Program: Health Informatics, MS - Hofstra University

Apr 27, 2025

2025-2026 Graduate Studies Bulletin

Special Assistant Professor Robinson, Graduate Program Director

As defined by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, health informatics is the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, adoption, and application of IT-based innovations in health care services delivery, management, and planning. As a direct outcome, health informaticists are able to take on roles such as health information systems specialists, health data analysts, managers, and consultants in various fields. A few examples of these fields would include health information technology corporations, health care service providers, such as hospitals or integrated delivery networks (IDN), and their business partners as well as public health agencies. This program is designed for aspiring and committed clinicians or IT professionals who are interested in becoming health informaticists or expanding their knowledge in the area of health informatics. Graduates of the program will be familiar with current health information systems and technologies and will be prepared to analyze, design, and manage evolving health information systems for a wide variety of clinical, administrative, and research purposes.

A key and integral part of the program is a required 6 s.h. practicum (HIT 300A and HIT 300B ) or 6 s.h. capstone (HIT 301A and HIT 301B ). In the practicum (HIT 300A and HIT 300B ), students are assigned to rotations at affiliated health information system departments at locations, such as Northwell Health and other health systems. Practicum provides students with hands-on experience in many health informatics areas, such as electronic medical records, health information exchange, and integration, and data analytics, among other options. Located in various settings, these health information system rotations offer training in all disciplines of health informatics and provide the opportunity for exposure and hands-on experience in a wide variety of healthcare-related information systems. In the capstone (HIT 301A and HIT 301B ), students have the opportunity to develop and implement a health informatics application with invited industry leaders, complete an original research project germane to health analytics and health technology that applies theory to practice, and experience creating a professional presentation and implementation demonstrating the capabilities of the application.

Admission Requirements

A completed online application form to the master’s program.
Baccalaureate undergraduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, including submission of all transcripts from undergraduate institutions.
Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
Two letters of reference addressing the applicant’s potential for success in graduate school and the health informatics field.
Written personal statement identifying areas of interest and reasons for seeking advanced training in health informatics.
Resume or CV.
Interview with program director and/or program faculty member may be required.
International applicants for whom English is not their first language must submit TOEFL scores;

Provisional Acceptance:
Students with less than a 3.0 GPA may be admitted provisionally pending review of additional requested academic performance or other material by the program director. Provisionally admitted students must earn a minimum grade of ‘B’ in each of the first 12 semester hours of course work.

Program Requirements – Semester Hours: 36

The curriculum consists of 36 semester hours with 30 semester hours of classroom instruction and 6 semester hours of practicum or capstone. Students are required to successfully complete all courses listed under Core Competencies (12 s.h.) and Advanced Core Competencies (12 s.h.) as well as 6 semester hours of Program Electives. In addition, students are required to complete 6 s.h. of practicum (HIT 300A , HIT 300B ) or 6 s.h. of capstone (HIT 301A , HIT 301B ).

Core Competencies – Semester Hours: 12

HIT 200 - Introduction to Health Informatics Semester Hours: 3
HIT 215 - Advanced Data Analytics Semester Hours: 3
HADM 200 - U.S. Health System Semester Hours: 3
HADM 242 - Health Information Systems Semester Hours: 3

Advanced Core – Semester Hours: 12

HIT 210 - Clinical Decision Support Systems Semester Hours: 3
HIT 211 - Security and Privacy in Health Informatics Semester Hours: 3
HIT 221 - Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, and Robotic Process Automation for Medical Informatics Semester Hours: 3
HIT 222 - Database Management Systems Semester Hours: 3

Program Electives – Semester Hours: 6

Recommended electives are listed below. Other relevant course work not listed here may be chosen under advisement and with permission of graduate program director.

HIT 214 - Evidence-Based Patient Care Semester Hours: 3
HIT 216 - Emerging Technologies in Health Care Semester Hours: 3
HIT 217 - Health Care Project Management Semester Hours: 3
HIT 218 - Research in Health Information Management Semester Hours: 3
HIT 219 - Introduction to Public Health Informatics Semester Hours: 3
HIT 220 - Data Visualization Semester Hours: 3

Practicum Integrative Course Work– Semester Hours: 6

NOTE: Students must take HIT 300A and HIT 300B (practicum) OR HIT 301A and HIT 301B (capstone).

HIT 300A - Integrative Health Informatics Practicum I Semester Hours: 3
HIT 300B - Integrative Health Informatics Practicum II Semester Hours: 3

OR

Capstone Course Work– Semester Hours: 6

NOTE: Students must take HIT 300A and HIT 300B (practicum) OR HIT 301A and HIT 301B (capstone).

HIT 301A - Integrative Health Informatics Capstone I: Research Semester Hours: 3
HIT 301B - Integrative Health Informatics Capstone II: Implementation Semester Hours: 3

Transfer Credit

At the discretion of the Graduate Program Director, students may transfer up to 12 semester hours of equivalent graduate courses from a comparable graduate program at an accredited higher education institution.

Course work must have been completed within the last five years, with minimum grades of B.

Graduation Requirements

Successful completion of all course requirements for the degree, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. No more than two courses with grades below B- will be counted toward the degree requirements.

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