Master of Science in Health Informatics

Curriculum

Standard

The standard Master of Science in Health Informatics curriculum consists of 36 credits and is designed to be completed in six semesters. Below is the standard plan of study outlining the structured progression of coursework as you advance through the program.

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

During the sixth semester, you will select from either the Capstone series or the Thesis series.

Accelerated

The accelerated Master of Science in Health Informatics curriculum consists of 36 credits and is designed to be completed in three semesters. Below is the standard plan of study outlining the structured progression of coursework as you advance through the program.

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

During the third semester, you will select from either the Capstone series or the Thesis series.

Approved Electives

Career-Focused Learning

The Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) offers a student-centered, applied learning experience designed for working professionals and early-career learners seeking to advance in data-informed healthcare roles. Courses integrate real-world healthcare scenarios, case studies, applied learning, and problem-based learning to ensure immediate relevance to professional practice.

Delivered fully online in seven-week courses, the program emphasizes regular and substantive interaction with faculty through structured learning activities, guided discussions, applied assignments, and timely feedback. Faculty bring academic expertise and professional experience in health informatics, analytics, and healthcare operations, supporting students as they apply concepts to authentic healthcare challenges.

Learning is assessed through competency-based, performance-focused evaluations, including applied learning, analyses, and presentations aligned with clearly defined course and program learning outcomes. These assessments are designed to mirror the types of tasks health informatics professionals encounter in practice, such as analyzing data, evaluating systems, supporting decision-making, and addressing organizational and ethical considerations.

Throughout the program, students develop the ability to translate health data into actionable insight, collaborate across clinical and technical teams, and responsibly use digital tools and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to support healthcare quality, efficiency, and innovation. Ongoing reflection and feedback promote continuous learning and inform ongoing and continuous program improvement

Why Health Informatics Now?

Healthcare organizations are generating more data than ever before, yet data alone does not improve care. Health informatics professionals play a critical role in ensuring that health information is accurate, accessible, secure, and translated into meaningful action that improves quality, efficiency, and patient outcomes.

As health systems expand the use of electronic health records, analytics platforms, digital health tools, and artificial intelligence, there is a growing demand for professionals who understand healthcare environments and information systems. Health informatics sits at the intersection of clinical care, operations, data, and technology, supporting safer care delivery, better decision-making, and more effective resource use.

At the same time, healthcare leaders face increasing pressure to improve performance, reduce inefficiencies, address workforce challenges, and demonstrate value. Health informatics expertise enables organizations to move beyond reporting data to strategically using information to support quality improvement, population health, operational optimization, and innovation.

The MSHI prepares graduates to meet these challenges by developing applied skills that align with the evolving needs of healthcare organizations today and the data-driven future of healthcare delivery.

Clinical Education

As South Carolina’s only comprehensive academic health science center, MUSC offers a collaborative, interdisciplinary learning environment grounded in research and real-world application. The MSHI program reflects MUSC’s commitment to preparing health care professionals who can lead in a data-driven, digitally enabled future.

Industry-Aligned Credentials & Skill Development

The Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) is designed to develop job-ready skills that align with current and emerging workforce needs in health informatics, analytics, and digital health. The curriculum emphasizes applied competencies that employers value, focusing on how data, systems, and information are used to improve healthcare delivery, quality, and operational performance.

Through coursework and applied learning, students build skills in areas such as:

• Health information systems and electronic health records
• Healthcare data analytics and decision support
• Workflow analysis and process improvement
• Data governance, privacy, security, and regulatory compliance
• Quality measurement and performance improvement
• Digital health and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence

The program prepares students to apply informatics principles across real healthcare environments, supporting roles that require collaboration between clinical, operational, and technical teams.

Students also have access to professional development resources that allow them to personalize skill development based on their career goals. Opportunities may include exposure to industry-recognized frameworks, tools, and learning pathways aligned with organizations such as HIMSS and other leading professional associations in health informatics and healthcare technology.

Through this flexible and applied approach, graduates leave the MSHI program with a portfolio of practical skills that support immediate workplace contribution and long-term career growth in health informatics and data-enabled healthcare roles.

Accredited & Workforce-Aligned

The Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), the recognized accrediting body for health informatics education programs. CAHIIM accreditation affirms that the program meets established standards for curriculum quality, learning outcomes, and workforce preparation.

The MSHI curriculum is aligned with professional competencies expected of health informatics practitioners and is designed to support applied skill development relevant to today’s healthcare environments. As part of an academic health system, the program reflects current healthcare practice, regulatory considerations, and emerging trends in data-driven care delivery.

Experiential Learning

The Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) includes an experiential learning requirement that allows students to choose the option that best aligns with their career goals. Students complete either a Thesis or a Capstone Project, both designed to apply and integrate knowledge gained throughout the program.

Thesis Option (HIN 780) - The thesis option is designed for students interested in research, academic careers, or doctoral study. Students work with a faculty advisor to design and conduct an independent research study in health informatics, culminating in a formal thesis and defense. This option typically spans more than one semester.

Capstone Option (HIN 718) - The capstone option provides a practice-focused, real-world experience through participation in a health informatics or health IT project at MUSC or another approved organization. Students apply informatics concepts to areas such as project management, workflow analysis, system evaluation, or data analytics, demonstrating competency across professional informatics domains.

A Flexible, Career-Aligned Experience

Both options ensure students demonstrate mastery of program competencies while allowing flexibility to pursue research-oriented or applied professional pathways aligned with individual career objectives.

Application Process

The following process outlines how and when your materials will be reviewed.

1. Submit the MUSC application.
2. Submit all supplemental materials, if not included within the application.
3. Once all materials have been received and verified, your application will be reviewed.

Application Requirements

1. MUSC Application: All applicants must submit an MUSC application.
2. Supplemental Materials: Applicants will need to submit the following supplemental materials.
   1. Official transcripts from all institutions attended
   2. Letters of recommendation: If an applicant’s GPA is below 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, they may be required to provide references to provide letters of recommendation.

All information above must be received by the deadline to be considered for admission to the program. Without all materials, applications will be incomplete. It is the applicant's responsibility to review the progress of their application to ensure that all application materials have been submitted.

International Applicants

MUSC welcomes international applicants and offers tailored guidance to support you throughout the admission process. View details at International Applicants.

Cost of Attendance

Full-time

Part-time

Disclaimer: The Estimated Total listed above reflects an approximation of educational costs for planning purposes only. Actual expenses may vary based on individual circumstances, program requirements and annual changes in tuition, fees and other costs. The Medical University of South Carolina reserves the right to adjust tuition, fees and other charges at any time without prior notice.

Scholarships

MUSC offers scholarships for which you may be eligible. Some are awarded based on academic achievement; others are awarded based on community service, for example. However, the majority of scholarships awarded at MUSC are based on financial need. This means that these scholarships are only awarded to students who need some financial assistance to cover the cost of tuition and fees. If you would like to be considered for a financial need-based scholarship, you must have an up-to-date Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file. Make sure you list the Medical University of South Carolina on your FAFSA form, along with MUSC's code: 003438. We encourage you to submit your FAFSA as early as possible. It is recommended to submit your FAFSA in January if you plan to enroll in the fall.

Graduation Rates

The table below provides graduation rates by year for the Master of Science in Health Informatics program.

Employment Rates

The following table provides the employment rate for graduates seeking employment within six months of graduation.

Competencies

Upon completion of the MSHI program, graduates should be able to:

• Analyze and evaluate health information systems to inform improvements in clinical workflows and patient outcomes.
• Design and implement evidence‑based strategies and interventions that integrate data science principles and informatics technologies to address operational, population health or research challenges.
• Conduct and interpret rigorous research or evaluation to employ applied statistics, data mining or system evaluation methods to generate insights that influence practice, policy or scholarly discourse.
• Demonstrate ethical and regulatory acumen, applying pertinent legal, privacy and professional standards in the design, use and governance of health data and technology.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively across interprofessional teams, articulating analytic findings, system requirements or research outcomes to stakeholders with clarity and scholarly precision.
• Develop and justify data‑driven improvement initiatives, framed by critically reflective inquiry, that anticipate and respond to evolving health informatics needs at institutional or societal levels.

Vision

The Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program seeks to change what’s possible in healthcare by advancing the use of data, informatics, and digital technologies to improve care, decision-making, and health outcomes through responsible, ethical, and evidence-informed practice - locally, nationally, and beyond.

This vision guides curriculum design, competency development, and learning experiences that prepare graduates to apply health informatics, data, and digital technologies in support of evolving healthcare systems.

Values

At the core of our program, we are guided by a commitment to the following values that drive our mission:

• Compassion: We act with kindness, empathy and dignity.
• Collaboration: We achieve common goals through teamwork and partnerships.
• Innovation: We drive transformation by embracing new ideas, discoveries and practices.
• Integrity: We do the right thing and commit to accountability in words, actions and use of resources.
• Respect: We value everyone and their many perspectives to build trust and a sense of belonging.

Mission

The Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) prepares professionals to improve healthcare delivery by effectively using data, information systems, and digital technologies. Grounded in applied, evidence-based practice, the program equips students with the informatics, analytical, and ethical competencies needed to support data-informed decision-making, quality improvement, and system optimization across healthcare organizations.

Serving South Carolina and beyond, the MSHI is designed for working professionals and early-career professionals seeking to advance or transition into health informatics roles through a flexible, fully online learning experience aligned with workforce and industry needs.

Advisory Council

The MUSC MSHI Advisory Council serves as an external board offering recommendations to the program. Members come from industry, consulting and academics and bring expertise in the area of informatics, innovation, technology, analytics, education, telemedicine and electronic health record (EHR) use. The council meets 1-2 times per year to review program practices and outcomes and makes recommendations on curriculum, growth, recruitment and development.

Council Members

• Shari Donley, MBA, CPHIMS, AVP IT Governance and Corporate HIPAA Officer, McLeod Health
• John Glaser, Ph.D., Program Director, Global Health Care Leaders, Harvard Medical School
• Michelle Hager, Managing Partner, Blue Cirrus Consulting
• Amanda James, MSHI, RN, Telehealth Nurse Manager, Ambulatory Specialty Services, Medical University of South Carolina
• Aaron Miri, DHA, FCHIME, CHCIO, EVP and Chief Digital & Information Officer, Baptist Health
• Jihad Obeid, M.D., Endowed Chair for Biomedical Informatics Associated with Clinical Effectiveness & Patient Safety, Medical University of South Carolina
• E. Haywood Titchener, MSHI, Clinical Application Manager, Medical University of South Carolina
• Matt Turner, MHA, VP of Business Intelligence, Aledade
• Sebastian van Delden, Ph.D., Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, Winthrop University
• Robert Warren, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, Epic Emeritus CMIO, Epic and Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and Rheumatology, Medical University of South Carolina