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How long does it take to complete the master's program?
The 35 credit hour program is designed to be completed in:
- 1.5 years as a full-time student
- 2-3 years as a part-time student
A fast track is also available for those students who wish to complete the program in 1 year.
In what order should I take classes?
Students work closely with their program coordinator to schedule courses. In general, we recommend taking required courses first including introduction to programming, database systems and systems analysis. Your program coordinator can provide you with a recommended course sequence list as well.
How do I find an internship? Where do CHIP students find internships?
It is the student’s responsibility to search for and secure an internship. Our internship coordinator is the primary point of contact for assistance and will lead students through the process. Networking is strongly encouraged from the start of your program! Students will have access to resume templates, guidelines and a list of organizations where CHIP students have secured internships. Our internship coordinator works closely with industry and faculty contacts to notify students of opportunities as well. Approximately 50% of students find internships within the UNC system and the other 50% secure internships with industry. Students can also complete their internship through their current employer - the internship work should be separate from regular employment work and your mentor should be someone other than your direct supervisor.
What are the internship requirements?
The expectation is for the student to work on a project in healthcare that exposes the student to healthcare informatics – with elements such as: creation/use of data sets, methods/processes to find data insights, data visualization, and machine learning applied to healthcare data sets. Students may use informatics tools and/or methodologies such as:
- SQL for database querying and manipulation.
- Python, R, or SAS for data analysis and statistical modeling.
- Machine Learning techniques for predictive/prescriptive modeling.
- Statistical Methods for healthcare research and analysis
- Data Visualization to show Data Insights
Students may also work on improving, redesigning, and evaluating healthcare systems or applications such as Electronic Health Records or mobile apps.
How much does the program cost?
Program costs vary depending upon your student status. Please check the University Cashier website for up-to-date fee schedules. Click on the PDF for Graduate and Professional Program Tuition and Fees. Our program is listed under the School of Information & Library Science - Professional Science Masters (PSM) Biomedical and Health Informatics.
What are the application deadlines?
We admit students for Fall and Spring semesters on a rolling basis. To view the most current application deadlines click here.
Do you accept outside transfer credit toward the master's program?
Depending upon the Graduate School and Program Director approval, up to 7 credit hours may be transferred. Once accepted to the program, your coordinator will work with you on the process to submit transfer credit documentation for review and approval. Of note, a course syllabus will be required for any class transferring in for credit.
Are there research or teaching assistantship positions available?
Whenever we are made aware of RA/TA/GA positions we post them in the Jobs Database and send the details out via the student listserv.
I would like to learn more about the program. Who can I contact?
Please complete an inquiry form by clicking the button below or email us at chipinfo@unc.edu.
Additionally, we encourage you to attend one of the monthly virtual information sessions where the Program Coordinator will go over the program's curriculum, application process, internship requirements and other frequently asked questions. Participants get an opportunity to ask questions via Zoom. Check out the dates for upcoming webinars here.
