Master of Health Informatics Program | Institute for Health Informatics

The MHI program is designed to train individuals who are interested in using information technology to solve health care problems. The curriculum consists of 31 credits of coursework, including a final capstone. Students take a sequence of core informatics courses and add electives to specialize their degree. We also offer two dual degrees, the PharmD and the MD/MHI.

Below are the admissions requirements for the MHI. To the right are the deadlines for fall and spring cycles. Note that we accept applicants in both the spring and fall, however international students are encouraged to only apply during the fall cycle. Applications are reviewed only after the deadline.

Mission

To serve as the academic home for health informatics professional students pursuing a Master of Science in Health Informatics. It will provide a thorough, broad-based, cutting-edge, high-quality educational program that facilitates initial entry and advancement in the health informatics workforce and/or prepare them for doctoral studies in the field.

Vision

A workforce of trained health informatics professionals with skills in the information and healthcare sciences who are contributing to solving important problems in health.

Application Requirements

Academic

Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution
At least a 3.0 undergrad GPA (Please include unofficial transcripts for all undergraduate courses taken.)
At least a 3.0 GPA for any post-baccalaureate degrees (Please include unofficial transcripts for all graduate courses taken.)
6 semester-credits or 9 quarter-credits in life or health sciences
Programming language course or experience- Experience must be explained and uploaded in "additional materials" section in the application.

GRE

*The GRE is optional for the Fall 2021 application cycle for all degrees. Students are free to upload their scores if they choose, but it is no longer required.*

The GRE is required for all applicants unless they already have a master's degree from a regionally-accredited university in the United States or have been working in the field for at least 10 years. The University of Minnesota institutional code is 6874.

GRE- preferred quantitative score at or above the 50th percentile (∼153)
GRE- preferred verbal score at or above the 50th percentile (∼152)

Other

Complete demographic, educational history, and work history fields of application
Personal statement explaining why you want a degree in informatics
Transcripts for all post-secondary courses
2 letters of recommendation. Letters must be from supervisors or faculty rather than peers.
Application fee ($75 for US citizens/permanent residents; $95 for international applicants)

International Applicants

English scores (TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB) are required for all applicants.
Please review the International Applicants page for information regarding English tests, Visas, and other important information.

MHI Required Courses

Class	Credits per Class
Health Informatics I (HINF 5430)	3
Health Informatics II (HINF 5431)	3
Health Informatics Seminar (HINF 5436)	1
Applied Health Care Databases: Database Principles and Data Evaluation (HINF 5510)	3
Clinical Informatics and Patient Safety (HINF 5520)	2
Health Care Analytics and Data Science (HINF 5531)	3
Population Health Informatics (NURS 7108)	2
Biostatistics I (PUBH 6450)	4
Capstone Project (HINF 5499)	3
Electives	7
Total	31

PharmD/MHI

PharmD/MHI students are able to transfer in up to 11 credits between the programs. The majority of students choose to complete the MHI degree in the same four years as the PharmD degree. The program is open to students from both the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses. While in the dual degree program, students will get specialized education about health informatics and its applications in pharmacy. Students will apply their newfound skill sets with a capstone project, working with program coordinators and an assigned faculty advisor.

MD/MHI

The MD/MHI is a joint degree program which provides University of Minnesota medical students the opportunity to earn an MHI while pursing an MD. The program is a single year of coursework - in addition to the four years of training for the MD - which prepares medical students to apply information technology to medicine so they can be effective informaticians within their medical specialties. The joint degree program provides the same training as the M.H.I. program with the exception of the Capstone course which is replaced by an equivalent Medical School clerkship (LAMP 7195).