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GRADUATE PROGRAM

Master of Health Informatics

30 total credits | average 2 years to complete

11
MAY
Start Date
Format
Online
Tuition
$36,510
Courses
10 courses
Term

Summer 2024

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Gain Real World Leadership Experience to Improve Healthcare in Your Community

As data analytics has proven to be one of the most significant undertakings to promote better patient outcomes and decrease cost, the field of health informatics has emerged. By sharpening their understanding of analytics and technology, healthcare and industry professionals can work to reduce health disparities and improve equity. The online Master of Health Informatics program from the Wake Forest University School of Professional Studies offers a holistic curriculum that balances leadership and technical skills to help you build a strong foundation within any health informatics discipline. 

In the Master of Health Informatics online program, our partnership with Carolinas Simulation Center, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Advocate Health (the 5th largest health system in the country),  takes learning beyond the classroom. Graduate students have a unique experiential learning opportunity focusing on patient-centered research and innovation. Faculty is made up of industry leaders who develop courses that allow students to learn by doing through coursework, the capstone experiences, and engagement with experts in the field.

Wake Forest School of Professional Studies is proud to be an an Academic Educational Partner (AEP) of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society HIMSS by meeting their rigorous educational standards providing resources for certification, networking and professional development as well as an Academic Organization Affiliate granting all students in this master’s program a free HIMSS individual membership and the opportunity to attend the annual HIMSS conference.

32%

job growth

for medical and health services managers from 2020–2030, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
$104.80

billion

the expected worth of the global market size by 2032.
139,600

new jobs

will be created in the next 10 years.

“I wanted to be prepared for the growth of AI and Technology in healthcare while also learning how to protect patients and their data”

— Seema Ravishankar, Health Informatics Student and NICU Nurse

The People Behind the Program

To accelerate your career growth, reach your professional goals, and expand your network, we created the Health Informatics Programmatic Advisory Board (PAB) to bring knowledge from experts in the field into the classroom. These board members are committed to your academic excellence and keeping Wake Forest University  School of Professional Studies graduates industry–competitive and globally impactful. 

Core Courses

There are 9 required core courses including the Capstone course. Students may choose 1 elective.

There is no prescribed order for the courses, you may take them in the order that works for you when your selection is available.

  • Health Informatics Today

    This course serves as an introduction to health informatics concepts, techniques, and emerging trends, with a leadership lens. Learners will identify current and emerging trends in health informatics, including electronic health records, patient portals, health data, standards, sourcing, accessibility, health equity awareness, and privacy issues. The course will cover how health informatics is used in administrative, operational, clinical, financial, and strategic aspects of healthcare, and how healthcare technologies are used in information management to deliver and improve the quality, cost, equity, and accessibility of healthcare services.

  • Population Health & the American Healthcare System

    This course provides a thorough overview of healthcare delivery in the United States and Population Health. Learners will discuss the importance of healthcare and health information quality and the need for health equity and patient safety in healthcare systems, and analyze the impact of social, behavioral, cultural, economic, and environmental factors on healthcare systems and practices. The course will cover ways to create sustainable change through improved management, policy, and financial support in healthcare, including relevant governmental, ethical, regulatory, and compliance issues in the context of healthcare plans and payment models.

  • Healthcare Data Analytics

    This course is a comprehensive introduction to the current state of the science and practice of analytics in healthcare, including health data visualization and how to use data for healthcare insights and decision-making. Learners will apply data analytics tools and methods, machine learning procedures, and effective analytical and communication skills in managing, analyzing, and reporting health data. They will also conduct analyses using statistical software packages (such as SAS, R, or Python) to inform public health and health policy, and to generate quantitative evidence that improves health equity, and clinical decision-making. Students will create an impactful business case using health analytics information and health data visualization to communicate with stakeholders and health system leaders.

  • Healthcare Databases

    This course is an introduction to the theory and application of database management systems. Learners will apply principles of database management, data modeling, privacy, and cybersecurity to improve healthcare and manage health data effectively, and identify and analyze database management systems. The course will also cover query languages, and the design and maintenance of cloud databases.

  • Digital Health

    This course will explore the theory, applied practice, and impact of current and emerging digital health technologies and clinical documentation systems for all demographics. Learners will differentiate between the technology tools used in healthcare, including wearables, telemedicine, Mobile Health, Internet of Things (IoT), and other Consumer eHealth tools, and examine how digital health solutions and patient portals impact patients’ health and wellness, access to healthcare services, and interactions with their caregivers (patient perspective). They will also evaluate how digital platforms can improve and transform clinical operations and the delivery of healthcare (care provider perspective).

  • Health Information Regulation, Privacy & Security

    This course offers foundational exposure to legal and ethical issues related to health information privacy and security, and the basic technological considerations to meet professional obligations in health informatics practice. Learners will evaluate security audits, regulatory policies/laws, and release of information procedures, and address ethical considerations in health sciences, informatics, and electronic medicine. They will discuss legal and regulatory issues that apply to the management of patient information in health informatics and how they can be a source of innovation. The course will also cover evolving standards and issues, such as blockchain, remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, and their regulatory, privacy, security, and ethical issues.

  • Healthcare Leadership and Impact

    This course will explore leadership, organizational structure, and effective team functioning in healthcare. It will provide students with an understanding of the importance of developing high-quality relationships, the impact of motivation, power, and influence, principles of organizational ethics, and health equity. To gain an understanding of how leadership principles and best practices impact the ability to manage a successful healthcare organization, project, or strategic imperative, learners will apply theories and best practices of leadership, analyze data and information to effectively implement change, recognize how unconscious biases can affect leadership and decision-making, and explore best practices for organizational and strategic leadership.

  • Quality and Patient Safety Management in Healthcare

    This course covers the foundations for understanding and pursuing patient safety and quality of care outcomes within the current healthcare environment. Thoughtful consideration is given on how quality and safety from a global perspective can critically impact expectations within today’s healthcare environment.

  • Capstone in Health Informatics

    This course threads together all program content learned throughout the program into a culminating capstone experience. Learners will identify a current health care opportunity, challenge, or issue, and develop and implement a comprehensive Health Informatics project, case study, or business case. Students will design a process or project that positively impacts and improves outcomes using the principles and applied concepts of health informatics.

    • Electives

    Students in the Master’s of Healthcare Informatics program will chose 1 elective.

    Electives can be taken at any time during the program when your selection is available.

  • Project Management Essentials

    This course introduces the foundational concepts of project management. It provides an overview of the PM lifecycle as defined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Several PM knowledge areas such as risk, scope, schedule, quality, monitoring, and communication, among others, will be introduced. Distinctions between project, program, and portfolio management are explored.

  • Telehealth Today and Tomorrow

    This course will provide an overview of the tools, techniques, opportunities, and challenges associated with telehealth from an informatics perspective. Learners will describe technologies used to deploy and improve telehealth for better healthcare access, identify strategies to engage patients in using telehealth practices, understand the impact of telehealth on different patient populations, and describe the clinical, legal, regulatory, and quality issues in the use of telehealth.

  • Artificial Intelligence for Health Informatics

    This course will review the foundations of artificial intelligence (AI) with applications to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of diseases. Learners will differentiate various artificial intelligence concepts and enabling technologies, and discover and employ processes used in designing and implementing artificial intelligence systems to prevent bias and inequities.

    • Meet Health Informatics Faculty

    Get to know Dr. Debra Wolf, Academic Director for Health Informatics

    Request Info

    Get to know SPS Health Informatics Students

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    Learn more about SPS Student Jody Johnson and the 5 ways she has transformed her life, personally and professionally.
  •  “SPS students are groundbreakers…”: Wake SPS Faculty Celebrates Graduate Students 

    In celebration of Graduate Student Appreciation Week, we’re flipping the script – we asked faculty members across our various certificate and masters programs to tell…
  • 5 Things Health Informatics Students Need to Know About HIMSS

    As an Academic Organization Affiliate of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), SPS Health Informatics students can become members for free, and some even…
  • How Health Informatics Helps Improve Patient Outcomes

    Learn about health informatics, who’s using it, and three ways it helps promote positive patient outcomes through technological innovation and access to care.
  • 3 Emerging Trends in Health Informatics

    Read about the latest trends in health informatics, like data analytics, AI, and interoperability, that are revolutionizing patient care and medical practices.

    • Paying for School

    There are several financial assistance options available for you to start this journey and see your career take off.

    Speak with one of our financial aid officers for help navigating scholarships, veteran’s assistance, FAFSA, and more.

    Learn More

    Admission Criteria

    To enroll in the Master of Health Informatics program a candidate must complete an online application, in which they will submit:  

    • A resume 
    • A bachelor’s degree transcript from an accredited college or university* 

    The interview can be complete two ways: virtually with a Student Success Manger or the interview questions can be answered and submitted electronically.

    *An unofficial transcript is acceptable for admission; an official transcript is due by the start of the first course. 

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