FAQ's for Master of Science in Health Informatics
The following FAQ will also be an excellent source to answer most of your questions. For any additional questions, your academic advisor, Kerri O'Shea, can assist you.
Important: Please remember not all courses are offered every semester. Based on the course offerings, your academic advisor will help you select the appropriate courses.
Please refer to the How to Apply section of this website.
Yes, the MSHI program is a STEM program.
There is no restriction on the type of undergraduate degree a student must have. However, the MSHI program at GovState requires all entering students to demonstrate proficiency in certain areas, such as computer literacy. Students are required to take deficiency courses if a deficiency exists.
MSHI courses are offered either online, hybrid, or in-person. All courses are enhanced with the use of Blackboard. In addition, four courses, HLAD 7102, HLAD 7106, HLD 7109, and 8106, are currently offered online or hybrid.
33 (10 courses) plus prerequisites.
Students must meet all university requirements for a master’s degree. In addition, the MSHI degree requires that no more than one course with a grade of “C+, C, or C–” can be applied to the MSHI degree. When a student receives a second grade below a C+ in a course, the student must repeat the course only once to meet the degree requirements.
In general, for a full-time student, it takes up to 2 years. For a part-time student, it may take longer.
According to U.S. federal regulations, international students studying at a U.S. university must maintain full-time status. To do so, international students must enroll in at least three courses (9 credit hours) each semester.
If you are an international student, you can apply for a reduced course load through GovState OIS at ois@govst.edu. You may only be approved for a course load reduction if it is your final
If you are an international student, you can only take one online course per semester (per 9 credit hours). The other two courses must be in person or hybrid. As a domestic student, you can take courses in any format.
Let your advisor know if a class you need to take is full.
You must fill out the application to HLIN 8900 and submit it to your course instructor for approval. You must also submit your Study Plan with your HLIN application for eligibility approval. After you are approved, you can register for HLIN 8900.
A study plan is a blueprint that maps out the courses for your entire MSHI degree. It helps you stay on track and plan for each semester in advance.
Yes, as a graduate student, you are responsible for registering for courses each semester based on your study plan. You can find MSHI information at www.govst.edu/mshi/. You can also find course information and registration details in your student portal.
You can contact the following individuals for further information:
Kerri O'Shea, MSHI Academic Advisor
Department of Health Administration and Informatics
Office: G-178
Phone: 708.534.6980
Email: koshea@govst.edu
Ning Lu, Department Chair
Department of Health Administration and Informatics
Office: G-180
Phone: 708.534.4916
Email: nlu@govst.edu
If you need to contact another Department of Health Administration member, please refer to our faculty directory.
- Kerri O'Shea, Academic Advisor
- Department of Health Administration and Informatics
- 708.534.6980
- koshea@govst.edu
- Ning Lu, Department Chair
- Department of Health Administration and Informatics
- 708.534.4916
- nlu@govst.edu