Overview

Prepare To Optimize Patient Care and Support Healthcare Organizations

Health informatics encompasses a wide range of activities, including electronic health records (EHR) management, health information exchange (HIE), clinical decision support systems, telemedicine, medical imaging, health data analytics, and health information privacy and security. By leveraging technology and data-driven insights, health informatics aims to streamline healthcare processes, facilitate communication among healthcare providers, empower patients, and ultimately advance the delivery of healthcare services.

The Master of Science in Health Informatics from the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions at Grand Canyon University is designed to help you use information technology, both hardware and software, for better decision-making and patient outcomes.

Master of Science in Health Informatics

Offered By

College of Nursing and Health Care Professions

Class Settings

Evening

Online

Tuition Rate

Online: $600 per credit [More Info]

Evening: $600 per credit [More Info]

Cost of Attendance

Course Information

Credits: 42

Online: 8 weeks

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Transfer Credits

Up to 12 credits or 1/3 of the total program requirements in transfer (whichever is less)

Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements (Master's)

Undergraduate Degree*
2.8+ GPA

OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and

GMAT: 500
GRE: 300 combined**

Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an accredited college or program that has been approved by GCU.
** Combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011 (1,000 combined verbal and quantitative, prior to August 2011).

Why GCU

Earn Your Master’s Degree in Health Informatics From GCU

The master’s degree at GCU integrates faith, work and learning. The curriculum, taught by specialized faculty, introduces GCU’s Christian worldview. It teaches students the ethical duty of health informatics professionals to respect patient confidentiality and uphold all laws, regulations and standards related to health information.

Complete Your Master’s in Health Informatics Online

At GCU, we strive to make higher education more accessible to working professionals. You can choose to enroll in master’s-level courses online.^{(See disclaimer 1)} Complete your coursework from virtually anywhere on a more flexible schedule. Our online students can benefit from the same quality of education as our on-campus students. All courses are taught by knowledgeable faculty who are here to support you throughout your program. Furthermore, our online learning platform allows for peer interactions, enabling learner exposure to a broad spectrum of perspectives.

This Degree Is Offered Online

Program Requirements

You are not required to have a specific undergraduate degree to apply to this program. Any bachelor’s degree is acceptable for enrollment. For questions about standard admission requirements into GCU graduate programs, visit the graduate admission page.

Coursework

MS in Health Informatics Course Content

The health informatics curriculum teaches you competencies and skills that can be immediately applicable in healthcare information technology settings. GCU strives to graduate health informatics professionals who are prepared to develop and implement ethical, progress-oriented IT initiatives with the goal of benefiting both patients and the healthcare system.

The final 16 weeks of this health informatics MS program include a practicum that incorporates a project plan related to a major area of health informatics, such as health information management or information systems. The project is grounded in current informatics research and methods.

This master’s degree course study includes:

Healthcare research analysis

Ethics, policy and finance

Healthcare information systems

Project evaluation and development

Healthcare innovation

Healthcare data management

Electronic health records

Research and population health management

Leadership and informatics

Database management using SQL and Python

Careers

Career Paths for Graduates With a Master’s in Health Informatics

This health informatics program is designed to prepare graduates to tackle a range of modern healthcare challenges and projects, such as automating clinical care, building new operational data systems, training healthcare workers in the use of computer systems, and collecting and analyzing data to improve patient care. The work you perform as a health informatics professional has the potential to improve outcomes for those receiving medical treatment, as well as shape the vision and operations of healthcare facilities.

Career Settings:^{(See disclaimer 2)}

Hospitals
Health clinics
Insurance companies
Pharmacies
Pharmaceutical companies
Healthcare IT companies
Consulting firms

Career Opportunities:

Computer and information systems manager
Data scientist
Information security analyst
Health informatics specialist/analyst
Clinical informatics specialist
Health data analyst
Healthcare IT project manager
Health information manager
Clinical systems analyst
Healthcare consultant
Healthcare quality improvement specialist

Accreditation

Earn a Health Informatics MS From an Accredited University

The Master of Science in Health Informatics program is in candidacy status, pending accreditation review by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). To learn more about CAHIIM, please visit our accreditation page.

GCU is proud to be an institutionally accredited university — a reflection of our commitment to providing quality education that can prepare our graduates for future-oriented careers. The Higher Learning Commission has continually accredited GCU since 1968. The College of Nursing and Health Care Professions shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.

CAHIIM Accreditation

University Accreditation

Students Accepted: 94.0%

Students Enrolled: 74.7%

Employment Rate: 87.5%

Definitions and Parameters: Employment Rate is calculated based on students who graduated from the Master of Science in Health Informatics program in the 2024 calendar year, and answered the question on GCU’s End of Program Survey related to Employment (i.e., “Which of the following best describes your career status upon degree completion?”). 48 graduates responded to the survey question related to Employment. 42 of 48 respondents indicated they were Employed (42/48 = .8750 or 87.5%).

Satisfaction Rate: 97.0%

Definitions and Parameters: Satisfaction Rate is calculated based on students who graduated from the Master of Science in Health Informatics program in the 2024 calendar year, and answered the question on GCU’s End of Program Survey related to Program Satisfaction (i.e., “My educational program met my expectations”). 45 graduates responded to the survey question related to Program Satisfaction. 44 of 45 respondents indicated they were Satisfied and 1 respondent indicated “Neither agree or disagree”. (44/45 = 0.97 or 97% were Satisfied).

Graduation Rate: 57.6%

FAQ

Health Informatics Master’s FAQs

GCU has compiled the following frequently asked questions and answers to provide guidance as you reflect upon your career pathway and degree options.

Is a master’s in health informatics worth it?

This degree can be a valuable addition to your resume when seeking health informatics positions. A graduate degree in this field strives to teach both technical competencies and soft skills, such as communication and leadership skills, all of which can be impactful assets to health informatics professionals. Furthermore, a graduate degree may empower you to position yourself to potentially pursue various advanced, specialized positions within the field beyond entry-level opportunities.

Does health informatics involve coding?

Health informatics professionals need a varied skill set that may sometimes but does not always include computer programming. Although not all related positions require computer programming, health informatics experts do generally need to know how to design, evaluate and maintain health databases and similar IT systems.^{(See disclaimer 3)}

Even though not all positions require computer programming, most informatics employers want students to have a basic understanding of programming such as SQL and Python. The MS health informatics degree includes a basic course in SQL and a basic course in Python.

What are the types of health informatics?

Different subfields within the health informatics field include the following:

Public health informatics
Clinical informatics
Research informatics
Biomedical informatics
Consumer health informatics

These different specialties focus on specific components of the healthcare informatics field, providing additional areas of interest for you to explore. Learn more about the types of health informatics available.

Is health informatics a good career?

Those looking to get involved in developing and advancing healthcare information systems, improving IT security measures or managing healthcare databases may find health informatics to be a rewarding career. Because of the dependency of the healthcare industry on technology, this career area is important for using technological advances to improve patient care.^{(See disclaimer )}With this comes the importance of educated healthcare informatics professionals.

Courses

Program Curriculum

Credit Summary

Major42 credits

Degree Requirements42 credits

Fundamental Courses

Fundamental courses prepare students for the curricular content they will encounter within the program. Upon evaluation of their transcripts, students with the appropriate undergraduate degree(s) may wave fundamental course(s). All students will undergo transcript evaluations upon receipt of their undergraduate degree bearing official transcript. For college specific information regarding fundamental coursework, students should refer to the University Policy Handbook.

SYM-506

4 Total Credits

Core Courses

UNV-506

2 Total Credits

HCI-600

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course introduces fundamentals of the U.S. health care system and the role and value of informatics in the practice of evidence-based research and medicine. Students learn key concepts of health care information infrastructure, systems, technologies, applications, and data standards that are critical for optimizing patient care. Students also examine how health care providers and caregivers use technology, information, and knowledge to improve patient care, administration, research, and education across the rapidly evolving health care system.

HIM-615

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course examines the application of information systems in health care settings, beginning with an analysis of the broad meaning and nature of information and systems. The focus narrows to utilization of computer technologies, configurations, and applications as tools to benefit health care environments. Emphasis is placed on the challenges related to the development and implementation of effective information systems in light of a rapidly and continuously changing health care model, evolution of technology team member roles and responsibilities, and advancement of technological requirements within the health care system.

HIM-650

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course examines health care information resources and their impact on administrative functions, interfaces, data security and integrity, and business processes. Topics include use of relational database management software to construct tables, develop forms, create and execute queries, design and deploy reports, and advance database concepts to automate contemporary business processes. Learners are able to distinguish between various network hardware technologies and associated data communications protocols in order to direct how organizations design and implement data networks. Prerequisites: HIM-515, HCI-600, or NUR-514; and HIM-615.

HCI-655

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course prepares learners to evaluate, implement, and optimize electronic health record (EHR) technology to support the management and use of clinical data. Learners examine the architecture of EHRs and analyze the challenges of their design and use, including system integration requirements, distributed user bases, storage of complex data, high security requirements, and the diverse information needs of various end users. Learners also apply project management techniques to the planning and implementation of EHRs. Prerequisite: HIM-650.

HCI-660

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course introduces techniques for extracting data and creating knowledge from health care data sets. Learners examine methods for describing, summarizing, and presenting data. There is specific focus on understanding the needs of information users, identifying organizational objectives, and ensuring that the analytical methodology chosen meets those needs. Prerequisite: HIM-650.

HCI-665

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course examines the security, privacy, and compliance issues that guide the design and use of health information systems and health care data. Learners analyze the regulatory environment and differentiate the regulations, laws, and ethical practices that guide information governance and the uses of data with particular emphasis on patient confidentiality and privacy. Information security tools and strategies for risk assessment, third-party risk management, and audits are also examined. Prerequisite: HIM-615.

HCI-670

4 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners apply principles of human factors engineering to the design of optimal user interfaces that improve clinical processes. Learners examine clinical decision support and clinical workflow analysis, modeling, reducing data entry errors, and usability testing in efforts to improve the experience of end users while prioritizing patient safety and the delivery of quality health care.

HCA-680

4 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners study key leadership principles and skills critical to their development as health care professionals capable of leading change initiatives that align with the strategic vision of health care organizations and the evolving landscape of health care. Learners assess their own leadership qualities, an organization's readiness for change, and barriers that may affect the adoption of innovations and quality improvement processes. The course emphasizes systems thinking while learners work toward honing problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills necessary for leading initiatives within health care organizations.

HCI-690

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course provides learners the opportunity to integrate what they have learned in the program in an applied project related to a major area of health informatics, such as health information management, information systems, or health informatics. Learners are expected to demonstrate leadership and advanced critical-thinking and problem-solving skills in the development of a comprehensive and professional project plan and solution that is grounded in current informatics research and methods. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all previous coursework in the program.

GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change

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Admission

Pursue Your Purpose at GCU

Use technological innovations to improve the delivery of healthcare services. Apply today for enrollment in the health informatics master’s degree program.

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Clinical, practicum and immersion hours completed locally.
Indeed. (2023, Oct. 23). 10 Jobs for Health Informatics Professionals with Master’s Degrees. Retrieved February 2024.
PublicHealthDegrees.org. (n.d.). Health Informatics Careers and Jobs. 2U, Inc. Retrieved February 2024.

MS in Health Informatics Degree

Prepare To Optimize Patient Care and Support Healthcare Organizations

Earn Your Master’s Degree in Health Informatics From GCU

Complete Your Master’s in Health Informatics Online

This Degree Is Offered Online

Program Requirements

MS in Health Informatics Course Content

Career Paths for Graduates With a Master’s in Health Informatics

Earn a Health Informatics MS From an Accredited University

Mission Statement

Health Informatics Master’s FAQs

Program Curriculum

Fundamental Courses

Core Courses