NEWS

Tech ranked in Top 20 for best master’s in health informatics degree

Sep 28, 2017 | Applied and Natural Sciences, General News

2017 TheBestColleges.org Top Online CollegesLouisiana Tech is ranked 17th nationally for Best Programs for a Master’s in Health Informatics by TheBestColleges.org. Tech is the only college in Louisiana with a Top 20-ranked program, is the 6th-ranked Southern program, and is the only ranked program in the South located west of the Mississippi River. “The Department of Health Informatics and Information Management at Louisiana Tech University provides graduate students with excellent education, interdisciplinary research, and innovation opportunities that enable them to ultimately contribute to improving population health, reducing health care costs, and improving health care quality,” said Gary Kennedy, Tech’s dean of the College of Applied and Natural Sciences. “The program is most deserving of being nationally ranked.” Louisiana Tech University first opened its doors in 1894 in Ruston. In recent years, the school has expanded its online offerings through its Global Campus. The master’s degree in health informatics (HMI) is a 45-credit program designed for working professionals. The coursework in this online master’s degree is delivered asynchronously, and students must have at least two years of work experience in healthcare, IT, or a related field. Additional admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree in health information management or a related field, and a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants who don’t meet these standards may still be eligible on a case-by-case basis. A maximum of 12 graduate transfer credits with a B- grade or above may be transferred in during the application process. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment is projected to grow 15 percent between 2014 and 2024 for healthcare information technicians, TheBestColleges.org states. Most common professional trajectories for those with a master of health informatics include careers as health information specialists, clinical informatics managers, health information managers, informatics nurses, and information technology project managers. The ranking follows record enrollment (12,873 this fall) and the mid-September release of U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Colleges list. For the seventh consecutive year, Louisiana Tech was listed in the report’s highest tier of “National Universities.” Louisiana Tech is one of only two public institutions in the state to achieve the prestigious ranking. For more information, visit http://www.thebestcolleges.org/rankings/online-masters-health-informatics/. – Teddy Allen, teddy@latech.edu