About

Would you like to pursue a career that has high demand for professionals? Do you want to achieve advanced knowledge and training in your field?

The MS in health informatics and information management is an interdisciplinary program designed to train professionals on how to acquire, store, and use information in a healthcare setting. You will learn to work with clinicians and health services administrators as a team to develop clear and effective health information strategies for a healthcare organization. As a graduate of this program, you will be eligible to compete for the following positions in health care, among others:

*Health information managers, Quality improvement specialists
*Designers and planners for enterprise health information systems
* Health information security and privacy officers
*Chief information officers for health-care enterprises
*Other managerial positions in a health-care organization.

It is expected that students who enter the program will have completed an undergraduate degree in a health sciences or computer and information sciences related field, with at least one programming course and at least one statistics course in the previous five years. The program can be taken completely on-line, on campus or as a hybrid combining the two modes of learning. You should choose the format that fits your schedule best. The health-care environment and the management of health care data have been greatly influenced by the field of informatics and technologic advancements, such as the Electronic Health Record (EHR). As a result, federal, state, and regional projections show a real need for professionals with advanced knowledge and training in the principles of health informatics and information management.

ECU Advantage

The College of Allied Health Sciences is the largest university-based allied-health provider in the state of North Carolina. The college has eight departments: Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies, Biostatistics, Clinical Laboratory Science, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Health Services and Information Management, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies, and offers degrees on the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels.


Delivering a comprehensive professional education that will prepare allied-health graduates to make a difference in the health of the region, state, and nation was the primary reason for the creation of the College of Allied Health Sciences and its departments. Fueled by the growth and aging of our population, the demand for these highly skilled specialists is expected to greatly increase as health care continues to be a priority for our citizens.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Robert Campbell (4340-M Health Sciences Building; 252-744-0264; campbellr@ecu.edu)

Health informatics is defined by the US National Library of Medicine as "the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, adoption, and application of IT-based innovations in healthcare services delivery, management, and planning." ECU's Health Informatics and Information Management, MS is an intensive, fast-paced program for anyone interested in working in the field of health care with an interest in technology. The program offers a unique and comprehensive curriculum that prepares students to take on leadership and technology roles in the design, development and management of enterprise level health information systems. Being at the crossroads of information technology and health care, students will position themselves to be a part of the digital revolution transforming the health care industry.

ECU's program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM).

The Health Services and Information Management, MS requires coursework and a 3 s.h. internship/capstone. Students without health care related professional work experience will be required to take COHE 6000. It can be taken concurrently while in the master's degree program.

The degree requires a minimum of 39 s.h. as follows: 

Required courses:
  • COHE 6410 - Electronic Health Records
  • COHE 6420 - Evaluation Methods in Health Informatics
  • COHE 6430 - Health Data Management
  • COHE 6450 - Decision Support in Health Care
  • COHE 6470 - Health Information Privacy and Security
  • COHE 6480 - Health Data Structures
  • COHE 6540 - Consumer Health Informatics
  • COHE 6550 - Health Informatics Project Design and Management
  • COHE 6590 - Health Data Analytics
  • COHE 6615 - Social and Organizational Issues in Health Informatics
  • COHE 6630 - Quality Management in Health Care
  • COHE 6803 - Internship in Health Informatics and Information Management
  • HIMA 6060 - Health Informatics
Admission requirements:

Application for admission to the master of science program in health informatics and information management must be initiated through the Graduate School. (See Admission and Readmission.) The department requires that the applicant meet the following minimum admission requirements: a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

 At the time of application, the applicant must submit three letters of reference, a resume, and a completed statement of purpose as specified in the Graduate School application. 

Nonnative speakers must submit an acceptable score on one of the language tests approved by the Graduate School or evidence of at least 1 year of college/university study in the United States.

Applicants must present evidence of an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and completion of the following prerequisite course within the last 5 years: statistics (3 s.h. minimum).

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

    Comprehensive Assessment Requirement

    All ECU graduate programs require students to successfully complete a comprehensive assessment. The assessment for this program is a comprehensive examination.

      For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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