Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Professions, KU Medical Center • Kansas City, KS • Mostly Online • $715.50/Credit
The University of Kansas offers 3 Health Informatics programs:
- MS
- Graduate Certificate
- BS in Health Information Management
Program Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS in Health Informatics | $22.9K (online, all residencies) | 2 years (4 semesters) | 31 |
| Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics | $11.8K | 1 year (2 semesters) | 16 |
| BS in Health Information Management | $28.0K in-state / $64.9K out-of-state (campus); $31.8K online | 2 years after prerequisites | 120 (about 60 at KU) |
The certificate is the first half of the master’s. All 16 certificate credits are MS core courses, so a student can test the field for about $11.8K and finish the degree with 15 more credits, at a single online rate that does not change with state of residence.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MS in Health Informatics, Graduate Certificate, BS in Health Information Management |
| Format | MS: online 8-week courses plus a required half-day campus orientation; BS: campus or online completion |
| Practicum Hours | MS: no practicum; 2-credit scholarly project with defense |
| RN License Required | No; health care experience preferred, not required |
| Who It’s For | Career changers and health or IT staff wanting a CAHIIM-accredited online master’s |
| Distinctive Coursework | Data modeling, information governance, healthcare analytics, quality measurement, leadership |
| Certification Pathway | MS fits AMIA AHIC Track 1; BS graduates can sit for RHIA |
| Tuition | Online graduate: $715.50 per credit with required fees, same for all residencies (2025-26) |
| Accreditation | CAHIIM (MS through 2030, BS through 2029); HLC institutional |
| Start Terms | MS: fall or spring; deadlines June 30 and October 31 |
| Enrollment Restrictions | MS and certificate cannot admit student-visa (F-1) holders |
MS in Health Informatics
The estimated tuition for the MS in Health Informatics at the University of Kansas is approximately $22,900 (31 credits at $715.50/credit, plus campus fees).
The program can generally be completed in about two years, or three years part-time.
MS Curriculum
The core leans toward data and governance rather than programming. Students model health data, run analytics, and study quality measurement and leadership. Every course is required; there are no electives. Courses run in two 8-week blocks per semester, except HP&M 810, which runs the full term.
- HEIF 850 Introduction to Health Informatics (2)
- HEIF 851 Transforming Health Care through Information Systems and Technology (3)
- HEIF 852 Health Data Theory and Practice (3)
- HEIF 853 Abstraction and Modeling of Healthcare Information (3)
- HEIF 775 Applied Statistics and Research Methods in Health Informatics (3)
- HP&M 810 The Health Care System (3)
- HEIF 767 Quality and Performance Measurement and Management (3)
- HEIF 771 Leadership in Healthcare and Health Informatics (3)
- HEIF 776 Healthcare Analytics in Informatics Practice (3)
- HEIF 779 Information Governance in Health Informatics (3), HEIF 860 Health Informatics Scholarly Project (2)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The sample plans load 11 credits in the first semester and 12 in the second, then 8 in the final year. Taking 11–12 credits of 8-week courses while working full time is a heavy load; the part-time route is the realistic one for most employed students.
- Students need Microsoft Office, Access, and Visio.
MS Practicum and Capstone
- No practicum or field placement is required in the standard MS.
- HEIF 860 Health Informatics Scholarly Project (2 credits) is taken in the graduation semester and ends with a project defense.
- The PharmD/MSHI dual-degree version adds a health informatics practicum that can count as one of the pharmacy program’s advanced practice experiences.
Because there is no placement to arrange, scheduling is simpler than in programs with 200-hour practicums. The trade-off is that the degree itself supplies no supervised work experience. AMIA’s AHIC certification and most employers still expect several years of informatics work, so students without health care or IT jobs should plan to build that experience alongside the degree.
MS Admissions
Admission does not require a clinical license or health care background.
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
- RN license: not required. Health care experience: preferred, not required.
- No GRE mentioned in the catalog or application requirements.
- Resume, personal statement, and two recommendations (one academic, one professional).
- Background check; $75 application fee; $400 enrollment deposit applied to first-semester tuition.
- Fall start: apply by June 30. Spring start: apply by October 31. Late applications are considered while seats remain.
- Admitted students complete an online orientation module and attend a half-day on-campus orientation the week before classes.
- The program cannot accept applicants who need a student visa.
Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics
The estimated tuition for the Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics at the University of Kansas is approximately $11,800 (16 credits at $715.50/credit, plus campus fees).
The program can generally be completed in about one year.
Graduate Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is six MS core courses, including the scholarly project, so it is a complete small credential rather than a sampler.
- HEIF 850 Introduction to Health Informatics (2)
- HEIF 851 Transforming Health Care through Information Systems and Technology (3)
- HEIF 852 Health Data Theory and Practice (3)
- HEIF 853 Abstraction and Modeling of Healthcare Information (3)
- HEIF 779 Information Governance in Health Informatics (3)
- HEIF 860 Health Informatics Scholarly Project (2)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- ⚠️ The catalog lists 16 credits. KUMC’s tuition guide describes the certificate as a minimum of 17 credit hours. At 17 credits the estimate rises to about $12,500. The catalog’s course list sums to 16 and is used here.
- The catalog approves the certificate as stackable into the MS, but moving up requires a separate MS application with a second recommendation letter.
- Whether certificate students must attend the half-day campus orientation is not clearly stated.
Graduate Certificate Admissions
- Same academic requirements as the MS, with one recommendation letter instead of two.
- Normally completed within one year; four-year maximum.
BS in Health Information Management
The estimated tuition for the BS in Health Information Management at the University of Kansas is approximately $28,000 in-state or $64,900 out-of-state on campus, and about $31,800 online (our estimate for the roughly 60 credits taken at KU).
The program can generally be completed in about two years after prerequisites.
BS Curriculum and Practice Experience
This is a records, coding, and health data management degree that prepares graduates for the RHIA exam, a different career track from the MS. Students enter after about two years of prerequisite coursework elsewhere.
- 120 total credits; applicants need at least 60 credits and a 2.5 GPA, with a C or better in prerequisites.
- On-campus option starts each fall at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
- Online degree-completion option starts fall or spring, aimed at RHIT holders, related health professionals, and veterans with an associate degree.
- Practice-based courses include a management internship (HEIM 680) and a 4-week capstone professional experience at the end of the second spring.
- Bridge options lead to the MS in Health Informatics, the Master of Health Services Administration, or an MBA.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Total professional practice hours are not clearly stated.
- The accelerated BS-to-MS bridge has no published timeline or eligibility rules.
Tuition
Online graduate students pay $471.40 per credit in tuition plus a $144.10 course fee and a $100 e-learning fee, or $715.50 per credit, the same rate for Kansas and out-of-state students.
| Component (2025-26) | MS and Certificate (online) | BS (campus, in-state / out-of-state) | BS (online) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition per credit | $471.40 | $383.10 / $997.60 | $383.10 |
| Course fee per credit | $144.10 | $55.45 | $55.45 |
| e-Learning fee per credit | $100.00 | None | $80.00 |
| Campus fee per fall or spring semester | $168.49 | $425.40 | $168.49 |
- MS: 31 credits × $715.50 = $22,180.50, plus about four semesters of campus fees ($674) = about $22,900.
- Certificate: 16 credits × $715.50 = $11,448, plus two semesters of campus fees = about $11,800.
- BS (our estimate, 60 credits over four semesters): about $28,000 in-state and $64,900 out-of-state on campus; about $31,800 online.
- Rates from the School of Health Professions Tuition and Fees Guide.
Be aware that:
- KUMC’s guide is labeled 2025-26 estimates, subject to Kansas Board of Regents changes. Expect 2026-27 rates to be somewhat higher.
- Fees make up a third of the online graduate charge: tuition alone for the MS is about $14,600, but per-credit fees add about $7,600.
- The online rate applies only to the online programs. A campus-based nonresident graduate rate ($1,107.80 per credit) appears in the guide but does not apply to this online MS.
- The $400 enrollment deposit is credited to first-semester tuition, not an extra cost.
For out-of-state students, the flat online rate is the main financial point: a CAHIIM-accredited master’s for about $22,900 regardless of residency. Starting with the certificate costs nothing extra if you continue, since every certificate credit counts toward the MS.
Why Choose This Health Informatics Program?
A strong fit for working adults who want an accredited online master’s and would like to commit in stages.
Pathway selection. The certificate-then-MS route lets students stop after one year with a credential, or continue without losing any credits. Applying straight to the MS saves the second application. The BS is a separate path for students who want health information management jobs and the RHIA credential rather than an informatics master’s.
What it emphasizes. Data modeling, governance, analytics, quality measurement, and leadership. Students wanting programming, machine learning, or vendor-specific EHR build training will find little of it here.
The trade-off. No practicum means no structured work experience. Students coming from outside health care or IT should line up informatics work on their own, since employers and AHIC both expect it.
Accreditation
The MS in Health Informatics is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), reaffirmed through 2030. The BS in Health Information Management is separately CAHIIM-accredited, renewed through 2029. The graduate certificate is not listed as separately accredited.
The University of Kansas is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
A master’s in health informatics from an accredited program fits Track 1 of the AMIA Health Informatics Certification, which also requires 4 years of informatics work in the past 6 at 50% or more of work time (or 6 of 8 years at 20–49%). BS graduates are eligible to sit for AHIMA’s RHIA exam.
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