Sacred Heart University’s Master of Science in Healthcare Informatics prepares students to connect health care, information technology, analytics, and organizational decision-making. The 36-credit STEM-designated program is available online or on campus and can serve health professionals entering IT as well as technology professionals entering health care.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Institution | Sacred Heart University |
| Location | Fairfield, Connecticut |
| Degree | MS in Healthcare Informatics |
| Program length | As little as 15 months |
| Credits | 36 |
| Format | 100% online or on campus |
| 2025–26 tuition | $825 per credit; about $29,700 before fees |
| Start dates | Fall, spring, and late spring |
| STEM designation | Yes |
Program Overview
The Sacred Heart MS in Healthcare Informatics combines technical, clinical, business, and policy perspectives. Students learn to assess an organization’s technology needs, improve health information workflows, work with clinical and business intelligence, and plan health IT projects within operational and financial limits.
Sacred Heart states that the program suits students with different professional backgrounds. Health care professionals can build technical skills, while IT professionals can learn health care terminology, operations, policy, and culture. Students may also complete field experiences with health care organizations.
Curriculum and Capstone
The 36-credit curriculum includes 27 core credits and 9 elective credits. Applicants without a health care background may need up to 12 additional prerequisite credits.
Core courses
- Foundations of Healthcare Informatics
- Healthcare Operations
- Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Decision Support
- Clinical and Business Intelligence
- Electronic Health Records
- Population Health
- Advanced Health Data Analytics
- Information Analysis and System Design
- Capstone Project
Students choose three electives. Options include workflow design, health information exchange, project management, emerging technologies, legal issues in health IT, strategic IT applications, consumer health informatics, database design, artificial intelligence in health care, and field experience.
The capstone gives students a chance to apply program knowledge to a real health information systems problem. Students may complete a project within a health care facility, and employed students may propose a workplace-based project with employer approval.
Admissions
The admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, a personal statement, two recommendation letters, and a resume or curriculum vitae. Applicants who are not native English speakers must provide qualifying English proficiency results.
Sacred Heart also lists at least two years of prior health care informatics or information technology experience. Applicants without previous health care experience may need additional prerequisite work. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis for fall, spring, and late-spring entry.
Tuition and Fees
Sacred Heart lists 2025–2026 tuition of $825 per credit for the MS in Healthcare Informatics. At 36 credits, estimated base tuition is $29,700 before fees and any required prerequisite courses.
The published fee schedule also lists $215 in mandatory fees per semester, a $50 program fee per semester, and a $50 fee for HINF 660. Actual total cost depends on the number of semesters, course schedule, annual rate changes, and whether a student must complete prerequisites.
Online and Campus Formats
Students may complete the degree fully online or on campus in Fairfield. The online option can fit working professionals who need location flexibility, while the campus option provides in-person access to faculty and nearby health care organizations. Full-time students must complete HINF 625 Field Experience.
Career Preparation
The program develops skills in electronic health records, clinical decision support, health data analytics, systems design, workflow improvement, project management, privacy, and health IT strategy. These areas can support roles in clinical informatics, health data analysis, EHR implementation, information systems management, decision support, and health IT consulting.
Sacred Heart’s student learning outcomes emphasize applying informatics methods, using evidence-based practices, collaborating across disciplines, managing health data, understanding legal and ethical issues, and using information systems to improve health care quality.
Who May Find This Program a Good Fit?
Sacred Heart may fit working professionals who want a direct health informatics degree with online and campus choices. Its broad curriculum is useful for students who want exposure to analytics, EHR systems, operations, project management, policy, and strategic technology planning rather than a narrowly technical data science program.
Applicants should consider the experience requirement and possible prerequisite courses. Students who want practical application can also compare the field experience and capstone options with programs that use a thesis or research-focused final project.
Related Connecticut Programs
- Charter Oak State College - New Britain
- Quinnipiac University - Hamden
- Yale University - New Haven