Who should apply?
The online MS in Health Informatics is designed for data and technology-driven clinicians and health administrators, or IT professionals seeking to pursue a career in the health care industry and its business partners. Graduates of the program are found in health information technology (health IT) firms, health care/service organizations and their business partners, as well as public health entities.
Flexible, online courses, expert faculty, and competitive tuition make this online Master of Science in Health Informatics ideal for many academic and professional backgrounds, including:
- Clinical or administrative professionals who would like to maintain their healthcare connection while transitioning into IT or data analytics.
- Data science or IT professionals who seek career advancement in a rewarding leadership role within the healthcare domain.
- Technology-driven career changers outside of the IT and health industries who wish to pursue new opportunities and leadership in health informatics and data analytics.
Prior healthcare or information technology experience is not required for admission, but is a plus.
Why choose George Mason?
- One of only a few online programs in the country accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
- George Mason’s MS in Health Informatics provides an opportunity to build knowledge, technical skills, and direct experience within an immersive, competitively priced curriculum.
- Online class format gives working students both flexibility and in-depth experience.
- The online MS in Health Informatics can be completed in as little as 22 to 28 months, allowing students to quickly apply their skills to a growing industry demand for qualified health informaticists and data analysts.
- Students enrolled in the MS in Health Informatics online program learn from the same on-campus faculty of health informaticians, health services researchers, healthcare and technology experts and innovators, and experts in data science.
Program requirements are subject to change; please refer to the University Catalog for the most up-to-date requirements.
Requirements: 36 total credit hours
Most courses for George Mason’s online Master of Science in Health Informatics are offered in convenient, online synchronous and asynchronous formats. Curriculum includes focus on support for the widespread adoption and use of electronic health records.
The online MSHI Bridge course is available upon acceptance into the program.
MSHI Core Courses
- GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health
- HAP 618 Computational Tools in Health Informatics
- HAP 670 Introduction to Health Informatics
- HAP 671 Health Care Databases
- HAP 672 Health Data: Vocabulary and Standards
- HAP 786 Workshop in Health Informatics
- HAP 795 Health Informatics Pre-Capstone
- HAP 796 Health Informatics Capstone Practicum
*Core courses will differ for students following the 2022-2023 University Catalog or earlier additions.
Courses in the Concentration of Health Informatics Management
Required Courses
- HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management
- HAP 745 Health Care Security Policy
- HAP 713 Project Management in Health Information Technology
- HAP 621 Organization Behavior and Healthcare Leadership
- HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration
Courses in the Concentration of Health Data Analytics
Required Courses
- HAP 719 Advanced Statistics in Health Services Research I
- HAP 780 Data Mining in Health Care
- HAP 823 Comparative Effectiveness Analysis using Observational Data
- HAP 720 Health Data Integration
- HAP 725 Statistical Process Control in Healthcare
Tuition & Fees (2024-2025):
Tuition is $800 per credit hour. An additional charge of $35 per credit hour applies for a Distance Learning fee.
Financial Aid:
For information on loans and scholarships, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid. For information regarding grants, tuition waivers and other merit aid, please inquire with your graduate department.
Health informatics is a fast-growing, in-demand healthcare career. From trauma centers to teaching clinics, public sector agencies to private sector firms, insurance companies to research institutes; trained data analysts, and health informaticists play a crucial management role across the health and science spectrum.
Graduates of George Mason’s online MS in Health Informatics program, data analytics concentration typically do data analytics for healthcare providers, software vendors, and local as well as the federal government. Graduates from health informatics management concentration typically lead IT projects in healthcare, provide consulting services, and help end users accomplish their goals.
Innovative programs, like the online MS in Health Informatics, prepare future U.S. and global healthcare leaders to successfully manage public and private healthcare organizations, think tanks, and research facilities.
If you are unable to find the answers to your questions, submit a Request Information form or contact our admissions representative via the contact information below.
Phone: 703-348-5006
Email: online2@gmu.edu
How do I apply?
All admission applications for the MS in Health Informatics are handled online. If you have more questions, please see FAQs below.
ADMISSIONS FAQs
What is health informatics?
Health informatics is a field that concerns the generation, processing, storage, and use of health-related data, information, and knowledge. It is an interdisciplinary field that spans medicine, health administration and management on one side, and computer science, information science and technology on the other side.
What distinguishes health informatics (HI) vs. health information management (HIM), health information technology (health IT) and bioinformatics?
Health Informatics plays a critical role in the push toward national healthcare reform. The field focuses on managing, acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using healthcare information to foster better collaboration among a patient’s various healthcare providers. It’s focus is on information, and it is sometimes described as research behind health IT.
Health Information Management (HIM), formerly known as medical records, is the practice of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. HIM is a combination of information management technology applications and the workflow in any healthcare provider organization from large hospital systems to the private physician practice (www.ahima.org). Students completing the Health Informatics Management concentration are not eligible to sit for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification exam.
Health Information Technology (health IT) develops and supports the specific data-gathering tools that health informaticists rely on. This evolving, specialized field, links information technology, communications, and healthcare to improve the quality and safety of patient care in support of greater information analysis.
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field focused on a particular type of data. Specifically, it combines computer science, statistics, mathematics, and engineering to analyze and interpret biological data crucial to health data analytics.
Do I need to have an IT background?
A prior healthcare or information technology (IT) background is not required for admission but is strongly considered. Students without IT background need to work harder in their first course that cover computing concepts they will need to master.
What are the admission criteria?
Applicants must hold a BA or BS degree or equivalent from an accredited university or college with a GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants with a lower GPA must submit a GPA Addendum essay explaining low grades.
Although your current field or past major is not a criterion for admission, applicants are expected to have taken basic-level computer science/technology, mathematics, and statistics, and be familiar with these fields. Students who do not meet these requirements may be required to take additional prerequisite courses.
Can I complete the program entirely online?
The MS in Health Informatics can be completed entirely online. One course is taken at a given time.
What accreditations do George Mason and this program have?
George Mason University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
The MS in Health Informatics is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). CAHIIM is an independent accrediting organization whose mission is to serve the public interest by establishing and enforcing quality accreditation standards for health informatics and health information management educational programs. Learn more about our accreditation.
How long does it take to complete the program?
The online MS in Health Informatics is 36 credit hours and can be completed in as little as 22 to 28 months.
Can I transfer credits from another University?
Graduate students may transfer up to 12 semester hours in courses that directly correspond to those in the online MS in Health Informatics from another accredited college or university. Transfer credit policies are included in the University Catalog.
When are classes offered?
Courses for the MS in Health Informatics online program are offered online in asynchronous modules. Students have the option to attend synchronous face-to-face time with instructors and classmates during office hours.
Where can I find course descriptions?
All course descriptions and course syllabi for the MS in Health Informatics are included here. The covered content of online and on-campus courses is identical, they only differ in content delivery.
What tuition assistance is available?
George Mason University’s Office of Student Financial Aid provides information on potential scholarships and aid packages for the online MS in Health Informatics.
How do I receive additional Information?
Perspective students of the online Health Informatics Master’s program can complete a request for information form or call us directly at 844-851-0923.
How much does it cost to apply?
While there is a $75 application fee, there are multiple times throughout the year that the fee may be waived.
What are the admissions recommendations?
- Completed online application
- $75 application fee
- Resume
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
- Statement of Purpose essay
- Undergrad GPA-minimum 3.0 (submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts)
- GPA Addendum essay if undergrad GPA below 3.0
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