Program description
The Bachelor of Science in Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) at Bowie State University (BSU) focuses on public and population health data, information, knowledge processing, usage, and management. It is designed to prepare students for careers in public health informatics. Graduates may work as public health informatics specialists, health system analysts, health data analysts, managers, consultants, or designers/developers in the different health systems, hospitals, academia, insurance, pharmacy, and other organizations and industries.
The Program goals/objectives are:
• To educate, train and place students in PHIT in a variety of health care settings including federal government agencies, public health agencies, public health-focused non-profits including non-profit health and medical associations, hospitals, physician group practices, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance companies.
• To increase the number of public health professionals trained in public health and informatics.
• To increase the number of underrepresented communities within the public health IT workforce.
• To prepare graduates for graduate studies and industry certifications from AHIM: RHIA (Registered Health Informatics Administrator) CHDA (Certificated for Health Data Analyst), CHPS (Certified in Health Care Privacy and Security).
Program outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes:
After completion of the program, students will be able to:
1. Explain core public health organizations, functions, workflows, data, associated theories,
methods, best practices and ethical and legal issues such as privacy and security.
2. Perform data management including data collection, curation, and integration in support of
population and public health operation, planning and decision-making.
3. Prepare and produce data products such visuals, dashboards and models for surveillance and
health assessment functions using appropriate data management and analytic tools such as SQL,
Python, Tableau and MS Power BI.
4. Evaluate and select health information technology and applications including electronic health
record (HER), electronic medical record (EMR), personal health record (PHR) and Registries.
5. Utilize strategies and solutions that ensure privacy, confidentiality, security, and integrity.
6. Apply informatics standards appropriately for system interoperability and
data/information exchange and contribute to standards development and deployment efforts.
7. Apply project management principles to manage and direct health informatics projects.
8. Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, using reports, technical
documents and presentations.
9. Discuss ethical application of AI in public health.
10. Undertake research in PHIT including studying factors that affect global health.
