Health Information Management and Systems

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Health Information Management and Systems (HIMS) post-baccalaureate certificate program prepares students who have earned an undergraduate degree outside of HIMS to become a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). The program provides students with a solid business and information systems background with a broad healthcare foundation. HIMS focuses on the business aspects of health-related services involving creating, analyzing, managing, and protecting medical information vital to high-quality patient care. HIMS professionals manage the resources, people, operations, and systems that support the administration and evaluation of health services. Students in their last term in the HIMS program sit for the American Health Information Management Association’s national certification examination to obtain their Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

GPA of 2.50 or higher

A minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA is required in all coursework taken at any accredited institution.

Prerequisite Courses

Before starting the professional program, all prerequisite courses or equivalents must be completed with a C- or higher. Ohio State course numbers are shown below.

Biology 1101
English 1110.01
Mathematics (MATH) 1148 or higher
Psychology (PSYCH) 110
One prerequisite elective course from the following list: Applicants must select one course from the following options. When planning, students must know which classes have prerequisites and when the course is available.
English 3304: Business and Professional Writing (course prerequisite is English 1110.01
English 3305: Technical Writing
Public Health: Epidemiology (PUBHEPI) 2410: Epidemiology in Public Health
Microbiology (MICRBIO) 4000.0X: Basic and Practical Microbiology or 4010: Foundations of Microbiology and Human Health
Accounting and Management Information (ACCTMIS) 2000 or 2200
Anatomy 2300, 3300, or Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology (EEOB) 2510
Communication (COMM) 2131 or 2110
Economics (ECON) 2001.01
Health Information Management and Systems (HIMS) 5648
Human Physiology (EEOB 2520 or PHYSIO 3200)
Medical Terminology for the Health Professions (HTHRHSC 2500)
Statistics (STAT) 1450

Application

The HIMS application is available online and must be completed and submitted with all required supplemental documents, if applicable. The Graduate and Professional Admissions Application Guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to start the online application.

While not required, students are encouraged to interview or shadow an HIM professional before applying. Competitive applicants will be invited for a personal interview, during which their knowledge of the profession and personal career goals will be assessed. The program will individually consider the courses and the applicant’s experiences during the admission evaluation. 

Deadline

The HIMS program admits students once per year, with students beginning the program in the Autumn semester. The application deadline for Autumn 2025 is January 31, 2025. The professional program will begin on August 26, 2025.

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

To obtain the certificate, a student must successfully complete all required professional coursework with a minimum C- grade required for each course. Students must also maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in the undergraduate certificate program. Due to the nature of the program, transfer or EM credit cannot meet any certificate course requirements.

Before enrollment in the last required course, a graduation application must be submitted to the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS) Office of Academic Affairs to formally receive the certificate at the end of the semester of course completion. Students who successfully complete the undergraduate certificate program are not eligible to participate in the Honors Program, Research Distinction, Latin Honors designations, and University Commencement, except if they also graduate from a degree-seeking program that same semester. Students will receive a mailed completion document in the form of a certificate after the semester of completion.

The plan demonstrates how students may complete the HIMS program in four semesters. During the professional program, the curriculum is more structured and has limited ability to change. The professional curriculum is completed in sequence, and there is no provision for part-time or evening-only enrollment. Students who intend to take prerequisites outside Ohio State may view equivalent courses on Transferology.

Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification and state licensing board contact information for online programs and professional licensure & certification disclosures for on-campus programs.

Begin Professional Coursework in Health Information Management and Systems (HIMS)

Autumn, Year 1

HIMS 3520 Fundamentals of Health Information Management (4 credits)
HIMS 3589 HIM Professional Practice Experience I (1 credit)
HIMS 5536 Healthcare Revenue Life Cycle Management (3 credits)
HIMS 5575 Project Management (1 credit)
HIMS 5650 Healthcare Information Systems and Technology (3 credits)
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) 5500 Introduction to Pathophysiology (4 credits)
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) 5510 Pharmacological Aspects of Practice in HRS (2 credits)
18 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 1

HIMS 5535 Clinical Coding Performance and Management (4 credits)
HIMS 5540 Healthcare Data Management and Analysis (3 credits)
HIMS 5545 Fundamentals of Healthcare Law and Ethics in HIMS (3 credits)
HIMS 5654 Health Information Systems Analysis and Design (4 credits)
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) 4200 Analytical Scientific Writing in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (3 credits)
17 Credits Total

Autumn, Year 2

HIMS 4645 Management and Professional Development for Health Information Services (4 credits)
HIMS 5620 Healthcare Reimbursement Systems (3 credits)
HIMS 5635 Quality Management and Performance Improvement in Health Care (3 credits)
HIMS 5655 Healthcare Database Administration (3 credits)
13 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 2

HIMS 4685 Certification Review Course (2 credits)
HIMS 4689 HIM Professional Practice Experience II (6 credits)
HIMS 5537 Healthcare Data Trending and Analytics (3 credits)
HIMS 5656 Health Care Business Intelligence (2 credits)
HIMS 5660 Healthcare Financial Management (2 credits)
15 Credits Total

Questions?

Contact the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at 614-292-1706 or HRSStudentServices@osumc.edu
Degree requirements and course offerings are subject to changes.
Last updated on: July 1, 2024