Curriculum
Earn the advanced education you need to expand your career opportunities in health care, business management and technology. Whether you attend full- or part-time, or our online or on-campus programs, the curriculum is designed to fit a student’s busy lifestyle.
Current MSHI students and non-degree-seeking students can choose to earn a certificate to enhance their professional skills.
NOTE: All students are required to finish one (1) course (0 credit) in medical terminology if they do not have that course or clinical background. Pitt offers a Coursera course in Medical Terminology that can meet this specific program requirement. However, the student may choose an approved alternative medical terminology course.
Curriculum for Students Admitted Before the Spring 2026 Term
Program Tracks
- Each track requires students to complete 36 credits.
- Students enrolled full-time typically complete the program in three to four consecutive terms.
- There are online and on-campus versions of these tracks. The curriculum and course contents are identical in these two versions.
- Domestic students can choose either of them according to their situation or preference before enrollment.
- International students are required to attend the on-campus version of the track.
- Elective courses may be selected from other Health Informatics tracks, other departments in the school, or other academic programs within the University.
Data Science Track
Data Science (DS) provides students with the tools to analyze, extract and present data to the health care community. With these skills, graduates can help health care organizations make well-informed data-driven decisions. Only the Data Science track is intended for students who have prior experience or college coursework in coding and programming. This track:
- Teaches you how to extract information from large and complex datasets, visualize it and communicate it to C-suite executives and health care providers alike.
- Enables you to help health care systems and organizations with performance improvement, especially in relation to quality measurement, patient outcomes and financial performance.
The Data Science track is for:
- Professionals who want to learn data analysis (pattern identification, hypothesis testing, risk assessment) and prediction (machine learning models that predict the likelihood of an event occurring in the future, based on known variables).
- Those who want to manage large databases with multiple types of data from different sources.
- Those who want to use data from multiple sources to guide their decision-making.
Potential career paths through the Data Science track include:
- Chief Information Officers, Chief Data Officers, Chief Analytics Officers, Chief Medical Information Officers, Chief Research Officers, Chief Quality Officers, Chief Actuaries
- Directors and Managers of Data and Analytics, Data Warehousing, Data Governance, Business Intelligence, Population Health, Clinical Research, Clinical Informatics, Clinical Decision Support, Financial Analytics, Process Improvement, Operations, Precision Medicine
- Data Analysts, Data Architects, Data Scientists, Data Stewards, Data Integration Architects
- Statistical Analysts, Medical Informaticists, Actuaries
- Database and Data Warehouse Developers, Administrators, Architects
- Health IT System Developers
Coursework:
- Required Coursework (21 Credits)
- HI 2021 – Practical Statistics & Programming Using R (3 credits)
- HI 2022 – Introduction to Python for Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2210 – Health Information and the Health Care System (3 credits)
- HI 2250 – Foundations of Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2251 – Healthcare Analytics, Machine Learning, and Data Visualization (3 credits)
- HI 2460 – Data Science and Machine Learning in Health Sciences (3 credits)
- HI 2451– Database Design and Big Data Analytics (3 credits)
- Elective Courses (Students can select five from the below, must take 15 credits)
- HI 2230 – Financial Management & Health Care Reimbursement (3 credits)
- HI 2231 – Talent Management and Human Resources (3 credits)
- HI 2310 – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Innovation & Classification (3 credits)
- HI 2450 – Security, Privacy, Legal & Ethical Issues in Health Care (3 credits)
- HI 2452 – Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- HI 2457 – Applied Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking in Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2632 – Leadership and Project Management (3 credits)
- HI 2670 – Health Informatics Capstone/Internship (3 credits)
- HI 2458 – Generative Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Spring 2027
- HI 2459 – Artificial Intelligence for Medical Imaging Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2461 – Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Fall 2026
Health Care Supervision and Management Track
Health Care Supervision and Management (HSM) provides students an opportunity to acquire advanced skills in administration and supervisory management in health care, long-term care and rehabilitation. This track:
- Helps you develop a combination of health care management and organizational leadership skills.
- Enables graduates to implement their leadership and business acumen to enact change in a complex and dynamic health care landscape.
Coursework:
- Required Courses (18 Credits)
- HI 2210 – Health Information and the Health Care System (3 credits)
- HI 2250 – Foundations of Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2251 – Healthcare Analytics, Machine Learning, and Data Visualization (3 credits)
- HI 2451 – Database Design and Big Data Analytics (3 credits)
- HI 2231 – Talent Management and Human Resources (3 credits)
- HI 2632 – Leadership and Project Management (3 credits)
- Elective Courses (Students can select six from the below, must take 18 credits)
- HI 2021 – Practical Statistics and Programming Using R (3 credits)
- HI 2022 – Introduction to Python for Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2230 – Financial Management & Health Care Reimbursement (3 credits)
- HI 2310 – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Innovation & Classification (3 credits)
- HI 2450 – Security, Privacy, Legal & Ethical Issues in Health Care (3 credits)
- HI 2452 – Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- HI 2457 – Applied Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking in Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2458 – Generative Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Spring 2027
- HI 2459 – Artificial Intelligence for Medical Imaging Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2460 – Data Science and Machine Learning in Health Sciences (3 credits)
- HI 2461 – Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Fall 2026
- HI 2670 – Health Informatics Capstone/Internship (3 credits)
Health Informatics Track
The General Health Informatics (HI) track prepares students for the evaluation and management of health information technologies and systems. This track:
- Teaches you how to analyze, design and evaluate health information systems.
- Prepares you to perform data analytics projects to improve the quality of health care and reduce the cost of health care services.
Coursework:
- Required Courses (12 Credits)
- HI 2210 – Health Information and the Health Care System (3 credits)
- HI 2250 – Foundations of Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2451 – Database Design and Big Data Analytics (3 credits)
- HI 2251 – Healthcare Analytics, Machine Learning, and Data Visualization (3 credits)
- Elective Courses (Students can select eight from the below, must take 24 credits)
- HI 2021 – Practical Statistics & Programming Using R (3 credits)
- HI 2022 – Introduction to Python for Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2230 – Financial Management & Health Care Reimbursement (3 credits)
- HI 2231 – Talent Management and Human Resources (3 credits)
- HI 2310 – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Innovation & Classification (3 credits)
- HI 2450 – Security, Privacy, Legal & Ethical Issues in Health Care (3 credits)
- HI 2452 – Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- HI 2457 – Applied Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking in Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2458 – Generative Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Spring 2027
- HI 2459 – Artificial Intelligence for Medical Imaging Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2460 – Data Science and Machine Learning in Health Sciences (3 credits)
- HI 2461 – Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Fall 2026
- HI 2632 – Leadership and Project Management (3 credits)
- HI 2670 – Health Informatics Capstone/Internship (3 credits)
Health Services Track
Health Services Analytics (HSA) prepares students responsible for the development and management of health information systems consistent with the clinical, fiscal, administrative, ethical, and legal requirements of healthcare institutions. This track:
- Teaches you to analyze, design, implement and evaluate health information systems ForHealth professionals and administrators who provide data for patient care, research, quality improvement, strategic planning, reimbursement and related analytics and managerial functions.
- Prepares you to work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, health planning agencies, software development companies, consulting firms, information systems vendors, ambulatory care centers, research centers, rehabilitation facilities and insurance companies.
Coursework:
- Required Coursework (18 credits)
- HI 2210 – Health Information and the Health Care System (3 credits)
- HI 2250 – Foundations of Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2251 – Healthcare Analytics, Machine Learning, and Data Visualization (3 credits)
- HI 2451 – Database Design and Big Data Analytics (3 credits)
- HI 2310 – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Innovation & Classification (3 credits)
- HI 2230 – Financial Management & Health Care Reimbursement (3 credits)
- Elective Courses (Students can select six from the below, must take 18 credits)
- HI 2021 – Practical Statistics & Programming Using R (3 credits)
- HI 2022 – Introduction to Python for Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2231 – Talent Management and Human Resources (3 credits)
- HI 2450 – Security, Privacy, Legal & Ethical Issues in Health Care (3 credits)
- HI 2452 – Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- HI 2457 – Applied Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking in Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2458 – Generative Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Spring 2027
- HI 2459 – Artificial Intelligence for Medical Imaging Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2460 – Data Science and Machine Learning in Health Sciences (3 credits)
- HI 2461 – Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Fall 2026
- HI 2632 – Leadership and Project Management (3 credits)
- HI 2670 – Health Informatics Capstone/Internship (3 credits)
Plan of Study
The following plan of study is for students who will be starting the program in Spring 2026 or current students who want to switch to a non-track plan.
To earn the Master of Science degree, students need to finish 36 credits in total. Students are required to take eight (8) core courses, totaling 24 credits. Each student will also need to take four (4) electives, totaling 12 credits. Students are allowed to have any combinations of four elective courses, even though we provide two combinations for data science focused and leadership and management focused plans.
Core Courses
- HI 2210 – Health Information and the Health Care System (3 credits)
- HI 2250 – Foundations of Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2251 – Healthcare Analytics, Machine Learning, and Data Visualization (3 credits)
- HI 2451 – Database Design and Big Data Analytics (3 credits)
- HI 2450 – Security, Privacy, Legal & Ethical Issues in Health Care (3 credits)
- HI 2452 – Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- HI 2310 – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Innovation and Classification (3 credits)
- HI 2457 – Applied Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking for Health Informatics (3 credits)
Elective List
Data Science-Focused
- HI 2022 – Introduction to Python for Health Informatics (3 credits)
- HI 2460 – Data Science and Machine Learning in Health Sciences (3 credits)
- HI 2461 – Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Fall 2026
- HI 2459 – Artificial Intelligence for Medical Imaging Informatics (3 credits)
Leadership and Management-Focused
- HI 2230 – Financial Management & Health Care Reimbursement (3 credits)
- HI 2231 – Talent Management and Human Resources (3 credits)
- HI 2632 – Leadership and Project Management (3 credits)
- HI 2458 – Generative Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (3 credits) – First offering in Spring 2027
Other Elective Courses
- HI 2670 – Health Informatics Capstone/Internship (3 credits)
Many Health Informatics (HI) courses are only offered once per academic year. If a student fails to successfully complete a course, the student must retake the course the next academic year. This may prevent the student from registering for advanced-level courses and delay graduation.