January 4, Kim Neumann, Director for Academic Programs

Transcription

1 Office of Programs and Academic Assessment (MC 103) 2630 University Hall 601 South Morgan Street Chicago, Illinois January 4, 2012 TO: FROM: Ilene Harris, Chair Senate Committee on Educational Policy Kim Neumann, Director for Academic Programs I am submitting for review and action by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy the attached Proposal to Revise the Master of Science in Health Informatics. The proposal was approved by the Academic Affairs Committee in the College of Applied Health Sciences on November 10, 2011 and will be considered by the Graduate College Executive Committee (GCEC) on Friday, January 6, I will inform SCEP members of the outcome of that meeting as soon as possible. 1

2 Title: Revision of the Master of Science in Health Informatics (MS HI) degree Sponsor: Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, College of Applied Health Sciences Description: There are two proposed changes to Master of Science in Health Informatics (MS HI) curriculum. The first is to reduce the number of credit hours for BHIS 503 (Communication Skills in Health Informatics) from four to three. This change is contingent to the plan to eliminate the course s onsite presentation requirement. The second is the addition of the new course BHIS 593 (Health Informatics Capstone Experience, 1 hour) to the MS HI curriculum. BHIS 593 will be a one credit hour required course in the MS HI curriculum. The total hours required for the degree will remain the same at 45. Justification: The reduction in credit hours from four to three remediates ongoing problems in BHIS 503. There were several problems associated with the inclusion of a course onsite presentation requirement in BHIS 503. Because the course is recommended as one of the first two courses in the curriculum, along with BHIS 499, students generally lacked sufficient knowledge about the field of Health Informatics to produce required oral topic presentations that were substantive. In addition, failure to attend the course onsite resulted in a growing number of Incomplete grades that continued to roll over into the next course iteration, making planning logistics increasingly difficult. Removal of the onsite option will make it easier for the course instructors to focus on the teaching goals for the course, rather than the management of the onsite event three times per year. The BHIS 503 onsite presentation requirement should not be considered analogous to a capstone experience. It was not intended for the purposes of a capstone experience; nor was it referred to as a capstone in course descriptions or the course syllabus. BHIS 593 provides an opportunity for summative assessment of students learning experience across the courses constituting the MS HI curriculum. The addition of this one credit hour course keeps the total credit hours for the degree at forty-five. At the present time, there is no opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to integrate theoretical and practical learning. BHIS 593 offers the opportunity for students to engage with faculty mentors to produce a substantive knowledge statement across the span of their Health Informatics expertise in the format of both an original paper and presentation that critically examine recognized health informatics problems and emergent issues as opportunities for improving practice in the field. BHIS 593 is proposed as a degree requirement for students in both the practice and research course tracks. Grading in this required capstone course will be Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory, consistent with the format in BHIS 597-Project Research in Biomedical and Health Information Sciences and BHIS 598-Thesis Research in Biomedical and Health Information Sciences. Students will be advised to enroll in BHIS 593 during either of their final two terms of matriculation. Both onsite and online course sections will be offered in BHIS 593. These two enrollment options capture both the value of an onsite experience that students have previously expressed; as well as the convenience of the online format that the other courses in the curriculum have offered since the program went online. 2

3 Catalog Statement: See attached. Minority Impact Statement: No negative impact on minority students is expected as a result of these changes. Budgetary and Staff Implications: None; the Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences currently has sufficient faculty to teach the new required Health Informatics Capstone Experience course. Library Resource Implications: No impact on library resources is expected. Space Implications: No impact on space is expected. Unit (e.g. department) approval date: College (educational policy committee, faculty) approval dates: Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee in the College of Applied Health Sciences, November 10, 2011 The sponsors for the joint programs in Nursing and Pharmacy have been notified of the changes to the MS degree in Health Informatics. Contact Person: Michael Dieter, Program Director, Health Informatics; miked@uic.edu Proposed Effective Date: Fall, 2012 Current MS Health Informatics The Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (BHIS) offers course work leading to an online Master of Science in Health Informatics. Health Informatics is the science of healthcare-related information, encompassing clinical care and clinical, financial, IT, and enterprise management. BHIS participates in two joint-degree programs: the MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies) / MS in Health Informatics and the Doctor of Pharmacy / MS in Health Informatics. A postmaster s Revised The Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (BHIS) offers course work leading to an online Master of Science in Health Informatics. Health Informatics is the science of healthcare-related information, encompassing clinical care and clinical, financial, IT, and enterprise management. BHIS participates in two joint-degree programs: the MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies) / MS in Health Informatics and the Doctor of Pharmacy / MS in Health Informatics. A postmaster s IBHE-Approved 3

4 IBHE-Approved Certificate in Health Informatics is available for healthcare and IT professionals who already have a master s degree. A postbaccalaureate Campus Certificate in Health Informatics is available for healthcare and IT professionals who have a baccalaureate degree. 1 BHIS also offers the MS in Biomedical Visualization. Admission Requirements Certificate in Health Informatics is available for healthcare and IT professionals who already have a master s degree. BHIS also offers the MS in Biomedical Visualization. Applicants will be considered on an individual basis by the BHIS Committee on Academic Affairs. Individuals determined to be deficient in one or more areas may be recommended to the Graduate College for admission upon the condition that any deficiencies are remedied through appropriate pre-requisite course work. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements: Master of Science Baccalaureate Field No restrictions. Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study or for all terminal graduate degrees. A final cumulative GPA of 3.00/4.00 for UIC's postbaccalaureate certificate in health informatics will also be accepted. 1 In addition to the previous requirements, the cumulative GPA for any graduate-level course work must be at least 3.00/4.00. Minimum English Competency Test Score o TOEFL If the applicant has taken the paper-based TOEFL, minimum scores in the range of will be considered; in addition, the applicant must take the Test of Written English and submit scores in the range of 5 6. If the applicant has taken the computer-based TOEFL, minimum scores in the range of will be considered. In this case the Test of Written English is not required. Applicants taking the ibt Internet-based TOEFL must have a minimum score of 95, with subscores of Reading 24, Listening 22, Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study or for all terminal graduate degrees. In addition to the previous requirements, the cumulative GPA for any graduate-level course work must be at least 3.00/ Because the Postbacccalaureate Campus Certificate in Health Informatics is being eliminated, reference to this is being removed in the proposed catalog statement. A proposal to eliminate the campus certificate is currently being processed. 4

5 Speaking 24, and Writing 24. OR o IELTS 7.0, with subscores of 6.5 for all four subscores. Letters of Recommendation Three required using the program s forms. Personal Statement Required. The statement should address the applicant s goals for graduate study and career development. Resume Applicant should submit a resume that highlights education and work experience (applicant should have at least two years of work experience in industries that can directly translate to health informatics, such as health care, IT, health information management, consulting, or law. This excludes academic student jobs). Other Requirements Prior academic work must include a course in basic computing skills (or comparable experience) and one course in graduatelevel basic statistics taken within the last five years for students in the project research and thesis tracks. The latter may be taken upon matriculation. The following prerequisites for the health informatics program may be taken upon matriculation, as equivalent course work, or as healthcare experience: HIM 486 Foundations in Health Information Management and BHIS 406 Medical Terminology in Health Information Management. MS in Health Informatics/MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies) To be admitted to the joint program, a student must meet the admissions criteria of each individual master s degree program. The program of study may be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Because there is some crossover of course credit across the health informatics and nursing programs, students are encouraged to apply as a joint program student before 16 credit hours of UIC graduate credit are completed. MS in Health Informatics/Doctor of Pharmacy To be admitted to the joint program, a student must meet the admissions criteria of each individual degree program. Students are considered for admission to the PharmD program with a minimum of 62 semester hours of accrued undergraduate credit; however, the MS in Health Informatics requires an earned bachelor s degree. For students who apply to the PharmD without a baccalaureate degree, the program provides a course planner showing the 5

6 sequence of course work that meets the intent of the previously earned bachelor s degree admissions requirement for the MS. Students will be permitted to take BHIS 460, available to upper-level undergraduate students, in the fall of their second year in the PharmD curriculum. They will be accepted to the MS in Health Informatics the spring of their second year, at the point in the PharmD curriculum in which they will have accrued 128 semester hours the baccalaureate equivalent. Degree Requirements In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements: Master of Science Minimum Semester Hours Required 45. Course Work Required Courses for All Tracks: BHIS 437, 499, 503, 505, 510, 511, 515, 520, 525, and 537. Required Courses for Project and Thesis Research Tracks: BHIS 500 and 595. Required Courses for Course-Work-Only Track: BHIS 530. Electives: Choice of electives to reach the minimum 45 hours should be guided, in consultation with the advisor, by the area of interest and the student s professional experience. BHIS 509, 517, 528, 538, 546, 580, among other BHIS courses are recommended electives for those in the course-work-only degree track. Comprehensive Examination None. Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Option Thesis: Students must earn at least 8 hours in BHIS 598. Project: Students must earn at least 4 hours in BHIS 597. Course Work Only: Requires course work as indicated above and electives to total a minimum of 45 credit hours. Other Requirements Continuous Registration: Students who have completed all degree requirements except the thesis / project must register for zero credit hours to maintain continuous registration. MS in Health Informatics/MS in Nursing (Administrative Studies) Course Work Required Courses for All Tracks: BHIS 437, 499, 503, 505, 510, 511, 515, 520, 525, 537, and

7 Minimum Semester Hours Required 65. Course Work Core Courses in Nursing: NURS 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, and 597 or 598. Specialty Courses in Nursing: NUSP 501, 502, 503, 504, and 505; NUPR 513. Required Courses in Health Informatics: BHIS 437, 503, 505, 510, 511, 525, 537, and hours of BHIS electives. BHIS 515, 517, and 520 are recommended electives for the Informatics Nurse Certification Exam. MS in Health Informatics/Doctor of Pharmacy. Required Courses in Health Informatics: BHIS 437, 503, 505, 510, 511, 525, 537, 593, and hours of BHIS electives. BHIS 515, 517, and 520 are recommended electives for the Informatics Nurse Certification Exam. Minimum Semester Hours Required Course Work Core Courses in Pharmacy: PHAR 321, 322, 323, 324, 331, 332, 333, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 365, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, and 408; PHYB 301 and 302. Clerkship Courses in Pharmacy: 24 hours. Core Courses in Health Informatics: BHIS 437, 500, 510, 511, 525, 537, 580; BHIS 597 or 598. Elective Courses in Health Informatics: BHIS 515, 520. Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Option Thesis or project. No other options are available. 6 Course Descriptions: BHIS 503 Communication Skills in Health Informatics 3 hours. An application course in which students assess and practice effective written and oral methods of communication skills necessary for health informatics professionals. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor. [change from 4 to 3 hours] BHIS 593 Health Informatics Capstone Experience 1 hour. Students demonstrate a mastery of health informatics knowledge concepts and skills, including theoretical synthesis, integration with practice, and critical evaluation. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. Extensive computer use required. Meets eight weeks of the semester. Capstone Experience may be completed face-to-face or on-line. Students wishing to complete the course face-to-face must inform the instructor by the end of the first week of class. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor and completion of all other M.S. in Health Informatics curriculum requirements. 7