Grand Canyon University offers a 42-credit Master of Science in Health Informatics for students who want to work with healthcare data, electronic health records, information systems, and technology projects. The program is available online and through evening classes in Phoenix, making it one of the more flexible health informatics master’s options in Arizona. Applicants may hold a bachelor’s degree in any field, and GCU does not require prior healthcare experience.
Grand Canyon University MS in Health Informatics: Quick Facts
| Degree | Master of Science in Health Informatics |
|---|---|
| Location | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Format | Online or evening |
| Credits | 42 |
| Course length | Most online courses are 8 weeks; the final practicum spans 16 weeks |
| Estimated length | About 2 years, depending on course load and scheduling |
| Tuition | $610 per credit; about $25,620 in base tuition |
| Practicum | 150 field experience hours |
| Accreditation | CAHIIM-accredited health informatics program |
| Minimum GPA | 2.8, with conditional test-score routes available for applicants with a 2.5–2.79 GPA |
Program Overview
The MS in Health Informatics is offered by GCU’s College of Nursing and Health Care Professions. Unlike an MSN in nursing informatics, this degree does not require an RN license and serves students from healthcare, information technology, business, data, and other backgrounds. GCU places more emphasis on healthcare information infrastructure, implementation, and maintenance than on advanced programming.
Students study healthcare databases, EHR systems, analytics, information security, user-interface design, and healthcare leadership. The curriculum ends with an applied health informatics project and 150 practicum hours. This applied requirement gives students a chance to develop a project plan and solution tied to a health information management, information systems, or informatics need.
See the official GCU program page for current course availability and start information.
Curriculum
The 42-credit curriculum begins with a two-credit graduate studies course and builds through the main areas of health informatics practice. Core subjects include foundations of informatics, healthcare information systems, healthcare data management, EHR technology, data analytics, information security, interface design, and leadership.
- Foundations of Informatics covers the U.S. healthcare system, data standards, and information infrastructure.
- Health Care Data Management introduces relational databases, queries, reports, data security, networks, and business processes.
- Electronic Health Records examines EHR architecture, integration, project management, security, and end-user needs.
- Health Data Analytics focuses on extracting, summarizing, and presenting healthcare data.
- Health Information Systems Security covers privacy, compliance, risk assessment, audits, and information governance.
- User Interface Design for Informatics applies human factors, workflow analysis, decision support, and usability testing.
- Health Informatics Applied Project and Practicum combines a final project with 150 field experience hours.
GCU also lists a four-credit Applied Business Probability and Statistics fundamental course. A transcript review determines whether a student must complete it, and it sits outside the published 42-credit degree total.
Online and Evening Format
Students may complete the degree online or through evening classes. Online courses generally last eight weeks, while the final applied project and practicum lasts 16 weeks. GCU does not publish one fixed completion time, so the total schedule depends on course sequencing, transfer credit, and the number of courses taken at once.
The university may accept up to 12 transfer credits or one-third of the program requirements, whichever is less. GCU reviews prior coursework before confirming how many credits will apply.
Admission Requirements
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or another program approved by GCU. The standard graduate admission threshold is a 2.8 undergraduate GPA. Applicants with an unweighted GPA of at least 2.5 may qualify with a GMAT score of 500 or a combined GRE score of 300 under GCU’s published general master’s criteria.
GCU states that the application has no fee and does not require a personal statement or essay. Applicants submit an application and official transcripts, along with test scores when needed.
Tuition and Estimated Cost
GCU lists online and evening tuition at $610 per credit. At 42 credits, the estimated base tuition is $25,620 before fees, books, supplies, or future tuition changes. A student who must take the four-credit statistics fundamental course would pay about $2,440 more at the current rate, bringing estimated tuition to $28,060.
The university’s cost-of-attendance budget also includes technology fees, course materials, living expenses, transportation, and other indirect costs. Students should use the GCU cost-of-attendance page and request an individual estimate before enrolling.
Accreditation and Student Outcomes
Grand Canyon University holds institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. Its health informatics program is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education.
GCU reports that 53 of 92 qualified students who started in 2021 had graduated by the 2024 reporting year, a 57.6% completion rate. The university also reports that 42 of 48 surveyed 2024 graduates were employed and 44 of 45 respondents said the program met their expectations. These figures use GCU’s definitions and survey response groups, so readers should review them as program-reported outcomes rather than guarantees.
Who Is This Program Best For?
GCU may fit students who need online or evening study, want a CAHIIM-accredited curriculum, and prefer applied healthcare technology work over a programming-heavy data science degree. The open bachelor’s-degree requirement also makes the program accessible to career changers without prior healthcare experience. Students should account for the 150-hour practicum and confirm how they will fit field experience into their work schedule.
The Verdict
GCU offers a broad, applied health informatics master’s with clear training in EHR systems, databases, analytics, security, usability, and leadership. Its strongest points are the online and evening options, CAHIIM accreditation, and the practical final project. The $25,620 base tuition estimate is straightforward, but required fundamental coursework and additional fees can raise the final cost.
Compare GCU with other health informatics programs in Arizona before choosing a program.
- Arizona State University - Online
- Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff
- University of Arizona Global Campus - Online