The University of Pittsburgh Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program has been granted accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), establishing Pitt Health Informatics as one of the leading graduate programs in the country for learning data-driven health care solutions to improve patient care.
MSHI Program Director Leming Zhou says, “Our goal is to train highly competitive health informatics professionals so that they can improve the quality of health care. MSHI graduates will be able to extract information from massive health care-related data using cutting-edge technologies and make informed decisions. They will also work as leaders in various health care facilities and make contributions to better serve patients and their needs.”
Zhou continues, “It is exciting to see that the accreditation of our graduate program has been updated from health information management to health informatics since that is the focus of our current program.”
The Pitt Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics (BSHI) program was also evaluated by CAHIIM and granted accreditation in health informatics—the first undergraduate HI program in the country with this distinction.
Bridging Health Care and Data for the Future
The University of Pittsburgh has a strong legacy of successful graduates from its previously accredited health information management graduate program. The wide adoption of the electronic health record and mobile devices has made digital data production dramatically faster and the Pitt MSHI program had evolved to meet these needs.
Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping health care and empowering professionals with powerful tools to elevate care quality, improve outcomes and address challenges such as rising costs and workforce shortages. Pitt HI has updated its course content significantly with AI-related modules and new courses to train students to utilize existing AI tools, such as generative AI, natural language processing and medical imaging informatics, to solve an array of problems in health care. There is a strong market need for these skills, giving Pitt MSHI graduates a competitive edge in using AI that augments their classroom experience and opens new avenues for professional growth and innovation.
Students are led by faculty with unique expertise not found in comparable programs at other institutions. They are leaders in health informatics, digital health, AI in health care and data analytics, and are renown researchers with grant funding across the university demonstrating the importance of health informatics to interprofessional research teams. To their students, the faculty are dedicated mentors excited to share the limitless possibilities of this profession so they can discover what’s possible for their own careers.
“The accreditation of our Master of Science in Health Informatics program is a powerful affirmation of the excellence and forward-thinking spirit that define our school. It validates what we have long known—that our programs are equipping students with the most advanced skills available today to address the evolving needs of health care.”
David C. Beck, interim dean of SHRS
“I’m especially proud of how our faculty integrate artificial intelligence into the curriculum, ensuring that our graduates are prepared to use these tools to improve health outcomes and support the well-being of communities across the Commonwealth, the nation and beyond,” says Beck. “As a clinician, I see firsthand how innovations in digital health, data analysis and informatics are transforming care. This program ensures that our graduates will be ready to lead this work into the future.”
Student Success
The program’s faculty have adapted to the needs of busy professionals and developed both online and on-campus options to meet students where they are, giving them several enrollment options to learn from the full-time faculty and become engaged in the program’s strong curriculum.
“There is a clear need for more data scientists and health informaticians to provide the information required in health care practice,” says Zhou. “We made the MSHI program highly accessible through the online program as the response to numerous inquiries we received from working professionals around the country.”
Many Pitt MSHI students are working health care professionals while others are new to the field. To successfully prepare them for their future careers, students have the option of a clinical internship among the program’s vast network of industry partners to practice their knowledge and skills, or to develop a capstone project that will reinforce their learning throughout the program.
Graduates of the accredited MSHI program enter the workplace with confidence in applying AI, data analytics and digital health to the rapidly reshaping world of health care that complements their interest in advancing medical services and becoming leaders in health care. The MSHI program has a job placement rate of 94.3% for students who become employed post-graduation.
Program Enrollment
Interested in applying to this leading program? Applications for the on-campus MSHI program open in the fall, while the MSHI online option has three start dates throughout the year.
Be sure to attend information sessions to learn more, or reach out to the Pitt Health Informatics enrollment specialists who can answer your questions and guide you through making one of these programs your next successful move to a rewarding career!
