Health Informatics

Program Overview

The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) trains Canada’s future health leaders and researchers through its research and professional graduate degree programs and its involvement in a range of collaborative programs. Its unique interdisciplinary approach is ideally suited to today’s complex and rapidly changing health care landscape.

IHPME’s professional degree programs provide individuals with the knowledge, skills, and strategic perspective necessary to assume leadership roles in the health-care system. The faculty members are the foremost thinkers, researchers, and practitioners influencing our health-care system today. Students are exposed to the latest evidence-informed research, thinking, and practice in the Health Informatics program, leading to the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) degree.

This professional program provides graduates with expertise in clinical information and communication technologies (ICTs) required to lead organizational and health system change. The MHI degree program prepares health informaticians to bridge the gaps between clinicians and ICT specialists. The learning experience is further enhanced by practicum placements and a curriculum shaped by strong relationships with leaders and top-performing organizations.


Quick Facts

Domestic International
Application deadline MHI:

Fall 2023 entry
06-Jan-2023

EMHI
06-Jan-2023

MHI:

Fall 2023 entry
06-Jan-2023

EMHI
06-Jan-2023

Program length (full-time only) MHI:

16 months – 4 sessions

EHMI
22 months – 6 sessions (S/F/W/S/F/W)

MHI:

16 months – 4 sessions

EHMI
22 months – 6 sessions (S/F/W/S/F/W)


Master of Health Informatics

Program Description

The Master of Health Informatics (MHI) is a professional program which provides graduates with expertise in clinical information and communication technologies (ICTs) required to lead organizational and health system change. The MHI degree program prepares health informaticians to bridge the gaps between clinicians and ICT specialists.

There are two options available to complete the MHI:

  • Regular MHI option: This is designed for individuals who are not currently in a health informatics profession and are seeking a career in the field. Applicants to this option should not be employed full-time.

  • Executive MHI option: This is designed for individuals with at least five years of work experience in the health-care sector and are interested in pursuing leadership positions and other career development. This program option enables students to continue professional employment and sustain career momentum while gaining specialized health informatics knowledge.

 

Regular MHI Option

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy IHPME's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university. Eligible undergraduate degrees include those in a health sciences or social sciences specialty, Regulated Health Professions in Ontario, or a computer science or information science specialty with the equivalent of a minimum mid-B average in the last academic year.

  • Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must demonstrate proficiency in English. See General Regulations section 4.3 for requirements.

  • Successful applicants normally have relevant professional experience as a health services professional (for example, manager or administrator) or health sciences/ clinical practitioner with demonstrated basic literacy and/or programming skills in computer applications relevant to the health sector, or a computer or information technician within a health-care setting or health software vendor.

Program Requirements

  • Completion of 10.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • Required coursework (7.5 FCEs)

    • Elective coursework (0.5 FCE)

    • Students may elect to take up to 0.5 FCE on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) basis. See the list of CR/NCR-eligible courses below.

    • A four-month, full-time practicum or field placement (MHI2005Y; 2.0 FCEs).

  • Degree requirements will be completed in 16 months across four consecutive sessions.

Students may elect to be assessed on a CR/NCR basis in courses marked by the symbol up to a total of 0.5 FCE.

Required Courses for the Regular MHI Option

Course Code Course Title
MHI1001H
Information and Communication Technology in Health Informatics
MHI1002H
Complexity of Clinical Care
MHI2001H
Fundamentals of Health Informatics
MHI2002H
Emergent Topics in Health Informatics
MHI2003H
Emerging Applications in Consumer, Public, and Global Health Informatics
MHI2004H
Human Factors and Systems Design in Health Care
MHI2006H
Advanced Topics in Health Informatics (Strategic Frameworks for Solution Architecture)
MHI2007H
Quantitative Skills in Health Informatics
MHI2008H
Project Management for Health Informatics
MHI2009H
Evaluation Methods for Health Informatics
MHI2011H
Performance Measurements in Health Care: Theory and Application
MHI2017H Systems Analysis and Process Innovation in Healthcare
MHI2018H Knowledge Management and Systems
MHI2019H Health Information Systems, Services, and Design
MHI2021H Canada's Health System and Digital Health Policy

Practicum Course

Course Code Course Title
MHI2005Y
Practicum Placement

Elective Courses

Students are encouraged to select an elective that allows them to focus on their individual areas of interest in health informatics. For this reason, the MHI program does not impose a selection of electives. Students are free to choose from all graduate courses across all disciplines at the University of Toronto. All selections are subject to approval in advance by the Program Director and the IHPME Chair.

Course Code Course Title
MHI2010H
Extended Health Informatics Practicum
MHI2012H Introduction to Big Data for Health: Foundations and Methodologies
MHI2013H Data Visualization in Health Care
MHI2020H Leadership for Digital Health Transformation
MHI3000H
Independent Reading for Health Informatics

Program Length

4 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S/F)

Time Limit

3 years full-time

 

Executive MHI Option

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy IHPME's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university. Eligible undergraduate degrees include those in a health sciences or social sciences specialty, Regulated Health Professions in Ontario, or a computer science or information science specialty with the equivalent of a minimum mid-B average in the last academic year.

  • Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must demonstrate proficiency in English. See General Regulations section 4.3 for requirements.

  • Successful applicants normally have relevant professional experience (at least five years) as a health services professional (for example, manager or administrator) or health sciences/clinical practitioner with demonstrated basic literacy and/or programming skills in computer applications relevant to the health sector, or a computer or information technician within a health care setting or health software vendor.

  • Successful applicants may be actively employed in a health informatics role or capacity.

Program Requirements

  • Completion of 10.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • Required coursework (7.5 FCEs)

    • Elective coursework (1.0 FCE)

    • Students may elect to take up to 0.5 FCE on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) basis. See the list of CR/NCR-eligible courses below.

    • A four-month, employer-sponsored or mentor-supervised Health Informatics Project (MHI2015Y; 1.5 FCEs).

  • The executive MHI degree requirements will be completed in 22 months across six consecutive sessions.

Required Courses

Course Code Course Title
MHI1001H
Information and Communication Technology in Health Informatics
MHI1002H
Complexity of Clinical Care
MHI2001H
Health Informatics I
MHI2002H
Health Informatics II
MHI2003H Emerging Applications in Consumer, Public and Global Health Informatics
MHI2004H
Human Factors and Systems Design in Health Care
MHI2006H
Advanced Topics in Health Informatics (Strategic Frameworks for Solution Architecture)
MHI2007H
Quantitative Skills in Health Informatics
MHI2008H
Project Management for Health Informatics
MHI2009H
Evaluation Methods for Health Informatics
MHI2011H
Performance Measurements in Health Care: Theory and Application
MHI2017H Systems Analysis and Process Innovation in Healthcare
MHI2018H Knowledge Management and Systems
MHI2019H Health Information Systems, Services, and Design
MHI2021H Canada's Health System and Digital Health Policy

Practicum Course

Course Code Course Title
MHI2015Y
Health Informatics Project

Elective Courses

Students are encouraged to select two electives that allow them to focus on their individual areas of interest in health informatics. For this reason, the MHI program does not impose a selection of electives. Students are free to choose from all graduate courses across all disciplines at the University of Toronto. All selections are subject to approval in advance by the Program Director and the IHPME Chair.

Course Code Course Title
MHI2012H Introduction to Big Data for Health: Foundations and Methodologies
MHI2013H Data Visualization in Health Care
MHI2016H
Health Informatics Project Extension
MHI2020H Leadership for Digital Health Transformation
MHI3000H Independent Reading for Health Informatics

Program Length

6 sessions full-time (S/F/W/S/F/W)

Time Limit

3 years full-time