Master of Science [M.S] [Health Informatics] From Karolinska Institute

The Master's Programme in Health Informatics at the Karolinska Institutet is aimed at students who are interested in information technology and its application to the fields of medicine and healthcare. You will learn methods to make healthcare safer, more efficient and of higher quality through computer based information and knowledge management.

Programme presentation

Students may have their initial training in either the health sciences or computer science. During the first semester, students with technical backgrounds take courses in basic medical sciences, health care organisation and management, while students with healthcare backgrounds learn basic computer and systems sciences. The first semester ends with a joint course in health care information systems.

The second semester covers basic health informatics methods for user needs and requirements engineering, methods for evaluating different aspects of health information systems during and after implementation, as well as health informatics standards. Further, students will get an introduction into data science methods and have a course on scientific methods at advanced level.

The third semester provides an introduction to project management where previously studied data science methods will be applied in project form. Further, students have the choice of either a course in information security or entrepreneurship. They will also get insight into current research topics in health informatics through a course preparing students for own scientific studies. The fourth and final semester consists of a thesis in which students carry out a larger scientific study.

The programme is given by Karolinska Institutet jointly with Stockholm University, and students receive a joint degree from both universities.

Career opportunities

IT implementation in healthcare requires people with a solid understanding of both the needs of the healthcare sector and the strengths and limitations of technology. A health informatician?s unique interdisciplinary expertise makes him/her particularly suited to assume a coordinating and bridging role between these two areas. Many health informaticians work as project managers. Other common roles are CMIO (Chief Medical Information Officer) or CCIO (Chief Clinical Information Officer), IT managers, clinical informaticians, application experts, requirements analysts, system specialists, system developers, interaction designers, evaluators and researchers.