Virtual Open House MS in Health Informatics and Graduate Certificate Transcript

Chris Williams: Good afternoon, hello everyone, and welcome to our information session on our Master of Science in Health Informatics within the College of Public Health at George Mason University. Very excited to be with you today. My name is Chris Williams, and I am the Associate Director for Graduate Recruitment and Admissions within the College of Public Health, and I’m also joined by two of my colleagues today.

Chris Williams: within the admissions office, and then also faculty member. So I will turn it over to give introductions at this time. Tabitha, if you would like to introduce yourself?

George Mason Online Admissions: Hi, everybody! I am one of the enrollment coordinators here on behalf of George Mason, and our job is to assist you through the application process, so excited to be here tonight with you.

Chris Williams: Professor Havis.

Abdul Hafeez: Sure, so I’m Dr. Abdul, and I coordinate the program, Master’s in Health Informatics, and also teach courses in the Health Informatics program. Looking forward to speaking with you today.

Abdul Hafeez: All right, so again, welcome everyone, and thanks for joining us today.

Abdul Hafeez: And next slide, please.

Abdul Hafeez: So, as you can see, we have a lot of fun in our department, as it is obvious from photos—presenting and celebrating capstones, graduation ceremonies, capstone competitions.

Abdul Hafeez: And we do offer lots of opportunities for students to engage in activities. We have very good faculty, very good curriculum, and we help you succeed in your health informatics journey.

Abdul Hafeez: You can see different pictures—on the top one, one of our graduates with his son during the graduation ceremony. On the top right, Professor Iman, who normally leads capstones and workshops, standing with a student who won an award, and many other fun moments.

Abdul Hafeez: On the left, you can see students presenting at the AMIA conference. Students can present their work, and the department typically funds these opportunities. They attend and present at conferences such as APHA, HIMSS, and AMIA.

Abdul Hafeez: Next slide, please.

Abdul Hafeez: This is how to participate in today’s session. You can use the chat option or raise your hand. However, we will appreciate any questions at the very end of the presentation.

Abdul Hafeez: Next slide, please.

Abdul Hafeez: Here is today’s agenda. Meet the presenters, why choose Mason’s Master’s in Health Informatics, curriculum details and

concentrations, learning outcomes, admission requirements, and then a question-and-answer session.

Abdul Hafeez: Next slide.

Abdul Hafeez: On the left is Professor Yanush Washtusek. He is a professor in the Health Informatics Program and the Division Director. He also leads the Machine Learning and Inference Laboratory. On the right is myself.

Abdul Hafeez: I’m the program coordinator for the Health Informatics program, teach technical courses such as databases and data mining, and advise students.

Abdul Hafeez: Why our program? Our program is KHIM accredited and delivers an immersive, competitively priced curriculum in a flexible online format designed for working professionals. You can earn the 36-credit degree in as little as 22 to 28 months without pausing your career. We offer both online and in-person options.

Abdul Hafeez: Whatever we offer in person, we also offer online. You may waive two courses—HI 618 by passing a test designed by Professor Washtusek, and GCH 500 if your undergraduate degree is CIF-accredited in public health.

Abdul Hafeez: We have different pathways for health informatics. Some students begin with a graduate certificate and then transition into the master’s. Others choose the accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s program, shortening completion by about a year. Some graduates continue on to a PhD.

Abdul Hafeez: Next slide, please.

Abdul Hafeez: Our accredited curriculum builds from foundations to practice. Core courses include Foundations of Public Health, Computational Tools, Healthcare Databases, Standards and Vocabulary, workshop courses, and the capstone, where you apply everything in a real-world project.

Abdul Hafeez: Next slide.

Abdul Hafeez: We offer several concentrations. Health Informatics Management bridges healthcare and technology, focusing on IT, healthcare management, privacy, security, and stakeholder communication.

Abdul Hafeez: Health Data Analytics is the most technical concentration, where you pull data from structured and unstructured sources, clean and analyze data, perform analytics, build dashboards, and apply statistics.

Abdul Hafeez: Public Health Informatics focuses on population-level data and models, while Quality Analytics centers on EHR and claims data to measure healthcare quality and outcomes.

Abdul Hafeez: Health informatics is a fast-growing, in-demand field across healthcare IT vendors, analytics firms, consulting, hospitals, clinics, insurers, research organizations, and government agencies.

Abdul Hafeez: Being close to Washington, DC gives access to industry partners such as MedStar, Inova Health, Sentara Health, county healthcare systems, and federal contractors.

Abdul Hafeez: Graduates work as data analysts, healthcare data scientists, and emerging AI-focused roles.

Abdul Hafeez: Next slide, please.

Abdul Hafeez: Application materials include the online graduate application, application fee, transcripts from all institutions, a goal statement, and two recommendations. International students must also submit transcript evaluations and English proficiency scores if applicable.

Abdul Hafeez: Our Office of International Programs and Services supports international students with immigration benefits and advising. They offer virtual appointments and online drop-in hours.

Abdul Hafeez: Here are our Spring 2026 deadlines for on-campus and online programs, as well as Fall 2026 deadlines. International students are encouraged to apply early for visa processing.

Abdul Hafeez: Follow us on social media—our LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook pages.

Abdul Hafeez: For admissions questions, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions. For program-specific questions, contact the College of Public Health Graduate Admissions office.

Abdul Hafeez: I’ll hand it over to Chris and Tabitha.

Chris Williams: I have one quick note, Dr. Hafeez. Did you want to mention our Artificial Intelligence and Health graduate certificate?

Abdul Hafeez: Yes. We recently launched a new AI in Healthcare certificate. Courses will begin in the upcoming spring semester, and students can apply for it now.

Abdul Hafeez: Is there anything else you’d like to share, or should we open the forum for questions?

George Mason Online Admissions: We have a few questions already. This is a great opportunity to ask both admissions and program-specific questions.

George Mason Online Admissions: One attendee applying for spring is asking which faculty member they should connect with regarding predictive modeling and data analytics.

Abdul Hafeez: That’s a great question. You can reach out to Professor Alimi or Professor Washtusek.

George Mason Online Admissions: Thank you.

George Mason Online Admissions: And then… let’s see… oh, wanted to double check and see if there are any fee waivers for attending this event.

Chris, you can probably speak to that. I haven’t heard of anything yet. Also, are there any financial assistantships, such as GA or TA positions, for international students applying for campus-based health informatics programs?

Chris Williams: Yeah, that’s a great question. Unfortunately, we do not have any fee waivers available at this time for hardships. We do have fee waivers available for applicants who are McNair Scholars—you will receive an application fee waiver. We are also offering fee waivers for federal employees who have been laid off within this year for the Spring 2026 semester. If anyone is a federal employee, please reach out to us and we can talk through that process. Those are the only two fee waivers currently available.

Chris Williams: As for assistantships, particularly at the master’s level, those opportunities are limited. There are some available within the department and the university, but students would need to submit a separate application to be considered.

George Mason Online Admissions: Awesome, thanks, Chris.

George Mason Online Admissions: Another question—does it sound okay to reach out directly to Dr. Alami regarding interest in research? I may not be pronouncing the name correctly, sorry.

Chris Williams: Dr. Hafeez?

Abdul Hafeez: Yes, that’s a great question. I would recommend reaching

out to faculty members after you have been admitted into the program.

George Mason Online Admissions: Wonderful, thank you.

George Mason Online Admissions: We also received another question about graduate assistantships, which Chris just addressed.

George Mason Online Admissions: This is a great question and one I get often. For someone coming from an accounting background, would this program be beneficial for switching careers? And does the program include any internships or real-world experience?

Abdul Hafeez: That’s a great question. We see students coming from many different backgrounds—pharmacy, physiotherapy, dentistry, non-technical backgrounds, as well as STEM. We have students from diverse backgrounds, and it shouldn’t be an issue as long as you are committed and interested in the health informatics domain.

George Mason Online Admissions: The second part of the question was about internships or opportunities for real-world experience.

Abdul Hafeez: Definitely. We have a capstone course at the end of the master’s program. In that course, students connect with preceptors—practitioners in the field—from organizations such as MedStar and Fairfax Health. You work on real-world projects with them, which provides hands-on exposure.

Abdul Hafeez: In many cases, capstone projects turn into internships, and sometimes lead to full-time positions. We have students working at places like Nightingale Health. Recently, one student secured a data analyst position at Johns Hopkins. Another student from a pharmacy background gained SQL and Python skills and secured a full-time role during her second or third semester.

George Mason Online Admissions: That’s awesome.

George Mason Online Admissions: I’m going to combine a few similar questions. Are there opportunities to connect with health system staff, like MedStar or Inova, as part of the program?

Abdul Hafeez: Yes. When you begin the pre-workshop, workshop, and capstone courses, you will connect with managers and tech leads from MedStar, Inova, and Sentara Health. You’ll work with them on real-world projects, which are turned into posters that you present as part of the course requirements.

George Mason Online Admissions: Great. Another related question—what types of jobs do graduates typically get, and how is the job market for health informatics?

Abdul Hafeez: Health informatics roles are evolving. Typical roles include healthcare data analyst and healthcare data scientist, and newer roles such as healthcare AI analyst. If you search job portals like Indeed or LinkedIn, you’ll see these roles emerging.

Abdul Hafeez: Success depends on how well you prepare yourself. Hands-on skills—such as designing and running SQL queries on EHR data—significantly increase your success rate.

George Mason Online Admissions: Thank you. Another question I often get—are there opportunities to talk to alumni?

Abdul Hafeez: Yes. I organize an alumni panel once a year. We host sessions where students can speak directly with alumni, ask about career paths, and learn how to position themselves in the job market.

Chris Williams: I’ll add that the graduate admissions team also hosts student and alumni panels two to three times per year. These are great opportunities to connect with current students and alumni, learn about the program, and prepare for applying or starting coursework.

George Mason Online Admissions: That’s awesome.

George Mason Online Admissions: A couple of questions about the certificate program—how does it differ from the master’s, and is it KHIM accredited?

Abdul Hafeez: The certificate allows students to get exposure to health informatics and build foundational technical skills like SQL, Python, and

basic statistics. It can serve as a bridge into the master’s program, and credits can be transferred.

George Mason Online Admissions: Another question—can AI be beneficial or detrimental to informatics? And what’s the difference between the AI program and health informatics?

Abdul Hafeez: The AI program focuses more heavily on AI courses compared to data analytics. AI is being used extensively in healthcare research and education. We use AI agents as intelligent tutors that guide students through problem-solving without giving direct answers.

Abdul Hafeez: AI is an assistant to clinicians, not a replacement. It supports doctors and nurses through decision support, workflow automation, documentation, triage, and telehealth.

Abdul Hafeez: For a nurse, for example, AI can help automate routine tasks, reduce administrative burdens, assist with early detection of critical conditions, and support personalized care plans.

Abdul Hafeez: Agentic AI can also be used to develop applications such as triage tools that help determine the appropriate department for patients admitted to emergency care.

Abdul Hafeez: Few use cases that I can mention. Just to give you some clarity. Does this answer your question? I think the student’s name is… If I can pronounce correctly… Hanu… Hanaku?

George Mason Online Admissions: I think that was great. We have just a few more questions in the question and answer, and then I was going to move to the chat. We might have answered some already in the chat. I believe I know the answer, but I’d like for y’all to confirm. Is there a capstone experience as part of the certificate program? And I don’t believe that there is in the certificate. That would be just the master’s, if I’m correct.

Abdul Hafeez: That’s correct, Tawata. It’s not part of the certificate program. The certificate program is short and compressed. In the AI Health and Certificate Program, it’s roughly five courses, while the older Healthcare Data Analytics Certificate has six courses.

George Mason Online Admissions: Someone asked if you would have to reapply for the master’s after the certificate. Yes. That’s what our team is here for. I have a lot of prospective students who are a little bit nervous or considering a career change, and the certificate is a great way to dip your toes in.

A lot of students come back loving it and are ready to apply for the full master’s. That’s what our team helps with.

We have another question. Jessica asks: if I’m considering this program as a career change and it’s been a while since I’ve been in school, what sort of recommendation sources would be best?

I typically suggest professional recommendations. Supervisors. Not uncles, grandmas, or best friends. We sometimes get those.

Chris Williams: If you’re considering a career change, talk through your current experiences and why you’re making that change. Use the personal and experience statements fully.

If you have relevant or related experiences, include them in your application. Career changes are very common in graduate programs, and it should never be a deterrent.

For students without an IT or data background, we offer a bridge course before starting the program. There are also many helpful online courses such as LinkedIn Learning.

Abdul Hafeez: Many students ask these same questions. You can search on Udemy for Python and SQL courses. Once admitted, you’ll take a bridge course covering Python, SQL, and basic math.

You can also use w3schools.com to practice SQL and Python exercises. Our program is very hands-on. Instructors start from zero but move fast.

We see many students from social work, nursing, physiotherapy, dentistry, and medicine with no technical background succeed in this program. Passion matters more than background.

George Mason Online Admissions: I’ve heard great feedback about the bridge course. Students say it helped them feel ready.

Another question: how does data governance and data stewardship align with health informatics? Is that covered in the program?

Abdul Hafeez: Yes, these are core concepts and are covered in courses focused on security, standards, and vocabulary. Advanced courses involve designing standards for datasets.

Capstone projects can also focus on data governance, stewardship, data dictionaries, FHIR mapping, and retention policies.

George Mason Online Admissions: Is it better to complete the certificate first or start with the master’s?

Abdul Hafeez: If you’re comfortable picking up technical skills quickly, start with the master’s. If you need more time, start with the certificate, then move into the master’s.

Chris Williams: If you start the master’s and realize the certificate is a better fit, you can switch without reapplying. Some students finish the certificate requirements and stop there.

You can do a master’s and a certificate at the same time, but not two certificates simultaneously.

The AI certificate is 15 credits, and the Health Informatics certificate is 18 credits. Duration depends on part-time or full-time enrollment.

George Mason Online Admissions: What are the requirements for graduation in terms of grades or GPA?

Chris Williams: You must maintain good academic standing. Generally, B’s or higher keep

you in good standing. Multiple C’s or any F’s may put you at risk for academic warnings or termination.

I’ve shared links in the chat to program requirements and accreditation details.

George Mason Online Admissions: For the online program, tuition is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. Campus programs differ. Please reach out to our team with questions.

What advantages does this program have over others?

Abdul Hafeez: The program is very hands-on and located near the DMV area. Capstone projects and faculty research provide incredible experience.

Our faculty have won multi-million-dollar grants focused on AI in healthcare, including violence detection, aging, dementia, and smoking cessation.

That’s what makes our program different.

George Mason Online Admissions: Great question.

Chris Williams: Tuition is listed per credit hour, and we provide links for both annual and per-credit pricing, especially for online programs.

Chris Williams: If you’re looking at the Master of Science in Health Informatics and the certificate, yes, they would be the same price per credit since both are online. Tuition is calculated by credit hours taken, regardless of whether you’re in a master’s or certificate program.

Abdul Hafeez: We do have teaching assistants and tutors. If the help from a TA is not sufficient, you can work with tutors who have more time to help you grasp concepts. If you want to learn more about our program, the website is hi.gmu.edu.

Chris Williams: There was a question about transfer credits. Transfer credits must be reviewed and approved by the program director or coordinator. They would review your transcript, course descriptions, or syllabus. This process happens after admission, though you can ask about likelihood beforehand.

George Mason Online Admissions: What is the success rate of students acquiring work aligned in health informatics after completing the program?

Abdul Hafeez: There is no fixed metric. It depends on how well a student builds skills such as data cleaning, SQL, and applying machine learning with Python. We provide extensive support, including TAs, tutors, and learning materials, to help students succeed.

George Mason Online Admissions: What professional associations or credentials are offered upon completion?

Abdul Hafeez: Students earn a Master’s in Health Informatics. Some graduates enter industry, while others pursue PhD programs and conduct cutting-edge research.

George Mason Online Admissions: Does the program offer a course covering interoperability?

Abdul Hafeez: Yes. Course 672 covers standards and vocabulary, and 720 focuses on interoperability, schemas, data dictionaries, and FHIR. Students also apply these concepts in data mining courses using SQL, Python, R, or other tools to perform predictions and classifications. Advanced courses work with large databases and real-world health problems, including radiology, AI in healthcare, and healthcare statistics.

George Mason Online Admissions: Is the program mostly hands-on?

Abdul Hafeez: Yes, depending on the track. Data analytics is about 80–85% hands-on. Other concentrations include health management, public informatics, and quality concentration. Students typically choose their concentration in the second semester after experiencing the coursework.

George Mason Online Admissions: What is the graduation rate?

Abdul Hafeez: It’s high.

George Mason Online Admissions: Faculty are phenomenal and want students to succeed.

Abdul Hafeez: We provide strong support, but passion is essential. If you do not enjoy working with computers, this program may not be the right fit.

Chris Williams: George Mason offers extensive student support including career advising, counseling, and learning services. Faculty and admissions teams help connect students to these resources throughout their journey.

George Mason Online Admissions: Thank you all for joining tonight. Does anyone have any other questions?

Abdul Hafeez: International students should apply early to allow sufficient time for visa processing.

Chris Williams: Absolutely. Visa processing and transcript evaluations take time, so apply well in advance. OIPS is a great resource for international students.

Abdul Hafeez: We can’t wait to see you in our program.

George Mason Online Admissions: Thank you for your time and your great questions.

Chris Williams: Thank you for joining us. We hope to see your application soon.

Abdul Hafeez: Looking forward to it. Thank you so much.