Yale School of Medicine • New Haven, CT • Campus • $3,080/Credit (est.)
Yale University offers 1 Clinical Informatics program:
- MHS
Program Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MHS in Clinical Informatics & Data Science | $107.8K | 2 years (6 terms) | 35 |
This is a mentored research degree, not a coursework degree. Applicants must line up a Yale primary mentor, a three-member committee, and a research plan before they apply, and 18 of the 35 credits are thesis research.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | Master of Health Science (MHS-CIDS) |
| Format | Campus; on-site coursework and research in New Haven |
| Time Commitment | 50% of working hours for 2 years (program page cites 50–75%) |
| Practicum Hours | None; mentored thesis research replaces a practicum |
| Mentor Requirement | Yale primary mentor and 3-member committee secured before applying |
| RN License Required | No; designed for graduates with clinical backgrounds |
| Who It’s For | Physicians and clinician-researchers, mostly YSM residents, fellows, and faculty |
| Distinctive Coursework | Clinical research methods, biostatistics, translational informatics, medical AI electives |
| Certification Pathway | Degree may satisfy AMIA AHIC education requirement; experience still required |
| Tuition | $53,900/year for the next cohort; ~$107,800 for 2 years |
| Accreditation | NECHE (institutional); no CAHIIM accreditation |
| Start Term | Summer only |
MHS in Clinical Informatics & Data Science
The estimated tuition for the Master of Health Science in Clinical Informatics & Data Science at Yale University is approximately $107,800 (35 credits at an estimated $3,080/credit).
The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (6 terms, summer through spring).
MHS Curriculum
Coursework is light and front-loaded. Only 17 credits are classes: four required courses (8 credits) and three electives (9 credits). The remaining 18 credits are a mentored thesis that runs every term. Required content leans toward clinical research methods rather than health IT operations.
- IMED 5640 (HSCI 6450): Introduction to Biostatistics in Clinical Investigation (2 credits)
- IMED 5625 (HSCI 6250): Principles of Clinical Research (1.5 credits)
- IMED 5630 (HSCI 6300): Ethical Issues in Biomedical Research (1.5 credits)
- BIS 560: Introduction to Clinical and Translational Informatics (3 credits)
- Three electives, 3 credits each (Y1 spring, Y2 fall, Y2 spring)
- HSCI 2222: Mentored Thesis Research Project (2 credits per term, 4 terms)
- HSCI 3333: Mentored Thesis Research Project (3 credits per term, 2 terms)
- HSCI 4444: Mentored Thesis Research Project (4 credits, Y2 summer)
Elective topics named by the program include clinical decision support, data standards, security, human factors, analytics, and medical AI, plus leadership and change management. More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The sample plan lists two thesis courses in Y2 spring and none in Y2 fall. The 35-credit total is unchanged either way, but expect term loads to differ from the published outline.
- Yale’s online MHS in Medical AI is a separate program with its own course list and application. It is not covered on this page.
MHS Practicum and Capstone
- No practicum. The capstone is a mentored research thesis: 18 credits (8 + 6 + 4) spread across all six terms.
- Graduation requires a research paper written for submission and a formal presentation.
- Students work under a Yale primary mentor and a three-member mentorship committee, all named in the application.
- The project is proposed at admission, so the research question is set before day one.
This structure suits someone who wants publications and an informatics research portfolio. It does not provide operational informatics hours at a health system. The 50% protected-time requirement is the real workload signal: roughly 20 hours a week for two years, during working hours, on campus.
MHS Admissions
The mentor-first requirement is the main hurdle; Yale advises contacting the program early to be matched with a mentor.
- Terminal professional degree (MD, PhD, etc.), or a bachelor’s degree plus at least 5 years of relevant professional experience
- Undergraduate calculus and upper-level biology; basic statistics encouraged
- No RN license requirement and no clinical license stated
- Two-page research plan, personal statement, CV, and transcript or most recent training certificate
- Named Yale primary mentor, mentor letter, and three-member committee
- Two recommendation letters from recent clinical or research supervisors
- Interview with program leadership; background check after conditional acceptance
- External applicants: application opens September 15, 2026; deadline May 31, 2027; decisions June 2027
- Internal applicants (YSM residents, fellows, faculty): deadline February 15, 2027; rolling decisions from late February; written chair or division chief approval of protected time required
Tuition
Yale bills the MHS as a flat annual rate, not per credit. The $3,080/credit figure is a derived estimate: two years of tuition divided by 35 credits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, next cohort (per year) | $53,900 |
| Tuition, 2 years (est.) | $107,800 |
| Yale Hospitalization Insurance (per year, waivable) | $3,764 |
| Tuition + hospitalization, 2 years (est.) | $115,328 |
Confirmed costs:
- $53,900/year tuition, listed on the MHS internal applicant page for the cohort applying in 2026–27
- $52,400/year tuition and fees for the class that started summer 2026 (MHS budget page)
- $3,764/year hospitalization coverage, waivable with comparable insurance
- $28,094/year housing, meals, and personal expenses in Yale’s budget
- Departmental contribution of $18,000/year for internal CIDS students, paid by the sponsoring Yale department
- YSM scholarships up to $35,900/year for Yale trainees in the CIDS track
Be aware that:
- Two Yale pages list different annual tuition: $52,400 (budget page, summer 2026 class) and $53,900 (applicant page). This profile uses $53,900 because it applies to the cohort now applying. Both are marked “may increase.”
- Federal loans are not yet available. Yale says it is still evaluating the MHS program’s Title IV eligibility and plans to have it in place by 2027–28 at the latest. Until then, students rely on private loans, grants, or sponsor funding.
- The scholarship and departmental contribution apply to Yale trainees. No equivalent aid is described for external applicants beyond employer sponsorship.
For an internal trainee, the math is designed to reach $0: the $18,000 departmental contribution plus the $35,900 maximum scholarship equals the $53,900 rate. For an external applicant paying out of pocket, expect roughly $108,000 in tuition over two years before insurance and living costs, with no federal loan access yet. See Yale’s MHS student budget for current figures.
Why Choose This Clinical Informatics Program?
Built for the academic clinician who wants informatics research credentials while staying in a Yale training or faculty role.
Research first, coursework second. Over half the credits are thesis research, and the project is defined before admission. Compared with the University of Washington’s research capstone, Yale makes research the spine of the degree rather than its final step. Applicants without a research question or Yale connection will find the entry barrier steep.
The funding model favors insiders. Recent cohorts listed by the program are almost entirely Yale residents, fellows, and faculty. That reflects the structure: departmental contributions and scholarships cover full tuition for trainees, while external applicants face the full rate and must relocate or commute to New Haven for two years.
Not an operational informatics degree. There is no practicum, no CAHIIM accreditation, and only one required informatics course. Clinicians aiming for CMIO, EHR, or health IT operations roles may get more applied training from a practice-focused program.
Accreditation
The MHS in Clinical Informatics & Data Science is not CAHIIM-accredited. As a School of Medicine master’s degree, it sits outside nursing programmatic accreditation as well.
Yale University is institutionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which covers all Yale degree programs.
For certification, AMIA’s AHIC accepts master’s degrees in health informatics or related fields toward its education requirement, but candidates must also document qualifying informatics work experience. The MHS does not qualify anyone for the ABPM Clinical Informatics board exam, which requires an ACGME-accredited fellowship.
Other Clinical Informatics Schools
Compare tuition, credits, and formats across programs on our Clinical Informatics Schools page, or start with the Clinical Informatics degree guide.