Curriculum

Through a combination of classroom instruction and extensive professional practice experience, our accredited curriculum prepares students for immediate employment or further study. 

Entry-level health informatics and information management (HIIM) courses introduce students to basic aspects of the profession and expose them to the wide variety of careers in the HIIM profession. 200-level courses introduce individual aspects of HIIM with the intent of building a solid foundation for the student in areas that closely interact. 300-level courses offer an in-depth view of subjects utilized in managerial positions as well as more specific technical positions. Students in 400-level courses focus on applying the knowledge gained in the first three years and building their knowledge level to demonstrate value in the workforce as an HIIM professional.

While there are no formal areas of emphasis within the major, students can use assignments and/or projects in several of the courses as well as the advanced professional practice to focus on an area or two of particular interest.  

Our curricular philosophy and design offers students the flexibility to balance school with work and other demands. We support this balance - and provide options for students to learn how they learn best - by offering courses in a mix of delivery formats and recording all class sessions. 

Program Requirements

Students completing the Bachelor of Science (BS) in health informatics and information management must complete the General Education Foundations (GEF), prerequisite, and major requirements as outlined in the West Virginia University Academic Catalog. Each student will have a personalized plan of study located in DegreeWorks, including any previously-completed college coursework that is approved as transfer credit.

To be eligible for graduation, students must earn a grade of C- or better in all required graded courses and must complete a minimum of 120 hours.

Professional Practice Experience

Typically, students are required to complete 400 hours of professional practice experience (PPE) to fulfill program requirements and be eligible to graduate. However, non-traditional students holding a significant level of work experience and/or certification relevant to HIIM may be eligible to create a professional portfolio to reduce the total amount of PPE hours needed. Qualifying experiences will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.