The field of health informatics is rapidly expanding to meet the needs of patients and healthcare providers around the world. By using remote diagnostics and machine learning (among numerous other tech advancements), health informatics aims to create cutting-edge healthcare solutions throughout the industry, transforming the way we provide and receive care.

As the informatics field (and the technology that supports it) grows, new opportunities arise for professionals looking to tailor their approach to 21st century healthcare. But when choosing the right master’s program for health informatics, what program hallmarks matter most? Which are the most desirable traits that a health informatics program can have? Which program will help you land your dream job?

For new and well-seasoned healthcare professionals alike, the field of health informatics offers countless opportunities. But first, you have to find a master’s program to match your ambitions.

Here’s what to look out for when choosing a master’s program in health informatics.

Accreditation

Innovating at the intersection of emerging technology and healthcare isn’t new, but the field of health informatics is, relative to many other domains. Though considerably further along than what might be called its “infancy,” the field of health informatics is growing, adjusting, and improving to keep pace with technological developments (most of which are also new). Accordingly, not all informatics programs are created equally, and a number of unaccredited options exist.

CAHIIM is the only official accrediting body for graduate programs in Health Informatics. Accreditation is vital to ensuring program standards and student competencies further enhancing the ultimate value of the degree. Accredited health informatics programs provide rigorous coursework while also ensuring the value of the MS degree when seeking professional opportunities later on.

The Health Informatics masters program at the University of Alabama Birmingham is the only accredited program of its kind in the state. Furthermore, UAB’s masters program is the most recognized of its kind in the entire southeast region.

Find a list of accredited programs here where you can search by state and online or in person programs.

Nationally Recognized Faculty

All disciplines lean on experts to codify program values, benchmarks, and coursework. The field of health informatics may be burgeoning, but experts in the discipline are already steering its future and the futures of their students. When guided by nationally recognized faculty, informatics programs and the skills they teach are elevated into contemporary significance, giving students an edge in the field and job market alike.

UAB’s Health Informatics program boasts faculty with worldwide acclaim and distinctions. UAB health informatics faculty have been honored to receive the Changemaker Award by public vote from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Other awards by UAB HI faculty include awards for innovation.

At UAB, your degree and the quality of education it represents is further bolstered, nationally and internationally, by expert faculty. This is likely one of many contributing factors explaining why 95% of UAB MSHI graduates find employment in Health Informatics within 6 months of graduating and 100% of the alumni would recommend the program to others.

Smaller Classes

New disciplines that incorporate emerging technologies can often inspire something like a “gold rush” mentality in students and professionals. Certain programs can find themselves overrun with interested students without the desire or capability to remain selective. This, of course, leads to large class sizes where students do not get time with faculty and cannot get individualized instruction.

When selecting a Masters in Health Informatics program, it is important to ask about the class size, mentoring by faculty, special projects, and extracurricular opportunities. There is no one thing that makes a program great. As a collective, however, the strength of a program can be found in developing relationships with classmates.

At UAB’s Health Informatics masters program, the ideal size for each incoming class ranges between 30-35 students. By limiting enrollment, UAB creates more opportunities to learn from or work with alumni or engage in faculty mentoring programs. These vital relationships empower students to work on projects beyond the classroom and ultimately enhance classroom learning.

Alumni Connections

It’s certainly no secret that a healthy and influential body of alumni provides connections for new graduates. When an alumnus comes across an applicant from their alma mater, that alumnus knows firsthand the quality of education and practical knowledge that applicant received. For some newer and unaccredited health informatics programs, the body of alumni may be limited.

Because Health Informatics is an interdisciplinary field, it is helpful when choosing a Masters in Health Informatics program to select one with alumni from across healthcare rather than just Health Informatics alone. This may mean that the ideal Health Informatics program is part of a larger department with access to hospital executives, consulting principles, and vendor leaders. Networking in these professionally diverse environments simulates the cross-cutting nature of Health Informatics and leads to real-world connections and opportunities. So, when choosing a program that fits your interests, be sure to ask about alumni involvement across disciplines.

UAB’s alumni in the field of health informatics (and countless other specialties within the healthcare industry) have gone on to influence policy and technology at the state, region, nation, and world levels. As the premiere healthcare leader and educator in the region, UAB’s rigorous course work is well remembered and well respected by alumni today.

Some of our alums are designing interfaces for bedside equipment and electronic health records; others are running analytics companies, providing valuable insights for healthcare organizations; still others are CIOs and CSIOs. Regardless of their titles, UAB’s alums are leaders in their fields.

Small connections lead to big opportunities, and a health informatics program’s alumni can make all the difference.

Unique Opportunities

Incoming students expect certain hallmarks from most programs—detailed coursework, rigorous standards, invaluable access to cutting-edge information and research opportunities. But accredited programs with a longer history of success in the Health Informatics field can offer unique opportunities not found elsewhere.

A diversity of learning, growing, and professional opportunities can only enhance a student’s experience. But more than the experience itself, these unique opportunities can inform the directions, passions, and professional trajectories of each student’s life. Some Health Informatics masters programs—like the one at UAB—go the extra mile to fuel learning, opportunity, and growth.

Through UAB’s signature residential visit—offered for three days each fall and spring—several unique opportunities are made available to students. Hospital tours demonstrate the use of Health Informatics in real time, providing students with present day insights into the practicality of their discipline. Professional development workshops, networking events,and round tables with alumni are just a few examples of other opportunities that connect students with influential figures in the field and provide them with singular chances to consider their aspirations moving forward.

At UAB, growth is an actionable process. Providing students with unparalleled access to these opportunities is part of that action.

The Right Program for You

As the only accredited program in the state of Alabama (and one of only a few in the southeastern region), UAB’s diverse health informatics tracks, small class sizes, and nationally recognized faculty give the program an undeniable edge. From the quality of education you receive to our influential alumni looking for applicants from their alma mater, UAB offers its students the sharpest competitive edge in shaping the future of healthcare.