Information Sciences and Technology in Health Policy and Administration, Minor

Program Description

The learning objectives of the minor in Information Sciences and Technology in Health Policy and Administration (ISHPA) are to equip students with the skills and knowledge to meet the critical need for persons with expertise in health care information technology. Specialists in this field assist health care organizations develop and apply the information technologies needed to develop Web-based systems for patient education, physician-patient interaction and physician-physician consultation, securely transmit sensitive medical information electronically, and even pioneer efforts for advanced technologies like remote robotic surgery. The ISHPA minor provides students with a solid base in the information sciences and technology through courses in IST's core curriculum. This core is then supported by selections from a group of HPA courses studying the application of information technology in health planning, financing, or marketing. Students must apply for entrance to the minor no later than the beginning of their seventh semesters.

What is Information Sciences and Technology in Health Policy and Administration?

The minor in Information Sciences and technology in Health Policy and Administration (IST/HPA) provides you with a solid base in the information sciences and technology through courses in IST’s core curriculum, the same ones taken by all students majoring in IST. You may then select from a group of HPA courses in which you will study the application of information technology in such areas as health care planning, financing, and marketing. Job opportunities for information science and technology professionals, especially in healthcare, are growing rapidly. Hospitals, physician offices, nursing homes, or other health care organizations in the modern world of medicine could not survive, much less save patients' lives, without high quality information systems professionals assisting their clinical staff. From developing artificial intelligence decision-making systems to providing bedside information technology, information sciences and technology has become integral to today's health care.

You Might Like This Program If...

You like the idea of taking information sciences and technologies and applying to practical and challenging real-world problems in the life and health sciences, clinical medicine, and the business of health care. Graduates in this field need to be able to develop competency in IST, and the ability to work with health professionals, clinicians, patients and families who rely on these information systems for life saving interventions.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT INFORMATION SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTH POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

Program Requirements

Requirements for the Minor

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
HPA 470	Health Care Information Management	3
IST 110	Information, People and Technology	3
IST 210	Organization of Data	3
IST 220	Networking and Telecommunications	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select 6 credits of the following:		6
HPA 433	Administration of Hospital and Health Service Systems
HPA/BBH 440	Principles of Epidemiology
HPA 447	Financing Health Care
HPA 455	Strategic Planning and Marketing for Health Services

Note: The HPA courses have additional prerequisites that must be met.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Caroline Condon-Lewis
Academic Adviser
604J Donald H. Ford Bldg.
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-2900
cxc29@psu.edu

Career Paths

Careers and opportunities for graduate studies in the area of IST/HPA are diverse. Some individuals begin work in these fields in positions that do not require an undergraduate degree, such as health information clerk or medical biller. Career ladders extend through undergraduate and graduate degree opportunities, with growing responsibilities. Many organizations now have a top level leader, Chief Information Officer (CIO) responsible for all aspects of information and knowledge management and leadership.

Careers

Information sciences and technology careers span an array of positions in health care organizations, including opportunities in compliance and risk management, informatics and data analysis, medical records administration and operations, and finance and billing. Professional organizations like the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) provide excellent career and professional resources for students.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES WITH A MINOR IN INFORMATION SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTH POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Graduate degree opportunities include professional master’s degrees in health information management or health informatics, as well as more research oriented programs in areas like bioinformatics, health services research, or health informatics. Rapidly growing areas include cybersecurity and medical privacy, big data and analytics, artificial intelligence and similar fields.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH POLICY AND STUDIES
604 Donald H. Ford Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-2900
mxs838@psu.edu

http://hhd.psu.edu/hpa/undergraduate/bs