Admission Requirements

• Master of Science
• MS in Health Informatics/MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies)
• MS in Health Informatics/Doctor of Pharmacy

Degree Requirements

• Master of Science
• MS in Health Informatics/MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies)
• MS in Health Informatics/Doctor of Pharmacy

Mailing Address:
Office of Graduate Programs (MC 530)
Biomedical and Health Information Sciences
College of Applied Health Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago
1919 West Taylor Street, Room 250 AHSB
Chicago, Illinois 60612-7249

Campus Location: 250 AHSB
Program Code: 20FS1303MSU
Telephone: (866) 674-4842
E-mail: p.rocha@healthinformatics.uic.edu
Web Site: http://healthinformatics.uic.edu
Director of Graduate Studies: Dr. Larry Pawola

The Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (BHIS) offers course work leading to an online Master of Science in Health Informatics. Health Informatics is the science of healthcare-related information, encompassing clinical care and clinical, financial, IT, and enterprise management. BHIS participates in two joint-degree programs: the MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies) / MS in Health Informatics and the Doctor of Pharmacy / MS in Health Informatics. A postmaster’s IBHE-Approved Certificate in Health Informatics is available for healthcare and IT professionals who already have a master’s degree. A postbaccalaureate Campus Certificate in Health Informatics is available for healthcare and IT professionals who have a baccalaureate degree. BHIS also offers the MS in Biomedical Visualization.

Admission Requirements

Applicants will be considered on an individual basis by the BHIS Committee on Academic and Educational Policy. Individuals determined to be deficient in one or more areas may be recommended to the Graduate College for admission upon the condition that any deficiencies are remedied through appropriate course work.

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study or for all terminal graduate degrees. A final cumulative GPA of 3.00/4.00 for UIC's postbaccalaureate certificate in health informatics will also be accepted. In addition to the previous requirements, the cumulative GPA for any graduate-level course work must be at least 3.00/4.00.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL If the applicant has taken the paper-based TOEFL, minimum scores in the range of 585–600 will be considered; in addition, the applicant must take the Test of Written English and submit scores in the range of 5–6. If the applicant has taken the computer-based TOEFL, minimum scores in the range of 240–250 will be considered. In this case the Test of Written English is not required. Applicants taking the iBT Internet-based TOEFL must have a minimum score of 95, with subscores of Reading 24, Listening 22, Speaking 24, and Writing 24. OR
  • IELTS 7.0, with subscores of 6.5 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required using the program’s forms.
• Personal Statement Required. The statement should address the applicant’s goals for graduate study and career development.
• Resume Applicant should submit a resume that highlights education and work experience (applicant should have at least two years of work experience in industries that can directly translate to health informatics, such as health care, IT, health information management, consulting, or law. This excludes academic student jobs).
• Other Requirements Prior academic work must include a course in basic computing skills (or comparable experience) and one course in graduate-level basic statistics taken within the last five years for students in the project research and thesis tracks. The latter may be taken upon matriculation. The following prerequisites for the health informatics program may be taken upon matriculation, as equivalent course work, or as healthcare experience: HIM 486—Foundations in Health Information Management and BHIS 406—Medical Terminology in Health Information Management.

MS in Health Informatics/MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies)

To be admitted to the joint program, a student must meet the admissions criteria of each individual master’s degree program. The program of study may be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Because  there is some crossover of course credit across the health informatics and nursing programs, students are encouraged to apply as a joint program student before 16 credit hours of UIC graduate credit are completed.

MS in Health Informatics/Doctor of Pharmacy

To be admitted to the joint program, a student must meet the admissions criteria of each individual degree program. Students are considered for admission to the PharmD program with a minimum of 62 semester hours of accrued undergraduate credit; however, the MS in Health Informatics requires an earned bachelor’s degree. For students who apply to the PharmD without a baccalaureate degree, the program provides a course planner showing the sequence of course work that meets the intent of the previously earned bachelor’s degree admissions requirement for the MS. Students will be permitted to take BHIS 460, available to upper-level undergraduate students, in the fall of their second year in the PharmD curriculum. They will be accepted to the MS in Health Informatics the spring of their second year, at the point in the PharmD curriculum in which they will have accrued 128 semester hours—the baccalaureate equivalent.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 45.
• Course Work Required Courses for All Tracks: BHIS 437, 499, 503, 505, 510, 511, 515, 520, 525, and 537.
• Required Courses for Project and Thesis Research Tracks: BHIS 500 and 595.
• Required Courses for Course-Work-Only Track: BHIS 530.
• Electives: Choice of electives to reach the minimum 45 hours should be guided, in consultation with the advisor, by the area of interest and the student’s professional experience. BHIS 517, 528, 538, 546, or 580 are recommended electives for those in the course-work-only track.
• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Option
• Thesis: Students must earn at least 8 hours in BHIS 598.
• Project: Students must earn at least 4 hours in BHIS 597.
• Course Work Only: Requires course work as indicated above and electives to total a minimum of 45 credit hours.
• Other Requirements Continuous Registration: Students who have completed all degree requirements except the thesis / project must register for zero credit hours to maintain continuous registration.

MS in Health Informatics/MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies)

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 65.
• Course Work Core Courses in Nursing: NURS 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, and 597 or 598.
• Specialty Courses in Nursing: NUSP 501, 502, 503, 504, and 505; NUPR 513.
• Required Courses in Health Informatics: BHIS 437, 503, 505, 510, 511, 525, 537, and 13–15 hours of BHIS electives. BHIS 515, 517, and 520 are recommended electives for the Informatics Nurse Certification Exam.

MS in Health Informatics/Doctor of Pharmacy

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 153–157.
• Course Work Core Courses in Pharmacy: PHAR 321, 322, 323, 324, 331, 332, 333, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 365, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, and 408; PHYB 301 and 302.
• Clerkship Courses in Pharmacy: 24 hours.
• Core Courses in Health Informatics: BHIS 437, 500, 510, 511, 525, 537, 580; BHIS 597 or 598.
• Elective Courses in Health Informatics: BHIS 515, 520.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Option Thesis or project. No other options are available.