HINF Program Home

Masters of Health
Informatics
 What is health informatics?
 Why an MHI degree?
 What you will learn
 For medical students(MD/MHI)

Admissions
 Prerequisites
 Advisors
 Finances
 For international students

Curriculum
 Degree requirements
 Full-time plan of study
 Part-time plan of study
 Electives

HINF Student Handbook

Faculty

Degree Requirements

Total Credits Required - 32

Required Courses

HINF 5430, 5431 - Introduction to Health Informatics (4 credits each semester)

These courses constitute the heart of the MHI program. They provide an introduction to the basic concepts of the field, a review of the application areas in the health informatics and a discussion and review of relevant technical concepts from database design to security and ethics.

PUBH 6414 - Biostatistical Methods I (3 Credits, more advanced courses may be substituted)

Descriptive statistics, graphical methods. Use of Excel. Proportions, relative risk, odds ratios. Random sampling. Estimates of mean, medians, measures of variability. Normal distribution, t-/chi-square tests. Confidence intervals. Correlation/regression. Inference/causality.

PUBH 6560 - Operations Research and Quality in Health Care (2 Credits)

Using a systems perspective to develop models to analyze/improve health care operations. Identifying data needs/sources to model structures, processes, and outcomes of care. Applying quality improvement, management sciences/operations research techniques to real world health care problems.

MILI 6562 - Information Technology in Health Care (2 Credits)

Managing information as a strategic resource within health care organizations. Designing information technology systems to capture, combine, and transform information to measure processes/outcomes of care, support collaborative clinical decision making, support management decisions, empower patients, and improve health care operations.

HINF 5436 - Seminar/Journal Club

The seminar presents the opportunity for students to be exposed to the latest developments in health informatics and to be introduced to many of the leaders in the field. Student are expected to present at least one journal club each year.

HINF 5499 - Capstone Project(3 Credits)

Students will have a final opportunity to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to a practical problem in health informatics. The course will address questions about the proper design of projects, review past exemplar projects and then work with students in conjunction with their advisor to design and carry out their own project. Students will submit a written project report in lieu of a final examination.

Elective Courses

Technical Electives (6 credits)

Students are required to take six credits of elective coursework that focuses on methods related to health informatics. For the typical student this will be at least one course in a computer science topic such as database design. Other methods courses may be acceptable if they are approved by the student's advisor and the DGS.

Specialization Electives (6 credits)

Students are also required to take six credits of elective coursework related to their area of interest in health informatics. This is a general elective requirement designed to encourage the student explore their own interests within the scope of health informatics and may incorporate courses from many different areas at the University of Minnesota. All general elective courses must be approved by the student's advisor and the DGS.

Transfers and Substitutions

Course Substitutions

A student may substitute courses of greater difficulty or higher level in the same area for any of the required courses listed above but must have the approval of their advisor to do so.

Transfer Credits

Students may transfer up to 12 credits of coursework from another graduate program or from coursework taken as a non-degree student at the University of Minnesota provided that those credits are approved by the DGS. These courses may be substituted for the required coursework as appropriate.