Joint BS in Health Information Management/MS in Health Informatics
Pending final notification of the Board of Trustees and Illinois Board of Higher Education in July 2025.
The Joint Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management (BSHIM) and Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) is designed for undergraduate students with outstanding academic performance who desire to pursue graduate studies in Health Informatics, and who wish to prepare themselves for advanced placement in the workplace. Students will earn the BSHIM when the student has completed at least 123 semester hours and fulfilled all baccalaureate degree requirements, and the MSHI will be awarded upon completion of the master’s program requirements, with 9 hours of coursework shared between the two degrees. This will allow students to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator exam and obtain their RHIA immediately upon completion of the BSHIM degree requirements.
Admission Requirements
Students may submit their intent to apply to the joint degree program when they begin HIM core courses. Campus and Online BSHIM students are eligible to obtain the joint degree. Students should meet with their HIM undergraduate advisor to plan their courses accordingly.
International students should check with the UIC Office of International Services to verify their eligibility for this program, prior to applying.
Campus students with tuition waivers should discuss their tuition options with their financial aid advisor prior to applying. As a full-cost recovery program discretionary waivers are not allowed for the MS in Health Informatics degree portion of the program. Students must apply through the Graduate College to the joint program in the second to last semester of their senior year, be reviewed by the HIM and HI program directors and accepted by the BHIS Academic Affairs admissions committee. To be eligible, students are required to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.40/4.00 upon application and throughout the remainder of their senior year. After completing their senior year, they must maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 in all graduate coursework.
Degree Requirements
The requirements for completion of the combined BSHIM/MSHI degree are nearly identical to the completion of these two separate degrees. The major difference is that 9 hours of shared coursework used for both degrees. Completion of 114 hours at the undergraduate level; plus 9 shared hours counting toward both the BSHIM and MSHI degrees; plus 29 hours of coursework at the graduate level will result in joint BSHIM/MSHI degrees.
Upon acceptance the student will register for two graduate-level courses in the MSHI program during their last semester in the BSHIM program. The Master of Health Informatics portion of this program is offered completely online.
Sample Course Schedule
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| ENGL 160 | Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| BIOS 110 | Biology of Cells and Organisms | 4 |
| HIM 101 | Health Information Management First Year Seminar a | 1 |
| Understanding the Past course | 3 | |
| Understanding the Creative Arts course | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ENGL 161 | Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| PSCH 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| Analyzing the Natural World course | 3 | |
| Understanding U.S. Society course | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| MATH 110 | College Algebra | 4 |
| KN 230 | Anatomy and Physiology Lecture I | 3 |
| IDS 200 | Intro to Management Information Systems | 4 |
| BHIS 406 | Medical Terminology for Health Information Management | 2 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| STAT 101 | Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
| KN 231 | Anatomy and Physiology Lecture II | 3 |
| HIM 410 | Introduction to the Health Care System | 3 |
| Exploring World Cultures course | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| HIM 317 | Principles of Health Information Management | 4 |
| HIM 319 | Alternative Health Records | 4 |
| BHIS 405 | Medical Sciences and Human Pathophysiology | 3 |
| BHIS 460 | Introduction to Health Informatics | 1 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| BHIS 480 | Management and Business Practices | 3 |
| BHIS 461 | Information Systems for Health Information Management | 2 |
| HIM 320 | Technical Affiliation | 2 |
| HIM 329 | Legal Aspects of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIM 361 | Human Resources Management | 3 |
| HIM 432 | Coding and Classification Systems | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| BHIS 410 | Health Data Structures and Management a | 3 |
| HIM 337 | Analysis of Health Care Data | 4 |
| HIM 374 | Health Information Research | 4 |
| HIM 433 | Coding and Reimbursement Systems | 4 |
| HIM 481 | Healthcare Financial Management | 2 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| BHIS 437 | Health Care Data a | 3 |
| BHIS 520 | Health Information Systems Analysis and Design a | 3 |
| HIM 343 | Quality Evaluation and Management | 3 |
| HIM 377 | Current Issues in Health Information Management | 2 |
| HIM 384 | Clinical Practicum | 5 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| BHIS 499 | Information Sources in Biomedical & Health Information Sciences | 1 |
| BHIS 515 | Management of Health Care Communication Systems | 3 |
| BHIS 503 | Communication Skills in Health Informatics | 3 |
| Hours | 7 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| BHIS 505 | Ethics and Legal Issues in Health Informatics | 3 |
| BHIS 525 | Social and Organizational Issues in Health Informatics | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| BHIS 593 | Health Informatics Capstone Experience | 1 |
| BHIS 530 | Topics in Health Informatics | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Total Hours | 152 | |
- a
Shared hours counting toward both the BSHIM and MSHI degrees.