Overview
Health care informatics focuses on the use of information technologies, data analytics and automation to improve health care, and there’s a strong demand for professionals with advanced training in this area. With healthcare being one of the largest industries in the United States which is rapidly shifting to electronic health records, there is a great demand for IT experts to assist in this shift as well as for informaticians and data analysts to leverage the full potential of electronic health data in order to improve healthcare. There was never a better time for a career in health care informatics!
Why choose us?
- Our program will give you a broad perspective of the field as well as give you theoretical and applied knowledge pertaining to various subareas within healthcare informatics.
- You will develop skills in areas of high demand in health care such as systems analysis and design, database design and management, clinical decision support and computer programming.
- You will get exposed to cutting edge research in areas such as big data, predictive analytics, natural language processing, medical knowledge representation and information retrieval, which are rapidly becoming indispensable for improving healthcare.
- Our program is designed for both full-time or part-time students.
- Courses are offered both face-to-face and online. Mid-career professionals can use the fully online option for completing the degree.
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Cost
Tuition
For the most up-to-date information, visit the UWM Enrollment & Financial Services website . Be sure you are viewing the Graduate Fee Schedule for the appropriate semester.
UWM offers the following Tuition Reduction Programs for out-of-state residents:
- Minnesota–Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity agreement
(Minnesota residents) - Midwest Student Exchange Program
(Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio residents) - Milwaukee Advantage Program
(Illinois residents)
Mandatory/Segregated Fees
These funds are earmarked for the support of certain student services. See the Mandatory/Segregated Fees document for the appropriate semester on the UWM Enrollment & Financial Services website .
Additional Course Fees
There may be additional course fees (in addition to regular tuition) that could include differential tuition, distance education fees, or special course fees. To see if your courses have additional fees, go to web.uwm.edu/registrar/tools/fee .
Aid
Graduate Assistantships
The Health Care Informatics Program is looking for dynamic graduate students to support in our MS in Health Care Informatics Program. These part-time graduate assistantship positions provide a modest stipend and an excellent experience working closely with Health Care Informatics faculty. Assistantships are matched to faculty focus areas.
UWM Fellowships & Awards
UWM & CHS Scholarships
Complete the FAFSA then go to the UWM Panther Scholarship Portal . Sign in using your PAWS credentials and complete the General Application and the CHS application. You may save your work and return to the portal at a later time. Additional information can be found at uwm.edu/scholarships .
State & National Scholarships/Awards
UWM Emergency Grant
The UWM Emergency Grant is funded by several private contributions and is available to students when they have unforeseen circumstances that may negatively influence their academic success. You can be awarded up to $1,000 for non-academic expenses (e.g., car repairs, medical bills, rent, utilities, child care, food, etc.). Learn more at uwm.edu/emergencygrant .
Other Financial Support
Contact
For questions about the MS Health Care Informatics Program, please email ms-hci@uwm.edu.
Admission
AdmissionAn applicant must meet UWM Graduate School requirements plus submit GRE scores taken within the past five years (GRE requirement will be waived for applicants who already hold another master’s degree or PhD, or the equivalent). No specific undergraduate major is necessary for admission. A typical applicant will have background in a health-related field or in an information/computer related field, but applicants from other academic or professional backgrounds are welcome to apply who will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students transferring from other academic areas at UWM as well as students transferring to UWM from other institutions are also welcome.
We accept applications for both Fall and Spring semesters. Our admissions are on a rolling basis and there are no deadlines.
For questions regarding admissions, please contact ms-hci@uwm.edu.
Curriculum
CurriculumThe Master of Science in Health Care Informatics degree will be awarded upon completion of appropriate 32 credits (non-thesis option) or 35 credits (thesis option) of prescribed graduate study; 23 credits of core courses and 6 credits of electives are required, plus either 3 credits of project or 6 credits of thesis.
Core required courses (23 credits)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| HCA 700: Introduction to Health Care Informatics | 3 |
| HCA 722: Legal, Ethical and Social Issues in Health Care Informatics | 3 |
| HCA 723: Health Care Systems Applications—Administrative & Clinical | 3 |
| HCA 740: Introduction to Biomedical Database Applications | 3 |
| HCA 741: Essential Programming for Health Informatics | 3 |
| HCA 742: Computational Intelligence in Health Informatics | 3 |
| HCA 760: Biomedical and Healthcare Terminology and Ontology | 3 |
| HCA 541: Healthcare Information Systems Analysis & Design | 3 |
Electives (6 credits)
Electives other than those listed below are to be approved by the program director.
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| HCA 721: Health Information Technology Procurement | 3 |
| HCA 743: Predictive Analytics in Healthcare | 3 |
| HCA 744: Text Retrieval and Its Applications in Biomedicine | 3 |
| HCA 745: Health Big Data Processing Platforms | 3 |
| HCA 776: Biomedical Natural Language Processing | 3 |
| HCA 789: Biomedical Information Extraction | 3 |
| HCA 909: Guided Teaching Experience in Health Sciences | 3 |
| HS 917: Seminar in Health Outcomes Assessment | 3 |
Project (3 credits) or Thesis (6 credits)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| HCA 891: Health Care Informatics Professional Project OR | 3 |
| HCA 890: Health Care Informatics Research and Thesis | 1-6 |
Employment Outlook
Employment OutlookOur graduates are highly sought after. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for medical records and health information technicians will grow 8% between 2019-2029, faster than other occupations. The demand for health services is expected to increase as the population ages. An aging population will need more medical tests, treatments, and procedures. Additional records, coupled with widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) by all types of healthcare providers, could lead to an increased need for technicians to organize and manage the associated information in all areas of the healthcare industry.
Professional Organizations
Professional OrganizationsVisit these websites for current information and other resources regarding our profession.
Faculty & Staff
Faculty & Staff- Ron A. Cisler, PhD
Professor Emeritus - Jennifer T. Fink, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, MHA Program Co-director - Bev Gehring
University Services Associate 2 - Jake Luo, PhD
Associate Professor, Informatics Graduate Program Director - Mary K. Madsen, PhD, RN, FAAIDD
Professor Emerita - Priya Nambisan, PhD
Associate Professor - Kathleen M. Olewinski, MS, RHIA, NHA, FACHE, PhD (ABD)
Clinical Associate Professor, Director of Health Care Administration Studies, Educational Coordinator - Hanh Trinh, PhD
Associate Professor - Min Wu, PhD
Associate Professor, Chair - Barbara J. Zabawa, JD, MPH
Clinical Assistant Professor, MHA Program Co-director