Online Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics

First Year Exp in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services

PRFS 1001 is a first-year experience course to help students to transition to campus successfully. It focuses on helping students to navigate campus resources, develop academic habits and soft skills such as critical thinking and time management, and apply their knowledge and skills to successfully transition to UC and college life. Students in this course are also paired with academic coaches and meet one-on-one throughout the semester.

English Composition

English Composition 1001 is a writing-centered course that emphasizes the careful reading, analytical thinking, and persuasive strategies inherent in researching and writing within an academic community. Students learn that rhetorical knowledge is the basis of composing while learning to write with purpose, audience, context, and conventions in mind. Students develop rigorous academic research practices: how to locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources relevant to their line of inquiry and position their own ideas in conversation with public writing. Students also engage in regular self-reflection: articulating what they know, what they can do, and how to apply their knowledge and skills in various contexts.

Intermediate Composition

Intermediate Composition is a writing-centered course that builds on what students learn in first-year composition and focuses students’ attention on theoretical underpinning of how meaning is made, understood, and communicated within and across various discourse communities and genres. The course emphasizes critical reading and writing, advanced research and analysis skills, and rhetorical sensitivity to differences in academic, professional, and public composing. This course challenges students to engage in substantive projects drawing on primary research and source analysis methods and asks students to document, communicate, and reflect on their research.

Math, Stats, Logic (MSL) Elective

The student will select an MSL elective. STAT1031 Introduction to Statistics is recommended.

Human Disease

This course will provide students with an overview of current medical information on common clinical disorders encountered in health care. Topics include principles of diseases of the various organ systems.

Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

Freshmen level course, 3 undergraduate credits. This course discusses the basic anatomy and physiology of the human body, basic current medical information on common clinical disorders encountered in the health field, the nomenclature used in describing anatomy, physiology, and disease of the human body, and the etymology of key terminology. This course is designed for students enrolled in programs of Emergency Medical Professions, Health Information Technology, Medical Assisting, and Human Services and Social Work. (Not for biology majors)

Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology Lab

This laboratory course accompanies Introduction toAnatomy and Physiology (BIOL1015). Activities provide a deeper and practical understanding of the basic principles of human anatomy and physiology. Many of the activities utilize laboratory simulation software. Topics include histology, blood analysis, skeletal muscle physiology, nerve impulse physiology, respiratory mechanics, chemical and physical properties of digestion, cardiovascular dynamics and endocrine physiology. This course was designed for students enrolled in Health Information Systems, Medical Assisting, Multi-Skilled Health Technology, and Emergency Medical Technology (not for biology or nursing majors). 

Democracy and the American Tradition

This course delves into the democratic traditions present in United States history by closely examining and analyzing primary sources. Essential founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the United States Constitution will be scrutinized. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the influence of democratic rhetoric and practice in shaping a new national identity. The study will extend to other documents including Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and writings by Martin Luther King, Jr., providing insights into the evolving concepts of democracy and its pivotal role in American political movements. The course aims to provide a contextual understanding of the key documents, enabling students to analyze the interplay between philosophy and practice during critical junctures in United States History. By the end of the course, students will have gained a deeper comprehension of American civic and cultural traditions, ethical and economic frameworks, and their impact on decision-making in the political realm.

Arts and Humanities (AH) Elective

The student will select an AH elective. The course must not be from the History discipline.

Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Elective

The student will select an SBS elective. HPE1003 Introduction to Global Health or HPE 2002 Culture, Equity and Health is recommended.

Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Elective

The student will select an SBS elective. This elective must not be from the same discipline as the previous SBS elective.

Disparities in Health and Disease in Rural Communities

This course aims to provide a foundational knowledge of health issues which disproportionately affect marginalized populations within Rural America. It is designed for non-science majors and is a basic human biology course taught with an application-based focus on disparities in health outcomes and disease in rural communities. The course will focus on the physiology, pathology and treatment of health issues that disproportionately affect individuals within rural populations. Some of these differences include disease transmission due to differential vaccination rates, variability in treatment due to reduced health access, effects of food access (nutrition), public health training/access and outcomes experienced by those who live and work in these regions

General Education Elective

The student may select any college-level general education electives. HPE 1004 - Introduction to Epidemiology is recommended to satisfy one of these courses.

Healthcare Organizations 

This course will explore the structures and functions of various areas of informatics. The course will examine the history, goals, methods, and current challenges of healthcare organizations, delivery, patient engagement, and public health related to the healthcare environment.

Survey of Information Science and Technology for Healthcare Professionals

This course is designed to provide students with a foundational understanding of essential concepts, tools, and applications within the realm of information technology. Students will be introduced to IT concepts, including hardware, software, networks, and databases. Topics will include health information systems, data management, cybersecurity, telehealth and mobile technologies, user experience, emerging trends, and ethical and social issues.

Networking in the Healthcare Environment 

This course covers basic networking principles and technologies in the context of healthcare systems. Students learn foundational knowledge necessary to design, implement, and manage robust network infrastructures in healthcare settings. Topics covered include basic networking, healthcare network architecture, wireless technologies, security and privacy, interoperability and standards, and telemedicine infrastructure.

Fundamentals of Programming 

This course covers the basics of how programming works including: manipulation of strings, math operations, writing functions, and object-oriented programming concepts. Emphasis is placed on writing algorithms and programming principles. Students will learn to design, code, test, and debug programs.

Fundamentals of Health Informatics 

An introduction to the foundational concepts and applications of health informatics. The course will examine how health informatics impacts healthcare, information technology, and data management. Fundamental informatics models and theories used to explore the impact on individuals, communities, and organizations will be introduced.

Fundamentals of Healthcare Workflow Process 

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of healthcare workflow processes. Workflow analysis and redesign will be explored. Process improvement for various healthcare settings including public and population health will be examined

Health Informatics Database Systems 

This course introduces concepts in the design, creation, and manipulation of databases specific to health informatics. Students will learn hands-on skills in analyzing data requirements, database design, implementation, and querying. Topics include database architectures, design, normalization, query languages, security and privacy.

Human Machine Interaction for Health Informatics

This course is an introduction into the design of interfaces for healthcare systems. Students will learn about effective communication, design principles and secure data exchange. Topics include principles of user­-centered design, creating personas and scenarios, evaluating usability and accessibility, design considerations for electronic health records, and mobile design.

Healthcare Information Privacy and Security 

This course will explore the theories and concepts associated with building a secure, regulatory compliance system and process. Topics that will be examined include protecting patient data, integrity of health information, and security of healthcare systems. The course will examine the regulatory guidelines and ethical considerations to ensure the security of sensitive health information.

Management of Health Information Systems 

This course is designed to provide the knowledge, principles, tools, and practices associated with effective systems administration in a healthcare environment. Students will learn operating systems fundamentals and apply hands-on skills in the area of server configuration and management. Topics will include types of user interfaces, server and user management, network services, and security.

Healthcare Systems Analysis and Design

This course addresses the methods and techniques of healthcare information system analysis and design. Students will learn about the systems development life cycle, including identifying problems, gathering requirements, analysis, logical design, and selection and evaluation of alternative system solutions. An emphasis is placed on analysis, selection, and evaluation of information systems as they relate to healthcare.

Healthcare Data Analytics and Visualization

The course examines areas of generated healthcare data. Theoretical concepts, theories, and applications will analyze healthcare data to generate insights in the use of informed data-driven decisions. Data visualization methods and techniques will be used to design and create graphics will be introduced.

Healthcare Standards and Interoperability 

The course explores the concepts and strategies for healthcare standards including standard terminologies, messaging standards, vocabularies and health information exchange. The course will explore standards for health information governance. The principles of interoperability to support the exchange of health information across healthcare systems are examined.

Cybersecurity for Healthcare Systems 

A course that examines the cybersecurity principles and practices for health information technology. Topics include strategies to address cybersecurity challenges such as securing patient data, safeguarding health information, and mitigating cyber threats. The course will also explore security principles, policies and procedures, risk management models and protection mechanisms in health informatics.

Health Informatics Policy 

This course explores the policies for health informatics implementation and regulation. Topics include policies that influence health informatics including information technology systems and electronic health records. The course examines healthcare policies and mandates that apply to healthcare information systems.

Fundamentals of Healthcare Data Decision Support Systems 

The course focuses on the basics of clinical decision support systems (COSS) highlighting how clinical decision support systems facilitate timely clinical decision-making by providing a computerized clinical knowledge base. Various clinical decision-making tools will be analyzed to improve the quality of care. Students will engage in case studies based on the latest CDS systems.

Healthcare Data Mining and Warehousing 

This introductory course will address the process of creating data warehouse/data-mart solutions for healthcare organizations and will explore data mining models and techniques that extract information from the data warehouse to support strategic healthcare decisions.

Leadership and Management in Healthcare Settings

This course provides an overview of the basic principles of management and leadership in healthcare. Topics will include strategic leadership concepts, basic management principles, communication skills, developing and maintaining effective teams, problem-solving, decision-making processes and other best practices in leadership and management as relates to healthcare settings.

Health Informatics Capstone 

This is the culminating course where student projects are developed to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the health informatics program. A current issue or trend relative to health informatics is used to develop a project to create solutions. Students will present their final research or projects.

Issues in Legal Aspects and Healthcare Delivery 

This course will explore national trends in healthcare delivery and focus on legal and ethical issues. Case studies will highlight practical applications in the management of health information.

Health Information Systems 

In this course, students will compare and contrastvarious clinical, administrative, and specialty service applications commonly used in healthcare organizations. Students will explore the concepts of database architecture to perform queries and apply data mining techniques. 

Quality Management and Performance Improvement 

This course provides advanced study of the application of quality improvement tools, evaluation of documentation standards, quality improvement, utilization and risk management, and credentialing. Students will analyze data and create reports to support facility-wide quality initiatives.

Project Management in Health Information Management 

This course will focus on developing strategic and operational plans in healthcare. Students will apply principles for the project management of health information services. This course provides a study of change, team building, and leadership development related to practice in healthcare. Students will explore strategies for problem-solving and decision-making.

Strategic Planning and Organizational Development in Healthcare

This course will focus on developing strategic andoperational plans in healthcare. Students will apply principles in the administration of health information services.

Introduction to Medical Informatics 

Biomedical Informatics is an interdisciplinary field that combines knowledge of information sciences and medical sciences to optimize the use and application of biomedical data across the spectrum from molecules to individuals to populations.

This course will present students with an introduction to the field of biomedical informatics through the use of core technologies and data science (computational and analytical methods) and the use of health information technology to improve patient outcomes/healthcare delivery. The course will focus on applications within the medical domain.

Specific topics will include: overview of the field, data standards; security, confidentiality, regional health information exchanges, standards, terminologies, database principles, data marts/data warehouses, interfaces and other topic as related to the healthcare and research setting. Learning objectives will be achieved using a variety of methods including: didactic lectures, group discussions, demonstrations, self-study, student projects, and selected readings from the textbook and peer reviewed journal articles for each topic to develop critical analysis skills and ascertain real world applications. Course Scope: The course is designed to build knowledge about informatics in healthcare and clinical/translational research. It is not a course to teach software development, database design or use of specific applications although some introduction to resources is included.

Introduction to Public/Community Health 

This course will examine the public health system in the United States. Emphasis will be placed on how public health data is collected; the various roles and responsibilities of public health departments; principles of population health; evidence based public health practice; current public health issues and trends; preventing disease, disability and death; and public health across the lifespan. Topics will address elements of society and culture and how they impact the population health approach.  Students should gain an appreciation for public health and develop an understanding of various public health career options.

Epidemiological Concepts in Public Health 

Course content will include concepts and methods of epidemiology relevant to the public health field. Emphasis will be given to critical thinking, analytic skills, and application to clinical practice and research. Topics include outcome measures, methods of adjustment, surveillance, quantitative study designs, and sources of data. The course will provide tools for critically evaluating the literature and skills to practice evidence-based medicine. Students will be introduced to the strategies adopted by public health professionals to study distribution and identification of important biologic, social, and environmental determinants of diseases and health-related states in specific populations.

Medical Terminology for the Health Professions 

This course is designed to introduce the student to medical terminology, including roots, prefixes,and suffixes, with emphasis on spelling, definition and pronunciation. The course consists of the basic rules for interpreting, constructing,and spelling medical terminology. The course includes common terminology, definitions and pronunciations for prefixes, suffixes, general body terms, and body system terminology. Each bodysystem lesson includes terms for anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, radiology, procedures, and tests. Emphasis is upon learning word roots, prefixes and suffixes and how they are combined toform medical words.

Computer Programming I 

The course introduces learners to computer programming and problem solving. In this course, students will learn about the basic elements of a computer program. Learners will learn and practice using expressions, repetition and decision-making mechanisms and structures. The concept of modularity will be introduced with the implementation of methods (functions). The Java programming language will be used for this course. Topics coverage focuses on console programming and general language syntax and carries through the use of file handling for data processing. It is designed to give general learners enough coding skills to support their day to day work. It is designed to give learners who are interested in pursuing software further a basis for Object Oriented Programming and advanced topics.

Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence 

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the rapidly evolving field of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students will explore the foundational concepts, technologies, and applications that drive this innovative area of artificial intelligence. This course aims to equip students with a solid understanding of how generative AI is transforming various industries and what the future holds.

Computer Programming II 

This is the second course on Object-Oriented computer programming and problem solving. Students learn and practice Object Oriented concepts such as inheritance and polymorphism. The course will cover advanced topics such as threads, data structures, files, database and network application programming. Hands-on active learning required.

Generative Artificial Intelligence Ethics

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the ethical considerations and challenges associated with the development and deployment of Generative AI technologies. Students will explore key principles and practices that ensure Generative AI systems are fair, reliable, transparent, and trustworthy; and discover the social, ethical and legal implications of Generative AI.

Generative Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work 

This course delves into the potential of Generative AI to have a profound impact on various industries and the future of work. This course will examine the evolution of Generative AI, practical applications, and the future trajectory of its impact on the workforce. Students will gain an understanding of how Generative AI is reshaping work in a variety of industries.

Area of Interest Options

Other electives are available to suit the students' interests. Seek guidance from an Academic Advisor for approval. (C- min)