IUPUI Campus Bulletin 2022-2023

IUPUI Bulletins » Schools » Welcome to the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health! » Graduate » Degree Programs » Master of Public Health - Public Health Informatics

Degree Programs

Master of Public Health - Public Health Informatics

The Indiana University MPH Program is a unique program which can be completed on a part-time basis in three years, or on a full-time basis in two years. Most of the required MPH courses are offered in the evening to allow working professionals the opportunity to continue their education. Through case studies, group and individual projects, and internships, students will explore public health problems and issues, learn how to think critically and work in teams. Courses are taught by scholars and practitioners drawn from many disciplines and perspectives.

The MPH Program at IU School of Public Health is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) provides a balance of academic theory and real-world experience, ensuring students are prepared for a career in public health. Public health informatics (PHI) studies and applies information science and computing techniques to public health practice.

The MPH degree with a concentration in PHI provides a foundation for engineering data and information systems within health systems, as well as governmental and non-profit public health organizations to support the collection, storage, management, analysis, application and sharing of information to improve population health outcomes.

Students will learn how to think critically about population level data and apply informatics approaches to address pressing public health issues, such as the integration of comprehensive care services for vulnerable populations, engaging populations in healthy behaviors using information technologies, regional and global health surveillance, management of very large data sets across the health system, comparative effectiveness analysis, and appropriate use of population health data analytics to influence public health programs and policies.

Competencies

The MPH in Public Health Informatics focuses on four core competencies that serve as a measure of growth and criteria for assessment. 

• Propose informatics strategies that support or improve work processes within health care and public health organizations.
• Apply analytics to the discovery, interpretation, and communication of population health data.
• Evaluate the impact of information systems and informatics interventions on population health outcomes.
• Generalize computer and information science methods to the capture, storage, management, exchange and use of data among health care and public health organizations.
• Apply available data and information standards to the design, implementation and use of informatics systems that enhance the public health infrastructure.

Public Health Informatics Curriculum

To earn the MPH degree with a concentration in PHI, you must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 45 credits that include a combination of core public health courses, public health informatics courses, elective courses, an internship, and a final concentration project.  The specific distribution of courses is as follows:

Public Health Core Courses

Take all four courses for a total of 12 credits

• PBHL P510 Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• PBHL P511 Comprehensive Methods and Applications in Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3 credits)
• PBHL P513 Planning, Evaluation & Management (3 credits)
• PBHL P512 Communication & Leadership (3 credits)

Public Health Informatics Concentration Courses

Take all six courses for a total of 18 credits

• PBHL-B 552 Fundamentals of Data Management (3 credits)
• PBHL-E 635 Foundations in Public Health Informatics (3 credits)
• PBHL-H 521 Management Science for Health Services Administration (3 credits)
• PBHL-H 628 Healthcare Information Systems (3 credits)
• PBHL-E 645 Information Exchange for Population Health (3 credits)
• PBHL-E 647 Introduction to Population Health Analytics (3 credits)

Public Health Informatics Elective Courses

Select two courses for a total of six credits

• PBHL-H 781 Research Designs in Health Policy & Management (3 credits)
• PBHL-A 640 Public Health Applications of GIS (3 credits)
• INFO-B 581 Health Informatics Standards and Terminologies (3 credits)
• INFO-B 585 Biomedical Analytics (3 credits)
• INFO-B 642 Clinical Decision Support Systems (3 credits)
• INFO-H 515 Introduction to Data Analytics (3 credits)
• INFO-H 517 Visualization Design, Analysis, and Evaluation (3 credits)

Select one course for a total of three credits

• PBHL-B 652 Biostatistics for Public Health II (3 credits)
• PBHL-E 601 Advanced Epidemiology (3 credits) 
• PBHL-E 609 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (3 credits)
• PBHL-H 641 Ethics in Public Health (3 credits)
• PBHL-H 657 Application of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Public Health (3 credits)

Public Health Practical Experience

Take six credits. 

• PBHL-E 603 Public Health Informatics Internship (3 credits) - 240 total hours required: 160 of these hours must be conducted onsite
• PBHL-E 706 Informatics Concentration Project (3 credits)

Certified Public Health Exam

MPH students entering the program fall 2020 and beyond are required to pass the CPH exam prior to graduation. More information on this requirement can be found at https://fsph.iupui.edu/academics/certifications.html.

Admission Criteria

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college.
• Official GRE scores, if cumulative undergraduate GPA from all universities attended is below 3.0.
• Minimum of one year of undergraduate mathematics (e.g., algebra, statistics, or finite math).
• Competent written and oral communication skills.
• Students meeting these requirements are not guaranteed admission. Other admission factors include references, work experience, the personal statement, and personal interview (if applicable).

MPH applications and supplemental materials must be submitted to SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service). SOPHAS is meant to facilitate the collection of common application materials and general information. For more information and frequently asked questions please visit sophas.org.

In addition to the SOPHAS application all applicants will be required to complete a short application to the IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) Online Graduate and Professional Admissions Application system at the link provided within the SOPHAS application.

Admission Requirements

1. Personal Statement
2. Resume
3. Transcripts
4. Recommendations
5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) 

Applicants who have earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA of below a 3.0 are required to submit official scores from the GRE taken within the past 5 years. International applicants whose undergraduate work was completed at institutions outside of the U.S. or Canada are required to submit scores from the GRE regardless of cumulative GPA. The cumulative undergraduate GPA is calculated using all undergraduate grades earned from all colleges and universities attended. The GRE is not required of applicants who have a graduate or professional degree from a U.S. or Canadian college or university. The following exams can be substituted for the GRE: DAT, ECFMG, LSAT, OAT, GMAT, MCAT, or USMLE (steps one and two).