Professionals Benefiting from the Master's Degree Program

The key role of health surveillance and analysis systems in public health investigations requires that public health professionals have not only an understanding of core public health principles but also of the design and use of information systems. Business management and information management degrees alone do not provide the professional with knowledge of the principles and analytical tools of public health that are needed to direct the development of public health related information systems.

Four types of health professionals will benefit from this program:

• State and Local Public Health Agency Personnel

While many health agencies are increasing their demand for well-trained informatics professionals, the pool of qualified applicants is very limited. Nationally only 0.6 percent of the approximately 350,000 people in the public health workforce have any formal training in the planning, implementation and management of information.

• Staff of Managed Care Organizations

Managed care organizations require increasing expertise in assessing population-based health information to make decisions regarding healthcare costs, pricing, and service provisions. 

• International Health Agency Personnel

International health agencies and non-governmental health organizations (NGOs) face an ever wider array of public health challenges. Responses to these challenges will require the development of sophisticated health care surveillance and information systems to access and disseminate relevant health information.

• Federal Health Officers

The increased demands placed on national public health surveillance systems due to bioterrorism and other national threats to public health raise the need to develop rapid responses based upon an improved flow of public health information. Federal agencies will increasingly have need of personnel trained to develop and improve the infrastructure of public health information systems.

Program Competencies

Graduates of the program will acquire the following skills and knowledge after completion of the program:

• A knowledge of the basic principles of public health;



• The ability to specify the requirements for the development or adaptation of public health related information systems;
  
  
• Knowledge of health data definitions and standards, as well as privacy and confidentiality issues;
  
  
• Ability to plan, specify and manage the implementation of public health information systems projects;
  
  
• Knowledge of the existence, structure, and uses of public health and health databases and networks;
  
  
• An understanding of the basic functions and operations of information technologies that have significant application in public health practice such as geographic information systems, web-based information dissemination, and data mining;
  
  
• Skill in information technology planning and procurement related to public health information systems.

Master's Degree Program Structure

The program of study consists of three components:

• Six public health core courses
  
  
• Eight informatics courses
  
  
• A practicum and capstone experience.

All courses are taught online.

A minimum of 51 credit hours must be earned over a maximum period of five years in order to graduate. Students would normally complete the degree in three years by taking five courses a year (two in the fall and spring and one in the summer). A field practicum performed in an approved health agency is required. The academic advisor and a supervisor develop the structure of the practicum in order to satisfy the student’s needs.

A capstone experience requires the student to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences. A field practicum may be the basis of a capstone requirement. The field practicum and capstone experience must address a practical informatics problem in an agency or organization.

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