We See the Future in You
Explore the field of Health Informatics
Master of Health Informatics (MHI) in Health Informatics
All courses in the curriculum are offered fully online, except for the MHI 650 course.
Our consortium partners are Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Hampton Roads Community Health Center (HRCHC).
The MHI program is accepting applications for fall 2024.
Please click on the MHI flyer to read more information about the degree program.
Program Overview
The Master of Health Informatics in Health Informatics is administered by the Department of Nursing and Allied Health in the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology.
The MHI degree in Health Informatics is to educate students to use electronic health records (EHR) to support the delivery of healthcare services. The program will provide students with an understanding of health informatics as it relates to health data management and analysis. Students will learn to extract and organize health data. Students will be able to analyze the extracted data and provide healthcare providers with information to make improvements in patient care. The program will provide students with the knowledge and skills in coursework that address health informatics challenges (e.g., interoperability, inaccurate health data, and limited reporting). Students will study the processes and tools used to record, store, and analyze healthcare information.
The MHI degree program will produce graduates who are generalist and possess the appropriate foundational knowledge and skills to apply principles and concepts of health informatics to manage and analyze health data.
The MHI degree program was designed to respond to the need for academically trained health informaticians at the Master's level who can contribute to the healthcare industry. The degree program responded to the call from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the national Coordinator for Health Information Technology. In 2021, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology wrote a notice of funding opportunity to increase the number of professionals trained in informatics and technology by expanding or developing new educational programs.
Norfolk State University is committed to offering the MHI degree program to ensure professionals are prepared and academically trained to meet industry needs for health informaticians.
Program Mission
The Master of Health Informatics aligns with the mission of Norfolk State University. "Through exemplary teaching," the program will educate students about the tools, techniques, and process used in the field of health informatics. The program will "empower" students to pursue "their aspirations" to become health informaticians. Students will be educated to become "leaders" to address current and future issues in the field of health informatics.
Delivery Format
The courses in the curriculum will be offered fully online, except for the MHI 650 course. The method for course delivery will be Blackboard (Bb) Learning Management System. Blackboard is managed by NSU's Office of Extended Learning (OEL) and provides a comprehensive set of online features for distance learning students.
All faculty members assigned to teach in the degree program are required to complete a rigorous online certification training program that emphasizes active learning principles and techniques for active engagement.
Description of the Curriculum
The Master of Health Informatics requires 33 credit hours, including an internship.
The curriculum will provide a solid educational foundation in managing and analyzing health data to present information to healthcare providers for patient care and improvement. The curriculum includes core components ( e.g., data management, data analysis, use of electronic health records, and interoperability) within the discipline of health informatics. Required coursework will train students to use online electronic health record systems to organize and analyze health data. Students will learn to present results of data analysis to healthcare providers to develop processes and make sound organizational decisions. Coursework will train students to extract, organize, and analyze data to perform day-to-day operational tasks in health data management. Coursework will educate students on how to protect and secure patient's electronic health records. The curriculum will provide students with the opportunity to learn about inequity issues such as bias, inaccurate and incomplete health data related to data analysis and reporting.
The internship will provide students an opportunity to apply what they have learned in the coursework. The internship provides an experiential academic component to enhance student's skill set while working with preceptors in healthcare settings. Since students in the degree program are practicing skills learned in the program, prior experience cannot be applied toward the internship requirement. The internship will require 240 clock hours on week days. Students will be required to enroll in the internship course after the completion of 18 credit hours.
The MHI program does not pay for tuition and fees.
Enrollment in the Master of Health informatics (MHI) is very competitive. It is likely that there will be more applicants than available slots. For students applying in the program for fall 2024, we encourage you to seek funds early to pay for tuition and fees, and to ensure your availability for a 6-week paid internship in summer term A (May-June, 2025). Some sources of funds include Financial Aid Office, employer, scholarships, and Office of Graduate Studies.
Admission Requirements
Applicants are accepted for admission on the basis of qualifications, without regard to sex, age, race, religion or national origin.
Completion of an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
A minimum GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale for conferred degree(s).
Ask your college or university to send official transcripts to the School of Graduate Studies and Research graduateschool@nsu.edu
Upload unofficial transcripts for conferred degree(s) in the application portal for initial application review.
Upload your resume in the application portal.
International students who attended undergraduate school at a non-US. institution must submit an official, evaluated transcript from an approved agency such as the World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).
All foreign applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate the necessary level of proficiency in English Language by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
To ensure adequate time for processing prior to enrollment, the graduate School must receive your application, transcripts(s), and resume by May 1, for fall semester enrollment.
No GRE required.
The first and second cohort of students must take the internship in Virginia.
Each international student is admitted to the University under the admissions criteria set forth by the School of Graduate Studies and the graduate program.
International students who are in the U.S. do not qualify to enroll in the MHI degree program because international students are only allowed to register for one online course a semester.
If the international student remains in his/her country to complete all course work, he/she should prepare to come to the U.S. to complete his/her internship in Virginia where Norfolk State University is located. The international student should prepare to apply for his/her I-20 at least three (3) to four (4) months prior to the start of the internship. The requested dates on your I-20 should cover the length of time needed to complete the internship.
NOTES
The MHI degree program is approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The establishment of the MHI program is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under award Number 90PH0002/01-00.
CONTACT US
Mrs. Maria Isabel Herrmann, Academic Advisor and Recruiter at 757-823-9459 and email: imhermann@nsu.edu