Oct 15, 2024  
Graduate Catalog | 2023-2024 
    
Graduate Catalog | 2023-2024 Previous Edition

Health Informatics and Analytics, M.S.


Health Informatics and Analytics is an interdisciplinary program within the School of Data Science that leverages and capitalizes on the strength of its parent colleges, the College of Health and Human Services and the College of Computing and Informatics, to prepare national and international students to advance the professional practice of Health Informatics through a thorough grounding in data science, and health analytics.

This mission is pursued through education, research, and service efforts that:

  • Provide qualified and motivated students from a variety of disciplines, levels of experience, and backgrounds - with a special emphasis on individuals and groups historically underrepresented in graduate education - the knowledge, skills, and abilities to become exemplary practitioners of and advocates for health informatics
  • Contribute to the body of knowledge related to the design, operation, and analysis of healthcare information systems and health-related data across multiple scales
  • Apply expertise to support health leaders and the communities they serve in, advancing the public’s health

The Health Informatics and Analytics program is the nation’s premier program in developing practitioners who bridge data sciences and analytics in support of optimal population health.

Admission Requirements


Applicants must meet the general Graduate School requirements for admission to master’s degree programs.  Applications must include all of the materials listed by the Graduate School as typical for master’s degree application submissions.  In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, an earned baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body in computer sciences, health sciences, information systems, or life sciences or in an informatics discipline or a closely related field is required for study toward the M.S. in Heath Informatics and Analytics.  Acceptable scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the GRE are required.

GRE Waiver

The GRE requirement may be waived for applicants who meet one of the following:

  • Hold a terminal degree (e.g., J.D., M.D., D.D.S., or Ph.D.)
  • Have a cumulative undergraduate or graduate GPA of 3.0 and above from a college or university accredited by an accepted accredited body
  • Have successfully completed a minimum of two of the required courses in the Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Analytics  with a GPA of 3.5 or above, and a letter of recommendation from at least one of the HIA course instructors

Waiver must be requested from the HIA Graduate Program Director when submitting the completed application.  All waivers are at the discretion of the HIA Graduate Program Director.  Applicants satisfying one of the above criteria may be asked by the HIA Graduate Program Director to report GRE scores.

Early Entry Program

Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may apply for the Early Entry Program and begin work toward the graduate degree before completion of the baccalaureate degree.  See the Undergraduate Catalog for details and requirements.  Also see the Degree Requirements and Academic Policies  section of the Graduate Catalog for more information about Early Entry Programs.

Degree Requirements


The M.S. in Health Informatics and Analytics program requires 36 graduate credit hours, including 6 credit hours of Foundational Core courses, 12 credit hours of Core courses, 9 hours of Selective courses, 6 credit hours of Restricted Elective courses, and 3 credit hours of a Culminating Experience that can be satisfied by either an Internship/Practicum or a Capstone course.

A maximum of 6 hours of graduate credit may be transferred.  Students may apply all of the credits earned in the Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Analytics  towards the M.S. in Health Informatics and Analytics.

The M.S. courses that also serve the Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Analytics program are available via online delivery as well as face-to-face formats, meaning much (but not all) of the M.S. program is available in an online format.

Applicants lacking a college-level statistics course within 5 years of matriculation may be required to take HADM 6108  or a comparable course upon entering the program.  This course would not count toward degree requirements.

By the end of the first semester of matriculation in the program, students must complete (or be excused from based upon prior training and/or experience) non-credit asynchronous training modules in computer vocabularies, programming systems, health vocabularies, and classification systems.

Upon entering into the HIA program, students shall choose in consultation with the Program Director one of the two concentrations, the Health Services Outcomes (HSO) Concentration or the Data Science (DS) Concentration, based on their prior training and experience. These concentrations are designed to provide guidance for course selection and career planning. The HSO Concentration is most suitable for students with a health-related background, while the DS Concentration assumes more background in computing and statistics. Each concentration has its own selection of Foundational Core, Core, and Selective courses. They share the same broad selection of Restrictive Elective courses.

Students who choose the Data Science Concentration should have current working knowledge of at least one high-level programming language (e.g., Python, Java, R, or C/C++/C#); and a familiarity with computer systems and applications.  A minimal background in mathematics, including two semesters of calculus and one semester of statistics, are recommended.  One course in linear algebra is also highly desirable.

Health Services Outcomes Concentration


Foundational Core Courses (6 credit hours)


Within the first year of matriculation into the program, students must complete these foundational core requirements.  The Graduate Program Director may approve substituting HCIP electives for either or both of these classes in cases where the student demonstrates having successfully completed comparable undergraduate and/or graduate coursework.

Selective Core Courses (9 credit hours)


Select at least three of the following courses.  Additional selections from these options are encouraged and will fulfill the restricted elective requirement described below.  Do not select HCIP 6250  if the Capstone Course option is chosen as the Culminating Experience.

Data Science Concentration


Foundational Core Courses (6 credit hours)


Within the first year of matriculation into the program, students must complete these foundational core requirements.  The Graduate Program Director may approve substituting HCIP electives for either or both of these classes in cases where the student demonstrates having successfully completed comparable undergraduate and/or graduate coursework.

Selective Core Courses (9 credit hours)


Select at least three of the following courses.  Additional selections from these options are encouraged and will fulfill the restricted elective requirement described below. Do not select HCIP 6250  if the Capstone Course option is chosen as the Culminating Experience.

Restricted Elective Courses (6 credit hours)


Select and complete 6 additional credit hours in other HCIP, HADM, DSBA, ITCS, and ITIS course offerings. The Graduate Program Director may approve substituting demonstrably relevant non-HCIP offerings to fulfill all or part of this requirement.

Culminating Experience (3 credit hours)


All students must complete a Culminating Experience in this program. Students may select one of the following courses to satisfy this requirement.

The Internship Project course may be taken after students have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours in the degree program, including HADM 6100  and HCIP 6380 .

The Capstone course is normally taken in the final semester, all students complete this capstone course that engages them in a mentored real world informatics and analytics project. 

To register for either Culminating Experience course, students must secure permission from the course instructor or the Graduate Program Director.

Degree Total = 36 Credit Hours