Master in Medical Informatics

Master in Medical Informatics is one of 3 English-taught Health Administration programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 2 institutions. 1 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. 1 is at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters. The same programme title is offered at 2 institutions, so compare the content, campus and requirements before you choose.

What you study

The Master's in Medical Informatics at UMIT TIROL is about more than computers in healthcare. The programme's motto is "Informatics for people, informatics with people". You learn to analyse problems in healthcare in interdisciplinary settings and to develop and implement socio-technical solutions.

The first two semesters give you a technical and methodological base in four core subjects: Clinical Information Systems, Health Data & Decision Science, Health Networking and TeleHealth, and Biomedical Technology. Modules include Health IT Project Management and Process Engineering, Software Product Management and Requirements Engineering, Health Data & Decision Science and Machine Learning, TeleHealth and Consumer Health Informatics, Biomedical Technologies and Interfaces, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Medical Informatics. In the second semester you take Health Information Systems and IT Strategy Management, IT Security and Risk Management, Data Integration for Clinical Data Analytics, Clinical Research Informatics and Infrastructures, Certification of Medical Software and Devices, and Applications of Machine Learning in Health Care.

The third semester is for your own profile. You choose from a broad set of courses in Advanced Methods in Medical Informatics (15 ECTS) and work on an Applied Practical Project in Medical Informatics (10 ECTS) with a healthcare facility or a health IT company. You also take Research Methods and Scientific Writing. The fourth semester is for your Master's thesis (30 ECTS) and its defence.

How the programme is organised

The programme is online-based. Teaching combines guided self-study phases with an online lecture block once a week, usually on Friday, without compulsory attendance. There are mandatory work assignments between the lectures. The format is blended learning: classroom teaching and guided self-study together.

You study in small groups. A maximum of 30 students are admitted per year. The programme is accredited by AQ Austria and by the European Federation of Medical Informatics (EFMI). It runs for 2 years (4 semesters) and is accredited as full-time study, starting at the beginning of October. The degree is Master of Science (MSc).

Teaching is research-guided. Research projects are integrated into the programme, and the teaching staff are internationally research-active. You learn through activating learning tasks, complex case studies, small group discussions, competency-oriented examinations, the practical project and the Master's thesis. The programme also builds social competence such as team and project management, methodological competence such as information procurement and analysis skills, and self-competence such as the ability to reflect.

Who it suits

This programme suits you if you want to shape the digitisation of healthcare and are ready to look beyond the technical side. You should be comfortable with interdisciplinary work and with ethical, social and legal questions around information systems. The programme is taught in German and English. Some modules are taught in English, others in German, depending on the topic and the literature covered. Both German and English skills at level B2 are required.

Applicants need a Bachelor's degree of at least 180 ECTS (3 years of full-time study) in medical informatics, computer science, biomedical technology, medical data science or a related field. If your degree is in another field, contact the institution so it can check your eligibility. Every applicant has an admission interview to clarify previous experience, motivation and personal goals. Supplementary examinations can be set to cover missing skills in statistics, epidemiology and medical terminology.

Admission, language and next steps

Applications go directly to UMIT TIROL, not through a central portal. The institution's own page gives the application period and the application link. There is no central application portal.

For German at B2, a school leaving certificate from a German-speaking school or evidence of a German-language course of at least 2 years is recognised. Alternatively, a current language certificate (not older than 2 years, at least B2) works. For English at B2, a positive grade in English on the school-leaving certificate or the last annual certificate from a school in the EU/EEA including Switzerland is recognised, or at least 2 years of study in English. A current language certificate (not older than 2 years, at least B2) is also accepted. If you cannot provide proof in advance, you can show your language skills in the admission interview. If that is not convincing, the study and examination committee can impose a supplementary examination as a condition of admission.

UMIT TIROL is a private university and sets its own tuition fees. The programme page states the fee per semester, and students of UMIT TIROL can apply for state study support. The degree enables entry into doctoral programmes in Austria and abroad, as well as a doctorate at UMIT TIROL, full-time or part-time. The institution offers personal advice at its information afternoons and during the admission process.

The recent year has once again impressively demonstrated the enormous opportunities of digitization in healthcare. Applications such as virtual doctor visits, mobile health apps, intelligent and networked patient records, or "AI" for decision support are essential for sustainable healthcare. New powerful methods of analyzing health-related data enable deep insights for medical research ("data science"). These developments will sustainably advance the healthcare system of the future and change healthcare delivery.

Online Studium mit einzelnen Präsenztagen an der UMIT Tirol.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here UMIT TIROL. Private institutions set their own application periods, admission procedures and fees, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: No. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.