The 52-credit, two-year, on-campus MHI program prepares students for careers that will harness the power of information to enhance health and transform individual health and health care. We are developing the next generation of leaders to guide this rapidly evolving field.

Students completing the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) will be well prepared to enter — and become leaders in — the health informatics field. Through their elective course selections, students may shape their preparation more specifically to certain subfields, such as clinical, consumer or public health application areas. 

Because there is likely to be integration and convergence among these subfields in the coming years, however, all students will be required to acquire knowledge relevant to each of these subfields. Defining features of the program include its strengths in leadership, consumer health informatics applications, and system-related human and organizational issues.

Core courses

In the MHI core courses, you will build knowledge of the health care system and master concepts in health policy, information science, and behavioral, cognitive and organizational science. You will develop methodological skills in high-powered analytics, systems analysis, planning, development and implementation.

UMSI internship courses

The MHI program has always required internships, but beginning with the Fall 2023 cohort, MHI students will be required to earn a minimum of three internship course credits by taking SI 681 and/or SI 690 for work at an approved internship. Students will be able to earn a maximum of nine internship course credits towards their MHI degree. Previous cohorts have been required to complete an internship to fulfill curricular requirements, but no course was associated with MHI internships. To be eligible, students must have completed 2 semesters of study with UMSI and have an internship experience related to the degree program, as well as a supervisor with 3+ years relevant experience.  Most students complete an internship the summer between their first and second years in the MSI program, but there is flexibility to earn credit during fall or winter of their second year. The CDO provides resources and support to help you find an internship.

We ask all students to participate in an internship for a number of reasons. First, it gives you the opportunity to see the results of the skills you’re building in real-world situations. Second, it gives you a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the field, which you bring back to your second-year coursework. Third, it allows you to build experience, as well as a stronger resume and/or portfolio, which future employers look for. And finally, we know that the connections made during internships often lead directly to employment, helping to ensure that your odds of finding a job in the field of your choice after graduation are nearly guaranteed.

To see the outcomes from the many internships our students participate in each year, we invite you to browse our internship outcomes page.

Additional opportunities through engaged learning

MHI students are encouraged to take advantage of many engaged learning programs that are offered through the Engaged Learning Office. These include the A2 DataDive, Alternative Spring Break, Alternative Fall Break and Citizen Interaction Design's summer program.

Self-initiated dual degrees

MHI students may self-initiate a dual degree with other graduate programs at the University of Michigan by contacting each school to find out more about their curriculum and opportunities for dual degrees.

Certificate option for current U-M graduate students

The Health Informatics program offers a 15-credit Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics (GCHI) open only to students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Find out more about the graduate certificate by visiting the GCHI webpage.