Health Informatics, B.S.

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This program has suspended admission for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.

Governors State University offers a STEM-designated Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics (BSHI) program designed to prepare students for careers at the intersection of healthcare, information technology, and data management. This interdisciplinary program combines coursework in health sciences, computer science, and information systems to equip graduates with the skills needed to improve healthcare delivery through technology and data analytics. The mission of the program is to prepare the graduates for roles such as health information managers, clinical data analysts, EHR implementation specialists, and healthcare IT support.

Governors State University’s BSHI program is ideal for students seeking a dynamic career in the rapidly growing field of health informatics, where technology and data are transforming modern healthcare. The health informatics program’s central academic objectives are:

Academic Objective 1: Develop Proficiency in Health Information Systems and Technologies: Students will gain expertise in designing, implementing, and managing health information systems, including electronic health records (EHRs), clinical decision support systems, and healthcare databases. They will apply informatics principles to enhance data accuracy, interoperability, and security in compliance with regulatory standards such as HIPAA.

Academic Objective 2: Apply Data Analytics and Computational Methods to Improve Healthcare Outcomes

Students will learn to analyze healthcare data using statistical, machine learning, and visualization techniques to support evidence-based decision-making. They will develop the ability to interpret complex health datasets, identify trends, and propose solutions to optimize patient care and operational efficiency in healthcare settings

Admission Requirements

Persons may be eligible for admission as undergraduate degree seeking first year students if they:

Have earned a high school diploma or equivalent.
Provide an official high school transcript showing a minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. In absence of a high school diploma and/or high school GPA, the following admission requirements apply:
Junior standing: with 60 semester credit hours of acceptable pre-professional course work completed at an accredited college/university.
- Minimum GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) Conditional admission will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Conditions may include, but are not limited to, successful completion of Early Start sessions.

Undergraduate transfer students may be entered into the program if they meet the requirements in the university’s standard admission policy. Students will be able to transfer credits up to the equivalent of the first 2 years of the program. Students with an AAS degree wishing to enter the BSHI program in year 3 will need to complete the core course requirements during year 3 and 4 of the program at GSU.

Program Outcomes

The program outcomes for the Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics (BSHI) explicitly aligned with CAHIIM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education) standards.

Upon completion of the program students are expected to:

Health Information Systems Competency: Graduates will design, implement, and manage health information systems (e.g., EHRs, HIEs, CDSS), ensuring data integrity, interoperability, and regulatory adherence (HIPAA, HITECH).
Data Analytics for Healthcare Decision-Making: Graduates will apply statistical modeling, data mining, and visualization tools to transform clinical and administrative data into actionable insights for improving patient care and operational efficiency.
Regulatory and Ethical Compliance: Graduates will interpret and apply healthcare laws, policies, and ethical guidelines to protect sensitive health information and mitigate risks in data governance.
Interprofessional Collaboration & Communication: Graduates will demonstrate effective communication and teamwork skills by translating technical informatics concepts for clinicians, administrators, and IT professionals to drive system improvements.
Workflow Optimization & Process Improvement: Graduates will analyze healthcare workflows and propose informatics-driven solutions to enhance quality, safety, and usability of health IT systems.
Emerging Technologies & Innovation: Graduates will evaluate and recommend emerging technologies (e.g., AI, telehealth, blockchain), ensuring adaptability to evolving industry demands.

General Education Requirements (37 Hours)

All General Education courses must have a grade of “C” or better to count toward the degree program. Please know this program looks for the following general education courses to be completed for the program:

Communication (9 hours): Written Composition I and II (IAI C1 900 and C1901) (6 semester hours) and Oral Communication (IAI C2 900) (3 semester hours);
Mathematics (3 hours): Statistics (IAI M1 902 or MATH-2100 ) (3 semester hours);
Physical and Life Science (7-8 hours): three to four courses (7 to 8 semester hours) with one course selected from the life sciences, one course from the physical sciences, and at least one laboratory course;
Humanities and Fine Arts (9 hours): Ethics (IAI H4 904, PHIL-1202 or PHIL-3333 ) (3 semester hours); one additional course in the fine arts (3 semester hours), and one course in the humanities or fine arts (3 semester hours); and
Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 hours): Economics (IAI S3 901 or S3 902; ECON-2301 or ECON-2302 ) and two other Social and Behavioral Sciences courses (6 semester hours).

General Electives (15 Hours)

In addition to the general education requirements, students must complete 15 credits course to count toward General Elective requirements. General Electives are any courses that do not satisfy any specific course requirements of your program and which you have not previously taken.

Health Informatics Core Courses (59 Hours)

Electives (9 Hours)

Select 3 courses from the following: