University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies • Baltimore, MD • Online • $831.70/Credit
The University of Maryland, Baltimore offers 2 Clinical Informatics programs:
- MS
- Graduate Certificate
Program Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS in Clinical Informatics | $28.3K in-state / $36.0K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters) | 34 |
| Graduate Certificate | $10.0K in-state / $12.7K out-of-state | 9 months (2 semesters) | 12 |
This MS is built from two stacked 12-credit certificates: clinical informatics from UMB and data science from UMBC. Students who start with the certificate can apply those 12 credits to the master’s later.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MS (34 credits); Graduate Certificate (12 credits) |
| Format | Online; MS page labels it “Hybrid,” but all courses are delivered online |
| Practicum Hours | Not clearly stated; 6 practicum credits in the MS |
| Practicum Placement | Mentor assigned; on-site at University of Maryland or remote under an advisor |
| RN License Required | No |
| Who It’s For | Physicians, APPs, nurses, pharmacists, biologists, computer scientists |
| Distinctive Coursework | Python, machine learning, big data platforms (Hadoop, Spark), FHIR-based decision support |
| Certification Pathway | MS may meet AMIA AHIC education requirement; experience also required |
| Tuition | $831.70/credit in-state; $1,059.70/credit out-of-state (2026-27) |
| Accreditation | Middle States Commission on Higher Education (institutional) |
| Start Terms | Fall (July 1 deadline) and spring (December 1 deadline) |
| Enrollment Restrictions | Not eligible for F-1 or J-1 visa sponsorship |
MS in Clinical Informatics
The estimated tuition for the MS in Clinical Informatics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore is approximately $28,278 in-state or $36,030 out-of-state (34 credits at $831.70 or $1,059.70/credit).
The program can generally be completed in about 2 years, with up to 5 years allowed.
MS Curriculum
The degree combines three blocks: a 12-credit clinical informatics certificate taught by UMB School of Medicine faculty, a 12-credit data science certificate from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and a 10-credit practical block. The data science half is unusually technical for a clinical informatics MS, covering machine learning and big data platforms. No prior programming experience is required; INFO 603 teaches Python from the ground up.
- INFO 601: Foundations in Clinical and Health Informatics (3)
- INFO 602: Clinical Information Systems (3)
- INFO 603: Computer Literacy for Healthcare Professionals (3)
- INFO 604: Decision Support Systems in Healthcare (3)
- DATA 601: Intro to Data Science (3)
- DATA 602: Intro to Data Analysis and Machine Learning (3)
- DATA 603: Platforms for Big Data Processing (3)
- DATA 604: Data Management (3)
- INFO 610: Clinical Informatics Conference (1)
- INFO 611 and INFO 612: Practicum sequence (3 each)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The listed courses sum to 31 credits, not the published 34. The catalog assigns 10 credits to the practical block, but its three listed courses total 7. The school does not explain the 3-credit gap. Repeated enrollment in the 1-credit conference course is a plausible explanation, but it is not confirmed.
- Program pages conflict on design length. The MS page says 2 years; the certificate page says the MS can be completed “in up to three years.” The MS page also allows up to 5 years. This profile uses the MS page.
MS Practicum and Capstone
- INFO 611 (3 credits): project planning, literature review, data analysis, and technical writing with a mentor. Prerequisites: INFO 601, 602, 604, DATA 601, 602.
- INFO 612 (3 credits): independent research project designed in INFO 611, with an assigned mentor.
- Placement: students can be embedded in an informatics or data science setting within the University of Maryland, or work remotely under an advisor.
- The catalog names the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, and Baltimore VA Medical Center as the practicum and clinical setting.
- INFO 610: monthly virtual conference series (Zoom, noon to 2 p.m. ET), featuring outside informatics leaders.
- Practicum hours: not clearly stated.
The practicum is research-oriented, not an operational rotation. Remote students do not need to find their own site, since the school assigns a mentor. AHIC eligibility depends on qualifying work experience, which the practicum alone is not documented to satisfy. With hours unpublished, weekly load cannot be estimated.
MS Admissions
No RN license or clinical license is required, and no GPA minimum or GRE is published.
- Bachelor’s degree with transcripts from all institutions attended
- 300 to 500 word essay on career goals
- CV or resume
- 3 letters of recommendation
- $75 application fee
- English proficiency for international applicants: TOEFL 80, IELTS 7.0, or Duolingo 115
- Deadlines: July 1 (fall), December 1 (spring)
- Not eligible for F-1 or J-1 visa sponsorship
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Informatics
The estimated tuition for the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Informatics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore is approximately $9,980 in-state or $12,716 out-of-state (12 credits at $831.70 or $1,059.70/credit).
The program can generally be completed in about 9 months, with up to 3 years allowed.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the first four courses of the MS, delivered fully asynchronous online. It covers informatics foundations, clinical information systems, introductory Python, and clinical decision support.
- INFO 601: Foundations in Clinical and Health Informatics (3)
- INFO 602: Clinical Information Systems (3)
- INFO 603: Computer Literacy for Healthcare Professionals (3)
- INFO 604: Decision Support Systems in Healthcare (3)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The certificate has no practicum or conference component. Those sit only in the MS.
- Credits apply to the MS later. A certificate alone is not a degree, so it does not meet AMIA’s degree-based AHIC education requirement.
Certificate Admissions
Requirements match the MS, except no recommendation letters are required.
- Bachelor’s degree, essay, CV or resume, $75 fee
- Same deadlines and English proficiency minimums as the MS
Tuition
The University of Maryland, Baltimore charges $831.70 per credit for Maryland residents and $1,059.70 per credit for non-residents under its 2026-27 online graduate rate table. Fees are charged per semester.
| Fee | Full Time (9+ credits) | Part Time (under 9 credits) |
|---|---|---|
| Student Activities | $25.50 | $25.50 |
| Student Government | $11.00 | $11.00 |
| Technology | $60.00 | $10/credit, max $60 |
| Student Services | $166.50 | $18.50/credit, max $166.50 |
| Matriculation (first semester only) | $55.00 | $55.00 |
Confirmed costs:
- MS tuition: $28,277.80 in-state; $36,029.80 out-of-state (34 credits)
- Certificate tuition: $9,980.40 in-state; $12,716.40 out-of-state (12 credits)
- $75 application fee
Be aware that:
- Estimated MS fees total about $1,070 (derived: 4 semesters at 9, 9, 8, and 8 credits, plus matriculation). Certificate fees total about $470 (2 semesters at 6 credits each).
- The rate table lists a matriculation fee for MS students only. Whether certificate students pay it is not clearly stated.
- DATA courses are taught by UMBC. Whether UMBC or UMB billing applies to those 12 credits is not clearly stated; this profile assumes the UMB rate.
- Using the 31 credits actually itemized, MS tuition would be $25,783 in-state or $32,851 out-of-state.
All-in, the MS runs about $29,350 in-state or $37,100 out-of-state; the certificate about $10,450 or $13,190. Rates are per the UMB Student Financial Services online program table and may change.
Why Choose This Clinical Informatics Program?
Clinicians who want real data science skills, not just informatics theory, fit this program best.
Technical depth without a coding background. Half the MS is a UMBC data science certificate covering machine learning, databases, and Hadoop and Spark. INFO 603 teaches Python first, so non-programmers can start from zero.
Physician-led, but open to everyone. Core faculty are board-certified clinical informatics physicians, and the practicum ties to UMMC and the Baltimore VA. Nurses, pharmacists, and non-clinicians are admitted alongside physicians.
Pathway choice matters. The certificate is a low-risk 9-month entry point that rolls into the MS. The trade-off: the MS publishes no practicum hours, leaves 3 credits unitemized, and ends in a research project rather than an operational rotation.
Accreditation
The MS and certificate are not programmatically accredited. Neither program page claims CAHIIM accreditation, and no nursing accreditor applies, since the programs sit in the School of Graduate Studies rather than a nursing school.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Graduate School is authorized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission to confer degrees.
The school states graduates may be eligible for AMIA Health Informatics Certification (AHIC). AMIA requires both a qualifying degree and qualifying health informatics work experience; the degree alone does not confer eligibility. This MS does not qualify physicians for the ABPM Clinical Informatics board exam, which requires an ACGME fellowship.
Compare More Clinical Informatics Programs
See all profiled schools on the Clinical Informatics Schools page, or review degree types and costs in the Clinical Informatics guide.