Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Management

Expand your options by earning Indiana University’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Management (HIM). You could qualify to enter the profession in as few as 27 credit hours, depending on your educational background and work experience.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Management

Are you looking to advance in your field—or break into a new one?

Expand your options by earning Indiana University’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Management (HIM). You could qualify to enter the profession in as few as 27 credit hours, depending on your educational background and work experience.

The HIM program at IU is one of the first and longest running in the nation, with more than 90% of its graduates hired in the profession.

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Online

You can complete this certificate online or on-campus.

Financial Aid Eligible

This certificate is eligible for federal financial aid.

Accredited by CAHIIM

It’s accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

RHIA Certification

Successfully completing the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) exam and a CAHIIM-accredited program are required for RHIA certification to work as a health information management professional.

Careers

There’s a great demand for credentialed health information managers, with predicted wage growth of 15% or more.

The numbers reflect the health information industry’s need for more accredited professionals: As of September 2022, LinkedIn listed 3,243 RHIA job vacancies in the United States, and Indeed listed 3,805.

In 2021, the mean annual wage for this profession nationally was $119,840, and the median was $101,340, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jobs you can qualify for with this certificate and RHIA certification include:

  • Clinical Document Integrity Auditor
  • Data Analytics Manager
  • Financial Counselor
  • Health Information Services Director
  • Medical Records Administrator
  • Outpatient Authorization Specialist
  • Patient Access Representative
  • Payment Policy Analyst
  • Physician Coding Liaison
  • Privacy Auditor
  • Risk Assessment Specialist

Certificate Requirements

The length of the program depends on your prior coursework and experience. The certificate’s requirements are 66 credit hours.

However, if you have a bachelor’s degree in the biological or health sciences, or are enrolled in a health-related dual degree, you could finish this certificate in as few as two semesters (27 credit hours minimum).

Credit for prior learning

We want to offer different options for students changing careers to get important qualifications without going over things they already know. These Coursera courses match up with what's needed for certain classes. If you finish these courses and pass, you can get credit for what you've already learned.

The following certificates have been evaluated by faculty and can allow you to earn credit toward the Health Information Management Post-Baccelaureate Certificate.

To earn this credit, students must complete all eight courses in the certificate and the certification process which involves payment to Coursera for the content, verification, and certificate. No other certificates have been evaluated, and therefore this is the only certificate approved for credit.

Equivalent: HIM-M 120 (3cr) Data Organization and Presentation in the Healthcare Environment

Students who have mastered the skills in this class may be successful in testing out of HIM-M 200 (3cr) Database Design for Health Information Management.

To earn this credit, students must complete all six courses in the certificate and the certification process which involves payment to Coursera for the content, verification, and certificate. No other certificates have been evaluated, and therefore this is the only certificate approved for credit.

Equivalent: HIM-M420 (3cr) Healthcare Planning and Information Systems

Students who have mastered the skills in this class may be successful in testing out of HIM-M 462 (3cr) Healthcare Quality Improvement.

Requirements

This plan of study is subject to revision.

See how many of your credits transfer

Our targeted program fits your needs

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Management is designed to help you advance in your profession and increase employment options.

  • A proven track record: This certificate is offered via our school through a program with a 70-year record of success. It’s accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
  • Flexible: You can choose to earn your certificate entirely online, or by attending classes on campus.
  • Affordable: Financial aid eligible.
  • Positions you for success:  Earning this certificate enables you to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) exam. Successfully completing this exam and a CAHIIM-accredited program are required for RHIA certification to work as a health information management professional.

Is this the right option?

IU’s Health Information Management program is based at Indiana University’s Indianapolis campus, the health and life science campus of the IU system. The campus is home to:

  • The IU School of Medicine, the largest medical school in the United States
  • The Regenstrief Institute, an internationally recognized informatics and health care research organization

IU’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Management is a good choice if you:

You can earn our Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in HIM even if you have no background in health care or data analysis. You’ll become a Registered Health Information Administrator by completing most or all of the coursework.

This certificate is a good option for the health care professional with a health-related degree who is seeking a faster path to RHIA certification through transfer credits and credit by prior learning assessment.

If you’ve been hired for a position contingent on completing RHIA certification, or are seeking promotion to a position that requires it, this certificate fits the bill.

For graduates in health sciences, health care management, and related disciplines who haven’t been able to find a position in their major, our certificate prepares you to earn an in-demand credential. Of our HIM students who do not go on to pursue graduate degrees, 93% obtain jobs in the profession after graduation. 

Students enrolled elsewhere

This certificate is a good option for any student enrolled in a bachelor’s–post-baccalaureate dual degree where the bachelor’s is completed at another institution, either in the U.S. or another country.

Note: CAHIIM does not accredit non-U.S. programs.

However, students in non-U.S. programs who take courses from our Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Management during the fourth year of their bachelor’s degree could qualify to take the RHIA exam, leading to RHIA certification.

Contact us to find out if your program qualifies.

Getting started

You can earn this as a stand-alone certificate, or as part of an undergraduate degree. To get started, you’ll need to be admitted to IU Indianapolis as an undergraduate student.

Current students

Contact your advisor to add this certificate to your major.

New students

You will need to apply to IU Indianapolis as an undergraduate student.