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Post-Graduate MHIIM

The MHIIM program is an on-line degree with no on-campus component.

The goal of the MHIIM is to provide the competencies for health care professionals to manage the information in an increasingly complex electronic health environment. This is directly related to the overall mission of The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) which is to transform lives through collaborative and inclusive education, research/scholarship, clinical care, and public service.

Information is a key resource in the delivery and financing of healthcare and as such, it must be managed effectively. Health informatics deals with a broad range of issues to manage data to support decision-making activities. This knowledge base includes information technology as well as interpersonal skills necessary to communicate with clinicians and others to make change happen in health care organizations. The healthcare system has become a complex health information environment requiring all healthcare professionals to need greater skills in managing patient information through the continuum of care. Skills for data management and data integrity are imperative to improving quality and reducing medical errors and costs.

The Health Informatics and Information Management degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). For more information about CAHIIM, go to www.cahiim.org to verify the accreditation status of the programs.
 cahiim logo

Admission Requirements for Post-graduate MHIIM

  1. Baccalaureate degree in a health-related discipline.  Applicants without a degree in a health-related discipline will be considered for conditional admission and must complete HIIM 511 and HIIM 550 and earn a grade of “B” or better to continue in the program;
  2. Minimum grade point average of 3.0;
  3. Three letters of recommendation from previous college instructors or immediate supervisors;
  4. Foreign applicants whose native language is not English must meet University requirements for English proficiency;
  5. Official transcripts;
  6. Personal interview with the admissions committee;
  7. Ability to meet published technical standards of the College of Health Professions and the Health Informatics and Information Management program with or without accommodations. Applicants should contact Disability Services for questions about reasonable accommodations;
  8. A completed application form including an essay describing the applicant’s career goals;
  9. A non-refundable application fee must accompany the application;
  10. Applications are accepted online;

There are two deadlines for applications each year. The early deadline for Fall admission is April 1 and the late deadline is July 1. The early deadline for Spring admission is August 1 and the late deadline is November 15. A telephone or personal interview is granted to an applicant by invitation only. For more general information, please visit the Admissions Office or apply online and follow the directions for admission.

Registration and Fee payment for each semester are done by mail. Each semester, students must pay fees to the Bursar's Office by the deadline to avoid late fee penalties. Students must pay fees to be considered "enrolled" in a course. Information about financial aid and fees are available from the Financial Aid office or from the Costs/Financial Aid page.

The curriculum for the post-graduate MHIIM degree is shown in the table below.

Course # Course Name Credit hours
600

Foundations of Health Information Systems
This course provides an overview of the health informatics field, including fundamental concepts in healthcare data, information systems, and digital workflows. Students examine the role of informatics and information management in improving healthcare delivery and learn core terminology, standards, and technologies that comprise health information systems.

 3
614

Quality Management for Health Services
This course focuses on quality improvement principles in healthcare through the lens of data analytics and emerging technologies. Students examine performance measurement, quality frameworks, and improvement methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma. Emphasis is placed on using healthcare data and artificial intelligence (AI) concepts to identify quality issues, monitor performance, and support proactive improvement strategies.

 3
602 Healthcare Privacy and Security
This course examines legal, regulatory, and cybersecurity issues related to healthcare data. Students explore privacy, cyber security, data governance, and compliance in electronic health information systems, with attention to emerging challenges in data analytics and artificial intelligence.		 3
603 Leadership in Healthcare
The course addresses organizational behavior, strategic planning, change management, project leadership, and communication. Students learn leadership principles necessary to guide informatics initiatives in complex healthcare environments.		 3
604 Financial Management for Health Professions
This course provides an overview of financial management processes, healthcare reimbursement, and the revenue cycle. The course covers basic principles of financial management and healthcare reimbursement systems with an emphasis on data analytics and reporting tools to improve revenue cycle performance.		 3
605 Healthcare Systems Analysis and Design
This course examines the design, functionality, implementation, and integration of health information systems such as EHRs, clinical applications, and administrative systems. Students analyze clinical workflows, usability issues, data flows, clinical dashboards, and the impact of artificial intelligence and other technology to gather usable healthcare data. The course also includes system design methodologies including systems analysis and design; systems selection and evaluation; workflow analysis and project management.		 3
615 Healthcare Data Standards
This course covers the structure, governance, and lifecycle of healthcare data. Students explore data quality, coding and classification systems, and interoperability frameworks. Emphasis is placed on how data are structured to support data mapping and interoperability.		 3
607 Advanced Health Analytics and Decision Support
This course focuses on advanced healthcare analytics and decision support using statistical and data analysis techniques. Students develop skills in data wrangling, transformation, visualization, and modeling using modern analytics tools. Emphasis is placed on working with real-world healthcare datasets to generate insights, build data-driven reports, and support decision-making.		 3
608 Health Data Analytics

This course focuses on healthcare data management and analytics using relational databases and SQL. Students develop skills in data modeling, query development, and data extraction from electronic health record (EHR) systems. Emphasis is placed on transforming data into actionable insights through aggregation, analysis, and reporting. Students use SQL and Power BI to support data-driven decision-making, performance measurement, and operational analysis.

 3
609 Concepts of Research Methodology
This course explores the elements of research, evaluation methodologies including the research process, study design, and methods of data collection.  Students conduct literature searches and scientific writing with an emphasis on ethics and authorship in the age of AI.		 3
613 Applied Research Project
This serves as a culminating applied informatics project, allowing students to demonstrate mastery of program competencies. Students design, implement, and evaluate a real-world informatics solution. 		3
Total Hours
 33
 

What are the application deadlines?
There are two deadlines for applications each year, April 1 for the fall semester start date (September) and August 1 for the spring semester (January).

Where do I send my transcripts?
UTHSC Transcript Verification Department
PO Box 9141
Watertown, MA 02471

Can you send me more information?
All of the information is on our webpage so no additional printed information is available. If there is something which requires clarification, please contact the program director via email or phone.

What is an average course load?
Currently a minimum of two courses are being offered per semester to allow students to progress in the program and graduate in a timely manner. Students are allowed to take one course or can elect to take all the courses offered each semester. Most students find it works to take two courses per semester.

Can the entire curriculum be taken on-line without going to the Health Science Center campus?
Yes, all courses are available on-line.

How does on-line learning work?
We utilize a course management system called Blackboard which is accessed via the Internet. Students do not have to purchase software in order to access the on-line course materials so everything is delivered to the student in an organized fashion making transition to on-line learning convenient and accessible.

How much does the program cost?
The cost of the program is calculated by the credit hours you take each term. For more information, refer to the Cost of Attendance estimate for Health Professions. Or you may contact the Office of Financial Aid Counselor for College of Health Professions Erika Powell by email at fa-healthprof@uthsc.edu.

How long does it take to complete the program?
The program may be completed full-time in two years. However, most students take 2 courses per term and it takes 5 or 6 terms to complete the program. The majority of students graduate in 3 years or less.

 

 

 

Aug 21, 2026