University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Carolina Health Informatics Program • Chapel Hill, NC • Online or Campus • $973/Credit In-State (2026-27)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers 2 Health Informatics programs:

  • Master of Professional Science in Biomedical and Health Informatics
  • PhD in Health Informatics

Program Overview

Program Est. Tuition Est. Duration Credits
MPS in Biomedical and Health Informatics $34.1K in-state; $70.3K out-of-state 1 to 4 years 35
PhD in Health Informatics Not clearly stated 4 to 5 years Not clearly stated

UNC’s professional science master’s pairs clinical or public health informatics tracks with an individualized mentored internship of at least 400 hours. Students can take it online or on campus on a one-year fast track, an 18-month standard track, or part time, with three start terms a year.

Quick Facts

Feature Details
Program Types Professional master’s; PhD
Format MPS online or on campus; PhD full time on campus
Practicum Hours Internship of at least 400 hours
RN License Required No
Who It’s For Students who want a research-university informatics master’s with a substantial internship
Distinctive Coursework Clinical or public health informatics tracks; data science alongside leadership and management
Certification Pathway Not CAHIIM-accredited; internship hours may support AMIA AHIC eligibility
Tuition $973 per credit in-state, $2,009.50 out-of-state, plus semester fees (2026-27)
Accreditation No programmatic accreditation stated; SACSCOC institutional

Master of Professional Science in Biomedical and Health Informatics

The estimated tuition for the MPS in Biomedical and Health Informatics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is approximately $34,055 for North Carolina residents (35 credits at $973/credit), or $70,333 for nonresidents.

The fast track takes 1 year, the standard track 1.5 years, and the part-time track 2 to 4 years.

MPS Curriculum

  • A 35-credit, non-thesis curriculum combining data and health sciences with leadership and management.
  • Students choose a clinical informatics or public health informatics track.
  • Course titles are listed on UNC’s curriculum page, not the program overview.
You Should Know
  • CHIP merit scholarships are open only to on-campus applicants.
  • Online students pay a $29.42 per-credit distance education fee.

MPS Practicum and Capstone

  • An individualized, mentored internship that UNC says should be at least 400 hours.

MPS Admissions

  • Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA; no GRE or MCAT; rolling admission for spring, summer, and fall.

PhD in Health Informatics

The estimated tuition for the PhD in Health Informatics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is Not clearly stated; CHIP aims to fund doctoral students through traineeships and assistantships.

PhD Curriculum

  • A full-time program projected to take 4 to 5 years.

Tuition

UNC charges $973 per credit for North Carolina residents and $2,009.50 for nonresidents in the MPS for 2026-27, plus $1,063 in semester fees.

Residency Per Credit 35 Credits
North Carolina $973.00 $34,055
Nonresident $2,009.50 $70,333

Be aware that:

  • ⚠️ UNC caps graduate tuition at 9 credits per semester for most programs; if that applies here, full-time students would pay less than the per-credit totals shown.

Rates are not final until approved by the UNC System Board of Governors.


Why Choose This Health Informatics Program?

Built for students who want hands-on informatics experience from a research university.

Who it fits. The 400-hour internship and clinical or public health tracks suit career changers who need real project experience, and the fast track suits full-time students who want to finish in a year.

The trade-offs. Nonresident tuition is about double the in-state rate, and the program is not CAHIIM-accredited.


Accreditation

UNC’s MPS in Biomedical and Health Informatics is not CAHIIM-accredited, and UNC makes no CAHIIM claim for it.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Check the AMIA Health Informatics Certification eligibility rules for non-accredited master’s pathways.


Other Health Informatics Schools

See all North Carolina health informatics programs, browse the health informatics master’s directory, or read the health informatics degree guide.