This course is an independent study to demonstrate your mastery of the health informatics master’s curriculum. There is no syllabus for the class as each project/thesis is different, yet a detailed guide is published on our website.
You can enroll in 1, 2, or 3 credits for the course. Carefully consider how much time you can devote weekly to the project/thesis. A graduate independent study averages about 8 hours per credit.
What do I need to submit at the end of the semester to get a passing grade?
Most are defined in your pre-assessment form but in general:
- 1 credit = lit review, background, and proposed approach
- 2 credits = same as 1 credit + method development and data collection.
- 3 credits = all the above plus analysis and write-up for publication and presentation.
Hence adjust the number of credits you enroll for according to what you are sure you can complete. And do not forget, you are leading the project or thesis. The faculty is here to guide you throughout the process.
Thank you for enrolling in INFO-B 691 to cap your master’s education. Each of you has a different topic and approach, yet many will encounter similar problems. Share and discuss with your peers in your and other sections of B691.
No grade Incomplete (I) will be given for this course.
Thesis: If your goal is to earn a Ph.D. and enter academia, completing a master’s thesis is likely to better prepare you for doctoral research and dissertation, in terms of research design; qualitative and or quantitative methods; and understanding the related academic literature in your field.
Project: If you plan to go into industry, you may be better served by doing a master’s project in collaboration with an industry partner. If an industry partner is not available, choosing a project in your area of career interest is advised. You’ll be able to apply your project work directly in practice, and it will improve your skills in achieving outcomes that will prove valuable to your career.
What to expect
By the end of the first year, the student will select a master’s project/thesis committee chair who is a member of the graduate faculty, has an appointment in our school and is authorized to chair a master’s project/thesis. This individual will assume responsibility for advising the student about course selection, graduation requirements, and master’s project procedures.
- Project/thesis possibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Developing a project that fits into a larger framework
- Conducting a Systematic Review
- Designing and implementing a piece of an ongoing research project
- Conducting a substantial background literature review
You will be responsible for understanding how to perform all required components of your project/ thesis, which may require you to independently pursue additional learnings outside of the standard course materials. You will need to keep your Committee chair informed of any specific areas requiring additional learnings.
If a master’s project or thesis is related in any way to your professional work, you must describe for your advisor how that topic and your job are distinct. You must be able to explain how the work you’re doing as a part of your master’s project or thesis goes above and beyond what you ordinarily do for your job.
General Guidelines
- Students must have a brief project or thesis plan before meeting with an advisor.
Need help coming up with ideas? Plan to attend the project workshop held weekly by the HI program.
- Students can start working on their project or thesis after the first year, but can only earn credit for it after completing the required course work (27-33 hours).
- Complete and submit the Pre-Assessment Form, and get the form signed and approved by the master’s project/thesis Committee chair before registering for INFO-B 691.
- Enroll for either the INFO B691 Project or INFO B691 Thesis class under the committee chair to proceed with the work.
- Note: Approval from the IU Indianapolis Institutional Review Board (IRB) is required if you plan to conduct a study using human subjects or clinical data in any way.
Many informatics projects will be exempt from full IRB review. However, the IRB must grant the exemption. Research with human subjects that is not approved by the IRB constitutes scientific misconduct and is subject to disciplinary action. The student is responsible for obtaining IRB approval. This process should be started as soon as possible during the first step of master’s work. Direction on how to get approval or exemption by IRB can be found at Kuali Coeus (KC) on OneStart.
