Student Demographics

The UIC PHI programs are ideal for public health professionals interested in applying information technology to the study of population health. Our students hail from more than twenty-five US states, Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia, and include:

• State and local public health agency personnel
• International and federal health officers
• Staff of managed care organizations, pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies
• Physicians and other healthcare providers
• Veterans and military personnel

Successful Graduates Worldwide

Students enter our program to either enhance their current careers or transition into new, more challenging fields. Depending on their work experience, our graduates are prepared for a wide range of roles at mid-to-high management levels in the health care information setting. Leading employers world-wide include:

Public Health Agencies

• World Health Organization
• US Public Health Service
• State and local departments of public health

Federal Governmental Organizations

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• US Food & Drug Administration
• US Armed Forces and Veterans Health Administration

Hospitals, Medical Colleges, and Universities

• Mayo Clinic
• University of California, Davis
• University of Ghana, Legon

Non-Profit Medical/Health Associations

• American Medical Association
• Ministry of Health, Mali, West Africa

Pharmaceutical Companies

• Abbott Laboratories

Testimonials from recent graduates

“The online Public Health Informatics program has provided me with an opportunity to obtain a degree in a field of interest with the convenience of not having to be on campus. In addition, online discussions and projects with professors and fellow students have taught me more than I would have learned by preparing for a standard in-class exam. Through the discussions I was able to increase my confidence to express my opinions which I would never have done in a classroom environment. For this I should thank every professor within the Public Health Informatics Program.

Now, I am pursuing a doctoral degree at UIC in Public Health Informatics while working as a Research Information Specialistin the Department of Distant Medical Education Office within UIC's College of Medicine. One of my main duties is to conduct online curriculum surveys for College of Medicine Alumni. In addition, assist in individual pilot projects on the uses of virtual worlds in education.”
Margaret Czart, MPH,
Research Information Specialist, Department of Medical Education, University of Illinois at Chicago

“The PHI courses were well planned and provided me with in-depth knowledge about how information systems work in hospitals and public health agencies. I learnt the importance of technology in healthcare management, underlying dynamics of HIS, and the tools required to specify the requirements for the development or adaptation of public health-related information systems. Above all, I am now very familiar with data definitions and standards and can discuss these issues knowledgeably with pure data specialists.”
Sunanda Gupta, MD, MPH, PHI Certificate
National Consultant, Making Pregnancy Safe, WHO India Office, New Delhi

“The program allowed me to pursue a master's degree while working a full time job. I commute by train every day, and found that to be the perfect time to keep up on class work. The fact that the program is entirely online was of great interest to me. The Public Health Informatics MPH program takes advantage of resources at both the School of Public Health and College of Applied Health Sciences.”
Ben Gerber, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine, UIC College of Medicine

“UIC’s program is one of the first, and best, efforts to place the study of informatics into a public health context. I consistently use the concepts learned throughout the MPH coursework in teaching my own students and public health professionals in my state. UIC’s affordable distance learning program allows practicing public health professionals to improve their knowledge of informatics while still serving their communities.”
James Aspevig, MS, MPH PHI
Assistant Professor of Health Care Informatics, University of Montana at Butte

“The quality of education I received from the PHI program at UIC enables me to perform at the highest level in all areas of my current position. I currently hold several positions at UC – Davis’ Health Informatics Graduate Program. My responsibilities include the development of graduate curriculum, working on public health informatics grants, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in public health informatics, all of which could not be possible without my degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.”
Mark J. Carroll, MPH PHI
Public Health Informaticist and Assistant Director, Health Informatics Graduate Program
University of California at Davis School of Medicine

“The Public Health Informatics program at the UIC School of Public Health has better prepared me for the acquisition, integration, and use of enterprise-wide decision support systems used within hospitals, clinical practice and academic medicine. The instruction and the experience I gained through this program have allowed me to implement evidence-based decision-making practices that improve patient care, patient safety, and enhance business efficiency. It was one of the best investments of my professional career.”
Susanne Feret, MBA, MPH PHI, CRA
Director, Service Line and Physician Development
St. Francis Hospital, Resurrection Health Care