Wisconsin offers health informatics graduate programs for several career paths, including clinical and health informatics, health data analysis, nursing informatics, and academic research. The four schools below include two University of Wisconsin campuses and two private universities, with online, campus, and doctoral options.
Program titles and admission requirements vary. Two schools offer dedicated health informatics master’s degrees open to students from different backgrounds, while the other two offer nursing informatics degrees for registered nurses.
Compare the degree type, curriculum, delivery format, cost, and admission requirements before applying.
Wisconsin Health Informatics Programs
| School | Location | Program | Format | Estimated Tuition | Typical Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UW-Milwaukee | Milwaukee | MS in Health Care Informatics, 33–36 credits | Online or campus | About $25,080 at the online program rate | About 2 years full time (est.) |
| UW–Madison | Madison | MS in Clinical & Health Informatics, 30 credits | Online | About $48,000 | 18 months–4 years |
| Herzing University | Milwaukee | MSN in Nursing Informatics, 36 credits | Online | $22,680 tuition; about $24,900 with fees | 16 months full time |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | Milwaukee | MSN in Nursing Informatics, 39 credits | Online, with live sessions | About $52,767 | About 2 years |
Tuition estimates use the rates available when each profile was reviewed. Universities can change tuition, fees, schedules, and admission policies. Confirm current costs and requirements with each school.
Which Wisconsin Program May Fit You Best?
For a Dedicated Online Health Informatics Degree
UW-Milwaukee offers an MS in Health Care Informatics through its Zilber College of Public Health. Students can study online or on campus and choose a 3-credit professional project or a 6-credit thesis. The curriculum is technically focused, with required courses in programming, biomedical databases, computational intelligence, and big data and machine learning.
UW–Madison offers a 30-credit, fully online MS in Clinical & Health Informatics through its School of Medicine and Public Health. Required courses cover clinical information systems, human factors, population health, and leadership, followed by a capstone. Students can start in fall, spring, or summer and take one to four courses per term.
For Registered Nurses
Herzing University offers an online MSN in Nursing Informatics for RNs with a BSN. The 36-credit program pairs advanced nursing courses with four informatics courses and 135 practicum hours. The specialty begins with the January 2027 start, and Herzing also lists RN-to-MSN and DNP informatics options.
Milwaukee School of Engineering offers a 39-credit online MSN in Nursing Informatics with live sessions every two to three weeks. Coursework covers decision support, data and knowledge management, systems development, and epidemiology. The program includes 512 practicum hours, and students arrange their own practicum sites.
Both nursing programs require an active RN license. Applicants without nursing licensure should compare the UW-Milwaukee and UW–Madison degrees instead.
For Research and Doctoral Study
UW-Milwaukee offers a PhD in Biomedical and Health Informatics with the Medical College of Wisconsin. Students choose from six tracks, including Health Information Systems, Knowledge Based Systems, Medical Imaging and Instrumentation, and Public Health Informatics. UWM also offers a coordinated MS in Health Care Informatics and Master of Library and Information Science.
UW–Madison’s Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics offers campus-based MS and PhD programs in Biomedical Data Science. These degrees are more quantitative than the online informatics MS and may suit students with mathematics or programming preparation.
How to Compare Wisconsin Health Informatics Degrees
Check the Official Degree Title
A program’s title often shows its main focus. UW-Milwaukee awards an MS in Health Care Informatics, and UW–Madison awards an MS in Clinical & Health Informatics. Herzing and MSOE award a Master of Science in Nursing with a nursing informatics specialty, which is a graduate nursing degree rather than a general informatics degree.
Review Admission Requirements
The two University of Wisconsin programs accept applicants from a range of academic backgrounds. UW–Madison asks for a statistics or analytical course or equivalent experience, and UW-Milwaukee requires the GRE only when an applicant’s GPA is below 3.0. The Herzing and MSOE programs require a BSN and an active RN license.
Consider the Final Project and Practicum
UW-Milwaukee lets students choose a professional project or a research thesis, and UW–Madison ends with a capstone. The nursing informatics programs include supervised practicum hours, from 135 at Herzing to 512 at MSOE. Students should ask how practicum sites are arranged and whether hours can be completed at their current employer.
Calculate the Full Cost
Tuition is only one part of the cost. Students should also review technology fees, program fees, books, and any required travel. UW-Milwaukee’s on-campus tuition depends on residency, while its online program rate and UW–Madison’s online rate are the same for residents and nonresidents. Employer tuition assistance, military benefits, scholarships, and transfer credit may lower the final amount.
Explore More Health Informatics Programs
Compare Wisconsin with health informatics programs by state, review online health informatics programs, or learn more about master’s degrees in health informatics.