Online Health Informatics Graduate Certificate

At a Glance

Completion Time

Months

Credits Required

Tuition

$10,974

Part-Time*

*Based on 2025–2026 Boston University tuition and fees.

Certificate Details

The objective of this program is to expose students to modern health IT, including health data collection, processing, and storage. This program primarily focuses on electronic medical data generated and stored in health care and public health organizations. Individuals who complete the Health Informatics certificate program will have a solid knowledge of health information technology and systems and electronic health records as well as a solid exposure to the latest medical technologies.

The Health Informatics Graduate Certificate is also available on campus in Boston. Learn more.

Curriculum

Boston University’s Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics consists of four required online courses (16 units).

Academic units earned toward the certificate may be transferred to the Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems, concentration in Health Informatics.

Courses

MET CS 570 Biomedical Sciences and Health IT

4 credits. Fall and Spring

This course is designed for IT professionals, and those training to be IT professionals, who are preparing for careers in healthcare-related IT (Health Informatics). This course provides a high-level introduction into basic concepts of biomedicine and familiarizes students with the structure and organization of American healthcare system and the roles played by IT in that system. The course introduces medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, disease processes, diagnostic modalities, and treatments associated with common disease processes. IT case studies demonstrate the key roles of health informatics and how IT tools and resources help medical professionals integrate multiple sources of information to make diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.

Section O1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Oct 20th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Keskin	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET CS 580 Health Informatics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

This course presents the fundamental principles, concepts, and technological elements that make up the building blocks of Health Informatics. It introduces the characteristics of data, information, and knowledge in the domain, the common algorithms for health applications, and IT components in representative clinical processes. It presents the conceptual framework for handling biomedical data collection, storage, and optimal use. It covers the concepts of population health and precision medicine and the information systems that support them. It introduces basic principles of knowledge management systems in biomedicine, various aspects of Health Information Technology standards, and IT aspects of clinical process modeling. Students design a simple Health Informatics solution as a term project.

Section O2, FALL 2025 Oct 28th to Dec 15th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Zhang	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET CS 581 Health Information Systems

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Health Information Systems are comprehensive application systems that automate the activities of healthcare delivery including clinical care using electronic health records (EHRs), coordination of care across providers, telehealth, management of the business of healthcare such as revenue cycle management, and population health management. The course covers the functionality of these systems, the underlying information technology they require and their successful operations. It addresses challenges in this rapidly changing field such as complex data, security, interoperability, mobile technology and distributed users. The course emphasizes applied use of health information systems through case studies, current articles, and exercises.

Section A1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Levinger	Independent	M	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	PSY B55

Section E1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Levinger	Independent	M	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	PSY B55

MET CS 781 Advanced Health Informatics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS570) - This course presents the details of information processing in hospitals, hospital information systems (HIS), and more broadly health information systems. It presents the architecture, design, and user requirements of information systems in health care environment. It focuses on Information Technology aspects of Health Informatics specifically addressing the design, development, operation, and management of HIS. The first part of this course covers the introductory concepts including information processing needs, and information management in health care environment. The second part covers detailed description of HIS including hospital process modeling, architecture, quality assessment, and applicable tools. The final part of the course covers management of HIS and related issues and extension of this topic to other health care organizations. The course will have a term project providing students a hands-on experience in design and research of HIS. Prereq: MET CS 580; or instructor's consent.

Section A1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
D'Amore	Independent	W	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	CAS 233

Section E1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
D'Amore	Independent	W	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	CAS 233

Dates & Deadlines

View BU MET’s academic calendar for online programs, including important dates and deadlines.

Application Requirements

Learn about application requirements for BU MET graduate degree and certificate programs.

How You Benefit from a
Boston University Education

A BU credential can help lay the foundation for career advancement and personal success.

Enjoy an average 24:1 student-to-faculty ratio in courses that are 100% online, while tackling complex issues alongside peers with solid academic and practical experience.
BU’s master’s degree in Health Informatics is the first such program in New England to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics andInformation Management Education (CAHIIM).
Completion of the CAHIIM-accredited master’s program entitles you to sit for professional certification exams offered through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), such as the Certified Professional in Health Informatics (CPHI™) and the Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA®) exams.
Courses introduce case studies and real-world projects that ensure you gain in-depth, practical experience with the latest technologies—and you have access to BU MET’s Health Informatics Research Lab (HILab), which focuses on collaborative research and development in health informatics, bioinformatics, and clinical research.
Study closely with highly qualified Boston University faculty and industry leaders in computer science, medicine, and biomedical engineering.
BU MET’s Department of Computer Science was established in 1979 and is the longest-running computer science department at BU. Over its four decades, the department has played an important role in the emergence of IT at the University and throughout the region.

Rankings & Accreditations

U.S. News & World Report - Best Online Programs - Grad Information Technology 2025

#10

The Health Informatics graduate certificate shares courses with the MS in Computer Information Systems, which is ranked #10 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

MET’s Health Informatics graduate certificate shares courses with the master’s degree in Health Informatics, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Graduate with Health Informatics Expertise

Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics will be able to demonstrate:

An understanding of the American healthcare system, medical terminology, basic human anatomy and physiology, disease processes, diagnostic modalities, treatments associated with common disease processes, and the IT needs of healthcare providers as they diagnose and treat common diseases.
Advanced knowledge of the functionality, technical infrastructure, system selection, and best-practice deployment of healthcare IT, including medical algorithms, project management, electronic health records (EHR), privacy and security, regulations, and health IT standards.
Understanding of fundamental characteristics of data, information, and knowledge in the healthcare domain and proficiency in managing, processing, and analyzing healthcare data.
Competence sufficient to lead health IT initiatives, to conduct biomedical research, and to design, implement, and manage advanced solutions.

“Employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 29 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.”

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

“BU MET has prepared me well for my next career phase. It facilitated a seamless transition from biology to health informatics and data analytics. I gained not only exposure to the healthcare industry, but also delved into other realms. This gave me a diverse skill set and a broader understanding of various domains. It also gave me the necessary tools to think strategically, logically, and efficiently—skills applicable across different fields.” Read more.

Christel El Hayeck (MET ’23)
Lead Associate, Strategy&
MS, Health Informatics; Concentration, Applied Data Analytics

Advance Your Career

BU MET’s Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics prepares you for a wealth of different roles, such as chief medical information officer, clinical application developer, clinical data analyst, EHR application specialist, EHR system integration specialist, health informatics specialist, health information manager/director, health information technician, quality officer, safety/privacy officer, among others.

Recent graduates have found job opportunities and career paths at companies such as:

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston Children’s Hospital
Colorado Access
Grand Circle Corporation
HealthEdge
Hyperion Software Corporation
John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County
Jordan Marsh Company
Lifespan
Manhattan Vision Associates
Mantis Robotics
May Institute

Merck KGa/EMD Group
Millipore Corporation
Modus Media International
Strategy&
Stryker
Suffolk University Sawyer School of Business
TASC
The Faxon Company Inc.
The Guidance Center
Truth Initiative
UMass Emergency Medical Services
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center

Take Advantage of Career Resources at BU MET

You will find the support you need in reaching your career goals through MET’s Career Development office, which offers a variety of job-hunting resources, including one-on-one career counseling by appointment for online students. You can also take advantage of tools and resources available online through BU’s Center for Career Development.

Computer Science Faculty

Guanglan Zhang

Associate Professor, Computer Science

Coordinator, Health Informatics Programs

Chair, Computer Science

Shengzhi Zhang

Associate Professor

Associate Chair, Computer Science

Lou Chitkushev

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Associate Professor, Computer Science

Director, Health Informatics & Health Sciences

View All Faculty

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Online Health Informatics Graduate Certificate

At a Glance

Certificate Details