Health Informatics and Information Management (HiiM) major is a cross-disciplinary academic program that integrates courses from multiple colleges at Western Michigan University (WMU). It is a major that is developed to prepare students from multiple colleges to meet the rising need in health information management and technology professions. This major is to be administered at the university level and it can be hosted by any college at WMU. At present, HiiM major is offered by two colleges (i.e., College of Health and Human Services and Haworth College of Business). The HiiM major curriculum will be continuously improved and governed by faculty representatives from all hosting colleges. The HiiM major curriculum is composed of three components: 1) The pre-HiiM required courses, 2) The HiiM major core courses, and 3) The elected specialty courses from the hosting college at which the HiiM major receives his/her baccalaureate degree. Altogether, a HiiM major will be required to complete a minimum of 51 or a maximum of 55 credit hours of coursework, depending on the actual courses taken by the student.

To ensure that students are able to complete the baccalaureate degree with sufficient knowledge and skill timely (i.e., within four years for a student admitted to WMU as a freshman), each HiiM major will follow the advice to take courses based on each college proposed four-year curriculum model. With no unforeseen delay or exceptional causes, each HiiM major shall complete his/her baccalaureate degree by taking no more than 122 credit hours at WMU.

A HiiM major will receive his/her baccalaureate degree from the hosting college in which he/she is admitted as a WMU student. Students who complete HiiM major from the Haworth College of Business (HIBJ) will receive a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree, whereas HiiM majors graduating from the College of Health and Human Services (HIHJ) will receive a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.

Admission Requirements

Only the Office of Admissions and Orientation grants admission to Western Michigan University for undergraduate students. Application forms may be obtained from that office or the University’s website at www.wmich.edu.

The Health Informatics and Information Management (HiiM) major is meant to be a niche undergraduate program that provides quality education and high career placement when students complete their degree at WMU. Because the resources required for this major are integrated across colleges and are limited, there is an application process for students seeking admission to the HiiM program. Admission criteria will be determined by a committee that is composed of HiiM faculty advisors from each hosting college.

Applicants will be evaluated for admission at least twice (i.e., fall and spring semesters) based on each applicant’s academic performance. Acceptance will only be confirmed when the student completes the application process and is accepted into the HiiM program. Students who either do not complete the application process or who are not accepted into the program will be removed from any classes that are restricted to HiiM majors. Students accepted into the HiiM program will be designated at a HiiM major (i.e., HIBJ at Haworth College of Business and HIHJ at College of Health and Human Services) to facilitate registration for courses.

To seek admission to the HiiM program in fall semester, student applications must be completed by May 1 and students will be notified of their status no later than June 1. For spring semester admission, students must complete the application process by September 1 and will be notified of their status no later than October 1, Students must begin the application process in the Office of Student Advising and Admissions housed within each hosting college. Any HiiM major applicant must be an eligible WMU student who has been admitted to the hosting college and has completed all pre-HiiM course requirements, and has a minimum GPA of 2.75.

Due to limited program capacity, all applicants are evaluated on a competitive basis in terms of academic performance. In addition, the following materials and criteria may be reviewed and applied:

• Resume
• Statement of Purpose
• HiiM Advisor Interview
• Overall GPA

Acceptance standards are dynamically adjusted based on the available program capacity. Applicants that miss the application deadline will be considered in the next application cycle.