What Will I Learn in a Health Informatics Degree Program?

Health informatics stands at the intersection of information science, computer science and health care. Degree programs will help students learn to manage, set up and improve the resources and devices needed to use and store health care information. The curriculum covers the basics, focusing on science, computer science, database management, programming and information security. Students will also learn how to work with clinical documents, using medical coding systems and gaining an understanding of health care and medical terminology. The major is an ideal way to blend an interest in the IT industry with a career in health care, helping medical professionals more easily make a difference in patients' lives.

AS in Health Info. Tech.	BS in Health Informatics	MS in Health Informatics

What Can I Do With a Health Informatics Degree?

Health informatics professionals will work in fields that are fairly diverse, including nursing, clinical care, dentistry, pharmacy and biomedical research. Some graduates will go into more general information careers in health care, while others will focus on a specialization such as biology, public health or organizational and social informatics. People who have earned this degree can work as consultants in their own independent firms or as in-house data quality managers, information coordinators and record technicians, among many other possible careers. The field is constantly growing and changing, and positions are added as new technologies become available.

What Is the Career Outlook for Health Informatics Degree Students?

Graduates of this program will see a very high demand for their skills. Hospitals are growing and many want to modernize record keeping systems to improve patient experience and streamline their facilities' day-to-day operations. Health informatics can be a very stressful and meticulous career path that requires significant expertise and knowledge. Because of that, and because of the high demand for employees, compensation is often generous. The average annual salary for those working in health informatics is $48,000, but with experience and education graduates can easily earn more.