Health Information Management and Systems (HIMS) provides students with a solid foundation in business and information systems, complemented by a broad healthcare background. HIMS focuses on the business aspects of health-related services involving creating, analyzing, managing, and protecting medical information vital to high-quality patient care. 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

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 of their choice 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 taken 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 2026 is January 31, 2026. The professional program will begin on August 25, 2026.

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 their equivalents must be completed with a grade of C- or higher. Ohio State course numbers are shown below.

Biology 1101 or 1113.0x (For 1113.0x-prereq or concur: Chem 1210)
English 1110.0x
Mathematics (MATH) 1148 or higher
Psychology (PSYCH) 1100
Accounting and Management Information (ACCTMIS) 2000 or 2200
Anatomy 2300, 3300.0x, or Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology (EEOB) 2510
Communication (COMM) 2131 or 2110
Economics (ECON) 2001.0x
Health Information Management and Systems (HIMS) 5648
Human Physiology (EEOB 2520 or PHYSIO 3200)
Medical Terminology for the Health Professions (HTHRHSC 2500)
Statistics (STAT) 1450.0x

One prerequisite elective course from the following list: Applicants must select one course from the following options. When planning, applicants must be aware of which classes have prerequisites and when the course is offered.
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 (course prerequiste is 3 hours of Biology)
Microbiology (MICRBIO) 4010: Foundations of Microbiology and Human Health (course prerequiste is 3 hours of Biology)
Biology 1114.0x (course prerequiste are Math 1120, 1130, 1148, or 1150 or above, or Math Placement Level L or M; Prereq or concur: Chem 1110, 1208, 1210, 1610, or 1910H)

First-year students may apply to the HIMS program, with priority given to those with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 and who have completed at least half of the prerequisite courses with a grade of C- or higher by the end of the summer semester of their first year. If accepted through this pathway, students will complete the remaining prerequisites in their second year and start the program in their third year.

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Ohio State, students must meet the following key requirements:

Minimum Credit Hours:
Ohio State requires at least 120 total credit hours to graduate.
The HIMS program specifically requires 124 credit hours (excluding HTHRHSC 1100).

Courses That Do Not Count Toward the 124 Credits:
English 1109
EDUTL 1001–1007, 1010
Math 1040, 1050, 1073, 1074, 1075

Additional Graduation Requirements:
At least 30 credit hours must be completed at Ohio State through regular course enrollment.
Students must be enrolled in regular courses during their final semester in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS).
Must have a minimum 2.0 Ohio State GPA overall and in the major.

A graduation application must be submitted by the posted deadline. Instructions and the application are available on the HRS Academic Support Services Site.

Planning Tools and Important Information:
Use your degree audit regularly to track progress and ensure completion of all degree components, including:
General Education (GE)
Program Prerequisites
Professional Curriculum

Students must enroll in courses for the semester in which they are admitted; failure to do so will result in revocation of admission.

The plan below outlines how a student can complete the HIMS program in eight (8) semesters. Students following this plan are expected to begin professional coursework in the autumn semester of their third year. There is flexibility in course selection during the first two years. However, the curriculum in years three and four is more structured, with limited opportunities to adjust the course sequence. Students may take non-professional such as general education courses during the summer if desired.

It is strongly recommended that all GE (General Education) requirements be completed before entering the professional portion of the program. The professional curriculum must be taken in sequence and cannot be completed on a part-time or evening-only basis.

Students planning to transfer credits to Ohio State can check how those credits will be accepted by visiting Transferology.com.

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.

Program Participation Requirements:

All applicants to the program must acknowledge and agree to meet the following requirements in order to successfully progress through and complete the curriculum:

Students must pass an annual background check for the duration of the program. Compliance with immunization and health screening protocols, as defined by the program, academic institution, and affiliated clinical partners, is also required. In addition, students must meet the technical standards essential for the professional discipline for which they are preparing.

A drug screening may be required, and successful completion is a condition of participation in clinical components of the program. Clinical education experiences are an integral part of the curriculum and may take place at off-campus sites. Students are responsible for securing and maintaining reliable transportation to and from these clinical locations and should anticipate associated costs related to travel and other clinical requirements.

Autumn, Year 1

Biology 1101 Introductory Biology or Biology 1113.0x Biological Sciences: Energy Transfer and Development (4 credits)
General Education (GENED) GE Launch Seminar 1201 (1 credit)
GE Foundation (3 credits)
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) 1100 Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Survey (1 credit)
Mathematics 1148 College Algebra or higher (4-5 credits)
Psychology 1100 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
16-17 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 1

Communication 2131 Business and Professional Speaking or 2110 Principles of Effective Public Speaking (3 credits)
English 1110.0x First-Year English Composition (3 credits)
GE Foundation (3 credits)
GE Foundation (3 credits)
Prerequisite Elective Course (3 credits)
15 Credits Total    

Autumn, Year 2

Anatomy 2300, 3300.0x or Evol, Ecology and Organismal Bio (EEOB) 2510 (4-5 credits)
GE Foundation (3 credits)
Health Info Mgt and Systems (HIMS) 5648 Microcomputer Applications in Health Sciences (2 credits)
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) 2500 Medical Terminology for the Health Professions (3 credits)
Statistics 1450.0x Introduction to the Practice of Statistics (3 credits)
15-16 Credits Total  

Spring, Year 2

Accounting and Management Inform (ACCTMIS) 2000 Foundations of Accounting or Accounting and Management Inform or (ACCTMIS) 2200 Introduction to Accounting I (3 credits)
Economics (ECON) 2001.0x (3 credits)
Evol, Ecology and Organismal Bio (EEOB) 2520 or Physiology and Cell Biology 3200 (3-5 credits)
GE Theme Citizenship for a Diverse and Just World theme course (4 credits)
13-15 Credits Total

Begin Professional Coursework

Autumn, Year 3

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 3

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 4

GE Theme Choice theme course (4 credits)
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)
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) 4001 General Education Reflection Seminar in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (1 credit)
18 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 4

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