Pokhara University has introduced the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program starting in the academic year 2025. This interdisciplinary program combines healthcare, information technology, and data science to improve the quality, accessibility, and efficiency of healthcare services.
The MHI program focuses on the management of health data, the integration of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and the analysis of health information to support evidence-based decision-making in clinical and public health environments.
Spanning two years, the program is structured across four semesters, with each semester lasting six months. Students must complete 63 credit hours, encompassing coursework, practical work, seminars, and research, to earn the degree.
Objectives:
The key objectives of the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) in Health Science program is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to effectively design, manage, and utilize health information systems and technologies to improve healthcare delivery, enhance health outcomes, and support evidence-based decision-making across the health sector in:
- The program aims to provide students with a solid foundation in the principles and theories of health informatics, technical skills needed to work with healthcare data and information technology tools.
- The program focuses on using health informatics to enhance healthcare efficiency, reduce errors, and improve patient outcomes, where students learn to responsibly manage healthcare data, emphasizing data accuracy, privacy, and security.
- Interoperability and compliance with healthcare regulations are emphasized, ensuring seamless data exchange and ethical use of technology.
- The program encourages students to engage in research and innovation to address current healthcare challenges.
- The significance of patient engagement and empowerment is highlighted, with an emphasis on designing patient-centric systems.
- Leadership and management skills are developed to enable students to assume leadership roles within healthcare or IT departments.
- Ethical and legal considerations are integrated into the curriculum, covering issues like patient confidentiality and data ethics.
Additional Information
The intake will be taken once a year, either in the fall/spring session, as per the university's rules and regulations. A selected candidate is required to register assigned courses at the beginning of each semester mandatorily.
The students must attend every lecture, tutorial, and practical class. However, to accommodate late registration, sickness, and other such contingencies, the attendance requirements will be a minimum of 80% of the classes held. Students will get NOT QUALIFIED (NQ) in terms of class attendance status if s/he cannot maintain 80% attendance in any course.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for admission to the Master of Health Informatics program, an applicant must have:
1. Bachelor's in Health and Medical Sciences/Bachelor in Sciences/Engineering (Computer/Software/ Information Technology/Electronics/Communication)/Mathematics/Statistics/Environmental Sciences/ Computer Applications
OR
II. Bachelor's degree in any discipline and at least one year of working experience in health-related Government Organizations, research organizations, and NGOs/INGOS
III. Scoring of minimum CGPA 2.0 out of 4.0 (grading system) or 50% (Percentage system) from schools/colleges of Pokhara University or recognized by Pokhara University.
The final admission decision is taken based on an entrance examination conducted by the Faculty of Health Sciences, Pokhara University.
Admission Criteria
The applicant is required to submit copies of the following documents with the application form made available by the college/school/university concerned:
- Completed and signed the application form mentioning his/her intended specialization area.
- Transcript/Mark-sheet, Transfer/Migration Certificate, Equivalent Certificate (in case of foreign degree), Character Certificates, and Citizenship/National Identity
- Number/Passport
- Certificates of all degrees should be photocopied and submitted with proper self-attestation.
- Enrolment is conditional upon completion of all admission formalities, including payment of the fee determined by the school/college. An incomplete application shall not be processed
Job Prospects
A Master of Health Informatics (MHI) opens diverse career opportunities in healthcare and technology. Graduates can work as Health Informatics Specialists, Data Analysts, or Health IT Project Managers. Other roles include Public Health Informatics Officers, Telehealth Coordinators, and Clinical Informatics Consultants, optimizing workflow with Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Opportunities also exist as Healthcare Consultants or as researchers, trainers, and health information managers. Potential employers include hospitals, NGOs, telehealth/mHealth providers, software companies, and international organizations. Key sectors include EHR implementation, digital health startups, telemedicine, and health data policy development. In general, a Master of Health Informatics graduate can choose the following areas to build their career:
- Health Organizations (Public/NGO/Private)
- Bilateral & Multilateral Organization (WHO, UNICEF, etc.)
- Health-related Consultancy Agencies
- Hospital and Health Care Organizations
- Telehealth/mHealth Sector
- Self-entrepreneurship etc.
Curricular Structure
This coursework gives students a broad and holistic view of the complexity of issues in today’s public health service environment. It includes the following three distinct components:
- Core Courses: The core courses provide students with advanced analytical concepts and skills in core areas of health informatics, public health field, necessary for making program decisions in planning, implementing and evaluating health information. And related areas.
- Project: Each student is required to develop a project in health informatics based on the local context of health informatics in Nepal.
- Internship: An internship or practicum in a health institution or HMIS section, health IT department, or health system may be a requirement part of the program, providing students with practical experience.
- Thesis: Students are required to submit a thesis in their specialization area that involves fieldwork for primary data. Students are required to prepare a thesis in a prescribed format. This course covers 12 credit hours.