Health Informatics is a rapidly emerging discipline that connects people, technology, and data to better improve healthcare outcomes. Health Informatics professionals work with the processes and tools used to implement, maintain, and evaluate health informatics systems and applications.
Our graduate program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) can prepare you for a thriving career in Health Informatics. In just two years, you can learn the skills you need to pursue an informatics career at a healthcare facility, government, or elsewhere.
Are you interested in a reputable and top-ranked graduate program in health informatics?
The MSHI program at UAB Master of Science in Health Informatics program is a 2-year online MSHI with specialty tracks in data analytics with a data science focus, user experience with a human factors focus, and research with a biomedical informatics focus. It has been developed for leaders with busy lives.
Health Informatics is about optimizing technology to effectively turn data into actionable information. At UAB, not only can you learn these critical skills, but you can also fit your workload within your already busy schedule.
There’s a reason that 100% of our students recommend the UAB MSHI program. We specifically designed this curriculum with online classes and limited residential requirements to make it easier for you to keep up with your full-time job and other responsibilities.
10 Helpful Facts About UAB Health Professions Graduate Programs
The graduate program in Health Informatics is the only program of its kind in Alabama.
100% online classes with two residential visits required each year.
Earn your master’s degree in 24 months.
No GRE required. No healthcare background required.
A curriculum built with busy and working professionals in mind.
Specialize your curriculum with one of our three academic tracks: Data Analytics, User Experience, or Research, or by choosing courses in focus areas such as Imaging Informatics.
Work directly with nationally and internationally recognized faculty as leaders in healthcare IT practice, research, and education.
Our Master of Science in Health Administration program, the same department as our MSHI program, is ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
US News & World Reports ranks 9 UAB graduate programs in the Top 20 Best Graduate Programs (2021).
The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics projects jobs in medical or health services will grow by 20% from 2016-2026.
Technology is rapidly bridging the gap between patients and healthcare providers, allowing for better care and greater understanding, especially when compared to what can be achieved in brief, in-person appointments. By employing technology to enhance the user experience (UX), healthcare providers are able to collect more data, customize treatments, and attend to patients no matter where they are.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed new threats and opportunities throughout global healthcare infrastructure. As the world grappled with a deadly virus, healthcare professionals faced logistical challenges from the front lines. Now, with lockdowns lifted and the world of healthcare forever changed by the pandemic, what lessons can we learn and use to improve our hospitals, urgent care facilities, and emergency rooms[…]
100% of respondents would recommend the UAB MSHI program to others (2020 survey of 2020 graduates)
Student retention rate is 95% (2020)
2 year graduation rate 93% (2020) * 5 students currently on leave due to COVID-19 related issues
95% of graduates are employed in Health Informatics within six months of graduation
The Health Informatics accreditor of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for the Master degree in Health Informatics has been reaffirmed through 2027. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL, 60601; by phone at (312) 235-3255; or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
UAB Health Informatics is a member of the AMIA Academic Forum.
The Health Informatics accreditor of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for the Master’s degree in Health Informatics has been reaffirmed through 2027.
Our UAB MSHI program is designed to prepare our students for a variety of careers, such as health informatics specialists, clinical informatics analysts, health informatics consultants, and chief medical information officers. We’re dedicated to helping you find the right career path for you – that’s why 95% of graduates are employed in Health Informatics within six months of graduation.
A degree in health informatics can help you gain skills in this increasingly important field of healthcare services. At UAB, we also offer a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Informatics. This certificate could be a perfect fit for those looking to upskill in their current jobs.
The MSHI program requires a course in statistics, with a B or better, to be taken during the last 5 years. Additionally, we require either a course or working knowledge in SQL. However, if you do not have these courses, upon admission, we will send you links to some online courses that qualify as substitutions for out-of-date or formal coursework.
Other than that, there are no prerequisites – no previous healthcare or IT knowledge or experience needed! Through our carefully sequenced coursework, you will get everything needed for a competitive job market.
Giving Opportunities
Your support makes a difference in our ability to prepare students for their future and their ability to impact the future health of the people and communities they will serve. Ready to learn more? Explore our MSHI scholarship opportunities below.
The Alabama Chapter of HIMSS Sponsored Travel Award will provide support for registration fees, travel and lodging for UAB HI students attending the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition or HIMSS International Conference. There will be an emphasis placed on those students who have had posters selected to present at either conference. The award will be given to students based on merit, academic promise and achievement in the field.
The Alabama HIMSS Endowed Award Fund was established in 2004 by a generous gift from the Alabama chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society to be awarded annually to recognize and provide financial support to an outstanding senior student enrolled in the UAB Master of Science in Health Informatics program.
Terrell W. Herzig was a beloved faculty member who passed away unexpectedly in 2012. To honor his commitment to training leaders in health informatics and security, a collective group of alumni and friends of the university established this scholarship award in his memory.
Established by his daughter Elizabeth Pharo, this scholarship was endowed by SuccessEHS to honor Featheringill’s legacy as a visionary in health informatics.The endowment will support students in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Master of Science in Health Informatics program. The award will be given on the basis of merit as well as financial need and in a nod to Featheringill’s inventiveness, the student must demonstrate academic promise and achievement in health informatics.
Family, friends, colleagues, and admirers of Ms. Sara S. Grostick have given gifts toward an endowed fund to pay tribute to Ms. Grostick and her more than 35 years of service to the UAB School of Health Professions. This award is used annually to recognize and reward to recognize and reward an outstanding student in the UAB Department of Health Services Administration interested in data analytics and health information management.
Sue Feldman, RN, MEd, PhD Program Director, Graduate Programs in Health Informatics This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (205) 975-0809
UAB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and family-friendly environment in which all faculty and staff can excel and achieve work/life balance irrespective of race, national origin, age, genetic or family medical history, gender, faith, gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation. UAB also encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and veterans.
