The health care pathway provides additional computer foundation courses, while the technology pathway includes coursework in human anatomy, physiology and medical terminology.
“The program is actually a combination of both technology and medical,” she said. “If people already have the medical, then all they have to do is get the technology. If others already have the technology skills, then what they really need is the medical background, so that’s why there’s two pathways.”
The university’s CIT department, a part of Miami’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, will provide leadership for the program.
Approved by Chancellor Jim Petro of the Ohio Board of Regents, the “two-plus-two” degree is geared toward people who have associate degrees, “although if they don’t, they can get one first and continue,” she said.
Students will complete a core curriculum, including courses in information management, retrieval and security, project management, health information technology and global issues in information technology. Students also will complete a project that will allow them to apply their health/IT skills, she said.
A degree in this area is “a big deal right now,” Bishop-Clark said.
“The federal government is putting a whole lot of money into getting medical systems up to speed with technology,” she said. “Over the next five to 10 years, we should see a huge demand in this area. Miami University is basically putting a degree together to satisfy this need.”
About the Author
