 |
HPM 5006 | Political and Economic Aspects of Health | 3 |
HRPR 5001 | Current and Emerging Issues in Public Health and Health Professions 1 | 0 |
Concentration Electives 2 | 6 | |
Total Credit Hours | 30 |
1 | This common College Core course is required of all incoming graduate students in the College of Public Health. It is available completely online and designed such that students can complete the modules at their own pace over the course of their degree program. |
2 | Two electives are taken in a chosen area of concentration. The approved electives are delineated in the grids below: |
Cybersecurity for Healthcare Professionals Concentration
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
MIS 5206 | Protection of Information Assets | 3 |
MIS 5209 | Securing Digital Infrastructure | 3 |
Total Credits | 6 |
Healthcare Data Analytics Concentration
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
HIM 5111 | Technology for Healthcare Financial Management | 3 |
HIM 5114 | Health Informatics Project Management | 3 |
Total Credits | 6 |
Population Health Management Concentration
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
HIM 5106 | Technology for Population Health | 3 |
HPM 5122 | Healthcare Quality and Safety | 3 |
Total Credits | 6 |
A graduate certificate in Health Informatics is also offered by the College of Public Health. For more information, visit http://bulletin.temple.edu/graduate/scd/cph/health-informatics-certificate/.
Culminating Events: Successful completion of coursework is required to earn the degree.
Courses
HIM 5003. Mgt Systems in Hlthcare. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5101. Fundamentals of Health Informatics. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5106. Technology for Population Health. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5111. Technology for Healthcare Financial Management. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5112. Health Information Systems: Design and Decision Making. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5113. Database Administration for Health Informatics Professionals. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5114. Health Informatics Project Management. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5127. Privacy and Security: Protecting Healthcare Data. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5128. Health Data: Standards and Interoperability. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
HIM 5129. Health Data Analysis. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites:
HIM 8013|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently.
HIM 8029. Graduate Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites:
(HIM 8001|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (HIM 8011|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (HIM 8027|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (HIM 8028|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (MIS 5001|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently
OR HIM 8012|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (MIS 5101|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently
OR HIM 8013|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (MIS 5102|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently
OR HIM 8014|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
HIM 8050. Special Topics in Health Informatics. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
HIM 9082. Independent Study in Health Informatics. 1 to 3 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
HIM 9995. Capstone Project. 3 Credit Hours.
Department Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Departments: CPH:Health Serv Admin & Policy.
Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Fields of study: Health Informatics.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Degree Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Degrees: Master of Science.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: College of Public Health.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites:
(HIM 8001|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently
OR HIM 5101|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (HIM 8013|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently
OR HIM 5113|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (HIM 8030|Minimum Grade of B-|May be taken concurrently
OR HIM 5130|Minimum Grade of B-|May be taken concurrently)
AND (HIM 8027|Minimum Grade of B-|May be taken concurrently
OR HIM 5127|Minimum Grade of B-|May be taken concurrently)
AND (HIM 8028|Minimum Grade of B-|May be taken concurrently
OR HIM 5128|Minimum Grade of B-|May be taken concurrently)
AND (HIM 5006|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
Contacts
Program Web Address:
https://cph.temple.edu/master-science-health-informatics-mshi
Department Information:
Dept. of Health Services Administration and Policy
Ritter Hall Annex, 9th Floor
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6005
215-204-8726
Mailing Address for Application Materials:
Dept. of Health Services Administration and Policy
ATTN: Division of HIM
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, 524 Ritter Hall Annex
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6005