Health Information Management Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

A Health Information Management major teaches you to manage, protect and code patient health records and data. Health information management (HIM) sits where healthcare meets data.

A Health Information Management major includes coursework in medical terminology, ICD-10 and CPT coding, health data privacy and HIPAA, electronic health records, and healthcare reimbursement and more. You build skills such as medical coding, data accuracy and auditing, privacy and compliance, and database and records management. Typical degrees: certificate, associate and bachelor's degrees.

Typical courses include medical terminology, ICD-10 and CPT coding, health data privacy and HIPAA, electronic health records, healthcare reimbursement, and health data analytics. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Health Information Management is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, and a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s. Part-time study takes longer.

Certificate, associate and bachelor's degrees. In the latest federal data, 546 colleges reported certificate awards, 359 colleges reported associate awards, 82 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, and 25 colleges reported master’s awards.

Career paths connected to health information management include health information technologist, medical billing and coding specialist, medical administrative assistant, medical transcriptionist, compliance officer, and database administrator. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include health information technologist (typical training: 2 years), medical billing and coding specialist (typical training: 4–12 months), medical administrative assistant (typical training: 3–12 months), medical transcriptionist (typical training: Under 1 year), compliance officer (typical training: Moderate on-the-job training), and database administrator (typical training: 4 years plus experience).

Health Information Management majors build skills such as medical coding, data accuracy and auditing, privacy and compliance, database and records management, and attention to detail.

Good pairings include Information Technology (helps you support the systems that store health records), Data Analytics (prepares you to turn health data into reports and insights), and Business (adds management skills for department supervisor roles).

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as health information technologist, medical billing and coding specialist, and medical administrative assistant, and enjoy subjects like medical terminology and ICD-10 and CPT coding. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes medical terminology, ICD-10 and CPT coding, and health data privacy and HIPAA; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

699 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

Texas (50), California (48), Florida (38), Illinois (38), and Georgia (35), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

572 of the colleges that offer health information management also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Health Information Management teaches you to manage, protect and code patient health records and data. Nursing prepares you to assess, treat and educate patients as part of a healthcare team. Health Information Management leads to careers such as health information technologist and medical billing and coding specialist, while Nursing leads to careers such as registered nurse and licensed practical nurse.

Health Information Management teaches you to manage, protect and code patient health records and data. Healthcare Administration teaches you to manage the business side of hospitals, clinics and health systems. Health Information Management leads to careers such as health information technologist and medical billing and coding specialist, while Healthcare Administration leads to careers such as medical and health services manager and medical administrative assistant.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to health information management, such as Health Information Technologist Training.