Health Information Management (Bachelor of Science)
Domestic Applications
Fall 2025: Apply Now!
Overview
Gain the practical skills and experience needed to move up in your career with the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management. The only one of its kind in Canada, the Health Information Management degree teaches you practical knowledge in health information science, business leadership, project management, information technology and more.
In your third year, choose from concentrations in Information Intelligence, Operational Leadership and Management or take the General stream.
If you don’t meet the prerequisites for the Health Information Management degree, we offer a one-year Certificate in Academic Foundations for Potential Health Information Management Applicants.
Get work experience in the Health Information Management field
During your studies you’ll participate in two internships at regional health organizations as well as a 180-hour supervised practicum in the health, government or private sector.
You can also earn money and get relevant work experience before you graduate with the optional Co-operative Education Program.
Canadian Health Information Management Association Certification
Once you graduate you’ll be eligible to write the national certification exam for the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA). Benefits of joining CHIMA include networking with professionals, seeing the latest in research and best practices, using professional designations that will make you stand out in the job market and more.
Worldwide job opportunities
Once you’re a certified Health Information Management professional, you’ll have the option to work across Canada, in the United States or Australia – provided you submit a college transcript and then write a certification exam for the country you want to work in.
If you’d rather stay in British Columbia, over 17,000 job openings in health information management related careers are expected in B.C. for the next ten years*.
*Source: Work BC’s National Occupational Classifications 2172, 4165, 2171, 1252 and 0311.
The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management program is accredited by the Canadian College of Health Information Management.
Admissions Requirements
I. Academic Admission Requirements
Priority admission to the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management program will be given to students who complete the Certificate in Academic Foundations for Potential Health Information Applicants and meet all admission requirements.
To be eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management (BScHIM) program, students must complete the following required Academic Foundation Certificate courses. The Certificate in Academic Foundation for Potential Health Information Management applicants comprises of 30 university transfer (UT) credits, with a minimum grade of C+ (65%) in each 3 credit course:
- BIOL 1103, BIOL 1203 (BIOL 1109/BIOL 1209 are acceptable equivalent courses)
- ENGL 1130
- HSCI 1100
- BUSN 2429 or MATH 1160 or PSYC 2300
- BUSN 1210
- One 3 credit UT elective course and
- 9 credits in UT Arts/Science electives
Students may apply to the BScHIM program following completion of the required 30 credits listed above. Students are accepted to the BScHIM program on a first qualified, first admitted basis. In the event where students qualify for admission at the same time, but there are fewer program seats available than demand dictates, offers wills be given to those students with a higher GPA on the required courses for admission to BScHIM.
II. Non-Academic Admission Requirements
After successful completion of the required Academic Foundation 30 credits, and with an offer of admission to the second year of the BScHIM program, applicants will be required to satisfy the following criteria (appropriate forms will be provided):
- Admission interview - Applicants may be required to participate in an interview with a representative(s) of the BScHIM program for the purposes of providing additional information and/or for academic advising.
- Criminal Record Check (CRC) (within one year prior to the start of the program) - Students practice in environments that require individuals to provide proof of satisfactory, current CRC for the protection of clients. To meet this requirement, prospective students must submit a current CRC as a condition of entry to the program. All costs related to the completion of the CRC are the responsibility of the applicant.
- Deposit - A non-refundable deposit of $350.00 (applied to tuition) upon acceptance into the Degree program is required.
Cost
Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more.
For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts.
Program Requirements
Graduation Requirements:
- Successful completion of 120 credits
- Completion of the program within ten (10) years once admitted to the BScHIM program
- 45 Upper Level (3000-4000) credits required
- A minimum of 40% of course work must be completed at Douglas College
- A minimum program GPA of 2.33 is required
- A minimum grade of C+ in all HIMP graded courses
- Mastery of all practicum courses is required
Program Requirements:
- A student who has withdrawn from or failed a letter-graded or mastery-graded HIMP course must exit the program. A student may request re-entry and take a course for a second time.
Year 2 to Year 4 Course Requirements:
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| Required Courses: | ||
| BIOL 2200 | Pathophysiology |
3.00 |
| CSIS 2200 | Systems Analysis & Design |
3.00 |
| CSIS 2300 | Database I |
3.00 |
| HIMP 2100 | Health Information Management Principles and Practices |
3.00 |
| HIMP 2120 | Clinical Classifications |
3.00 |
| HIMP 2140 | Health Care Systems in Canada |
3.00 |
| HIMP 2230 | Professional Practice in Health Information Management |
3.00 |
| HIMP 2240 | Health Information Analysis and Reporting |
3.00 |
| HIMP 2250 | Cultural Diversity and Health Information Needs in Canada |
3.00 |
| HIMP 3300 | Health Information Systems and Technology |
3.00 |
| HIMP 3310 | Health Information Systems I |
3.00 |
| HIMP 3340 | Information & Data Management Along the Care Continuum |
3.00 |
| HIMP 4400 | Risk Management Concepts |
3.00 |
| HIMP 4410 | Health Information Systems II |
3.00 |
| HIMP 4420 | Healthare Quality Performance Improvement and Management |
3.00 |
| HIMP 4430 | Fundamentals of Health Research and Epidemiology |
3.00 |
| HIMP 4440 | Health Data Management II |
3.00 |
| HIMP 4502 | Healthcare Information Management Practicum |
6.00 |
| HIMP 4510 | Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare |
3.00 |
| Open Electives* | Electives can be from any subject area (see recommended list below) |
6.00 |
| TOTAL |
66.00 |
|
|
Select One of the following Health Information Management Concentrations: |
||
| General Concentration | ||
| Open Electives* | Electives can be from any subject area (see recommended list below) | 9.00 |
| Open Upper Level Electives* | Electives must be 3000-4000 level (see recommended list below) | 15.00 |
| TOTAL | 24.00 | |
| Information Intelligence Concentration | ||
| CSIS 1175 | Introduction to Programming I | 3.00 |
| CSIS 3290 | Fundamentals of Machine Learning in Data Science | 3.00 |
| CSIS 3300 | Database II | 3.00 |
| CSIS 3360 | Fundamentals of Data Analytics | 3.00 |
| CSIS 3860 | Data Visualization | 3.00 |
| CSIS 4260 | Speical Topics in Data Analysis | 3.00 |
| Open Electives* | Electives can be from any subject area (see recommended list below) | 6.00 |
| TOTAL | 24.00 | |
| Operational Leadership & Management Concentration | ||
| BUSN 3312 | Innovation and Change Management | 3.00 |
| BUSN 3600 | Project Management Essentials | 3.00 |
| BUSN 3610 | Managing Project Communication, Stakeholders and Human Resources | 3.00 |
| BUSN 3620 | Managing Project Time and Scope | 3.00 |
| BUSN 3630 | Managing Project Cost, Quality, Risk and Procurement | 3.00 |
| CMNS 1210 | Communicating and Working Effectively in Groups | 3.00 |
| Open Electives* | Electives can be from any subject area (see recommended list below) | 6.00 |
| TOTAL | 24.00 | |
*1000 - 2000 level electives must be university transferable (courses that transfer to one of the research universities - SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC or UVIC) according to the BC Transfer Guide.
Recommended Elective List
ACCT 3008, ANTH 1120, ANTH 1160, ANTH 2220, BIOL 2401, BIOL 3100, BUSN 3310, BUSN 3314, BUSN 3390, BUSN 3431, BUSN 4410, BUSN 4640, CMNS 1216, CMNS 1217, CMNS 2316, CMNS 2317, CMNS 3500, CMPT 1105, CSIS 1280, CSIS 3380, ECON 1104, HIMP 2210, HIST 1170, HIST 2210, HIST 2270, MARK 1120, MARK 3313, PHIL 1101, PHIL 1121, PHIL 1122, PHIL 3320, POLI 1102, POLI 2202, PSYC 1100, PSYC 1200, PSYC 2300, PSYC 3304, SOCI 1125, SOCI 1145, SOCI 1155, SOCI 2280
Program Guidelines
Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.
Career Pathways
Career opportunities include:
- Health Policy Research and Consultants
- Managers in Healthcare
- Information Systems Analysts and Consultants
- Database Analysts and Data Administration
- Health Data and Information Governance
- Health Information Standards and Terminologies
- Health Law
- Public Health
- Client Services - Clinical Administrative Databases
- Coordinator, Records Management
- Coding Specialist
- HIM Advisor
- Information Management/Information Technology Services