Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics George Mason University

The BS in Health Informatics degree program prepares students in the field of health informatics, which integrates health sciences, information technology, computer science, data science, and behavioral sciences. The program combines interdisciplinary knowledge from these areas with practical, specialized skills in health informatics to improve patient care, and individual and population health.

Health informatics is a discipline that brings together the worlds of health care, medicine, information technology, computer science, information and data science, and business. It is an applied interdisciplinary science that utilizes methods and technologies from different fields for the purpose of problem-solving and decision-making within the broad spectrum of patient health care experience and health care management. Health informatics includes the application and study of how: 1) health data are collected, stored, and communicated; 2) the data are processed and analyzed for decision making; 3) computer and telecommunication technologies can provide support in the above; and 4) technology projects are managed to achieve success in health applications.

Within the 70-credits of health informatics courses included in the major requirements, topics such as health information systems, information security, data science, computer programming, health care databases, and data mining, data analytics, project management, and process improvement are covered. Students learn theory, and methods, and applied technical skills needed to succeed in the field.

The program may be completed on a full- or part-time basis leading to the completion of the objectives of the undergraduate BS program.

The BS in Health Informatics gives students a strong background in information systems, health management, computing science, and health care. It provides students with the necessary business skills and scientific knowledge for the field of health informatics. It also prepares graduates with the right skills to enter a fast-growing and in-demand job market.

The BS in Health Informatics degree program prepares students in the field of health informatics, which integrates health sciences, information technology, computer science, data science, and behavioral sciences. The program combines interdisciplinary knowledge from these areas with practical, specialized skills in health informatics to improve patient care, and individual and population health.

Graduates from the program typically work as support staff in technology firms focused on health informatics applications. Top graduates continue their education toward an MS in health informatics. An accelerated BS-MS program in health informatics and an undergraduate Health IT minor are also available.

Degree Requirements

Total credits: 120

Students must fulfill all requirements for bachelor's degrees, including the Mason Core requirements.

Mason Core Requirements

Foundation Requirements

Written Communication

• ENGH 100 Composition for Multilingual Writers (Mason Core) 3 or ENGH 101 Composition (Mason Core)

Oral Communication

• Any Mason Core Oral Communication course 3

Quantitative Reasoning

• STAT 250 Introductory Statistics I (Mason Core) 3

Information Technology and Computing

• Any Mason Core Information Technology course 3

Exploratory Requirements

Arts

• Any Mason Core Arts course 3

Global Understanding

• Any Mason Core Global Understanding course 3

Literature

• Any Mason Core Literature course 3

Natural Science

• Any Natural Science courses with lab 8

Social and Behavioral Science

• Any Mason Core Social and Behavioral Science 3

Western Civilization/World History

• Any Mason Core Western Civilization/World History course 3

Integration Requirements

• ENGH 302 Advanced Composition (Mason Core) 3
• Writing Intensive 5
• Capstone 6

Total Credits 38

Core Courses

• MATH 108 Introductory Calculus with Business Applications (Mason Core) 3
• GCH 300 Introduction to Public Health 3
• HAP 201 Health Professions Careers 3
• HAP 202 Medical Terminology 3
• HAP 301 Health Care Delivery in the United States 3
• HAP 308 Public Health Informatics 3
• HAP 318 Introduction to IT Methods for Healthcare 3
• HAP 360 Introduction to Health Information Systems 3
• HAP 361 Health Databases 3 or CDS 302 Scientific Data and Databases
• HAP 430 Process Improvement in Healthcare Organizations 3
• HAP 436 Electronic Health Data in Process Improvement 3
• HAP 440 Mobile Health 3
• HAP 455 Computer Programming in Health Applications 3
• HAP 456 Health Data Mining and Analysis 3
• HAP 458 Clinical Informatics Applications in a Health Care Setting 3
• HAP 459 Health Data Standards and Interoperability 3
• HAP 460 Information Technology Project Management 3
• HAP 461 Internet and Web Technology Applications for Healthcare 3
• HAP 462 Privacy and Security in Health Informatics 3
• HAP 464 Electronic Health Record Configuration and Data Analysis 3
• HAP 465 Integration of Professional Skills and Issues (Mason Core) 3
• HAP 489 Pre-Internship Seminar (Mason Core) 3
• HAP 498 Health Administration Internship (Mason Core) 4

Total Credits 70

Electives

Students will meet with an advisor to identify 12 credits of electives to support the student's professional area of interest. Courses from a variety of disciplines, including computational data science, computer science, cyber security engineering, mathematics, statistics, and health administration and policy, are beneficial for students to consider.

Recommended courses are listed below:

• CDS 292 Introduction to Social Network Analysis (Mason Core) 3
• CDS 303 Scientific Data Mining 3
• CDS 403 Machine Learning Applications in Science 3
• CS 112 Introduction to Computer Programming (Mason Core) 4
• CYSE 101 Introduction to Cyber Security Engineering 3
• CYSE 205 Systems Engineering Principles 3
• HAP 309 Healthcare Accounting 3
• HAP 312 Healthcare Law 3
• HAP 395 Healthcare Finance 3
• HAP 396 Strategic Health Management and Planning 3
• HAP 410 Introduction to Health/Medical Practice Management 3
• HAP 416 Leadership and Management of Health Systems I 3
• HAP 417 Leadership and Management of Health Systems II 3
• HAP 425 Health Economics and Policy 3
• HAP 442 Introduction to Health Care Politics and Policy 3
• HAP 445 Introduction to Health Services Research 3
• HAP 467 Advanced Information Technology Project Management 3
• MATH 113 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core) 4
• MATH 114 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II 4
• STAT 344 Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists I 3
• BINF 401 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology I 3