Health Information Management

Earn a CAHIIM-accredited Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management at UL Lafayette and prepare for the RHIA exam and a career in health data.

If you're interested in a career in health care, but not necessarily hands-on patient care, health information management (HIM) may be right for you. HIM combines health care with the business, management, and technology functions that are vital to patient care and to the overall operations of health care providers.

You'll learn to collect, analyze, maintain, and protect patients' health information, connecting doctors, patients, and insurance providers and helping health care facilities run smoothly and use data for better care. The four-year Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management combines coursework with professional practice experience in a variety of health care settings, and every HIM student also earns a minor in health informatics.

You Should Choose HIM If...

You want a wide range of potential career paths in the extensive health care job market.
You are interested in combining health care with business, management, and technology to help people.
You love exploring and analyzing data.
You want hands-on experiences in classrooms, labs, and health care facilities.

What Can I Do With a Health Information Management Degree?

Anywhere health information is found, there's a need for HIM professionals. Graduates work in hospitals, physician offices, mental health facilities, hospices, home health agencies, surgery centers, long-term care facilities, educational institutions, consulting firms, electronic health record vendors, law offices, government agencies, and insurance companies, in roles such as revenue cycle manager, clinical documentation specialist, privacy officer, data integrity analyst, HIM auditor, and cancer registrar.

Explore HIM career paths

Graduate Ready for the RHIA Exam

After graduation, you'll be prepared to take the certification exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and earn the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential. Our 2025 graduating class achieved a 92% first-time pass rate on the exam, compared to a national average of 67%, and 100% of our 2025 graduates seeking employment were employed within six months.

This program prepares students for licensure or certification within the state of Louisiana. If you plan to move out of state, review the list of licensure programs for important information.

Learn by Doing

Health care in Louisiana is an almost $7 billion industry, and our program connects you to it through professional practice experiences, internships, job shadowing, professional organizations, conferences, and events. Our program provides significantly more hands-on time than the national average.

Professional practice experiences: In your senior year, you'll rotate through two practice sites at area hospitals.
Management internship: Spend four weeks shadowing leadership in health care facilities in Louisiana and other states. Many students secure jobs directly from their internships.

See internship and practicum requirements

Labs and Technology

AHIMA Virtual Lab (VLab): Practice with the same software professionals use, including electronic health records, master patient indexes, encoders, electronic document management systems, and medical coding tools, without putting real patient records at risk.
HIM Computer Lab: V.L. Wharton Hall, Room 504, equipped with Microsoft Office and Microsoft Visio.
Population Health Analytics and Decision Support Lab: V.L. Wharton Hall, Room 453, where you'll explore how to use health care data.

Accredited and Nationally Recognized

Our program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), and it's one of only six programs nationwide, and the first in Louisiana, accredited under CAHIIM's competency-based Future Education Model. Learn about our accreditation.

Combined, our HIM faculty have 80+ years of experience in the field and have been nationally recognized for their contributions to the profession. Our courses are directly influenced by local health care leaders through our Health Information Management Advisory Board.

Our Mission

The Health Information Management program is committed to advancing outcomes-focused knowledge and preparing students for leadership careers in health informatics and information management. We give students the knowledge, skills, and analytical tools to become successful, ethical professionals and well-prepared candidates for the RHIA credential. Our faculty strive for excellence in teaching, research, and professional service, and we encourage professional interaction among faculty, practitioners, and students through local, regional, national, and international organizations.

Progression Requirements

Earn a "C" or better in every course in the HIM curriculum.
Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, as computed by the Registrar, to enter the junior year.
Complete every required course through the junior year with a "C" or better to enter the senior year (professional training).

The College of Nursing & Health Sciences follows a "ten-year rule" that limits how long certain credits will be accepted. Ask your advisor if you have questions.

Get Involved

All HIM majors are encouraged to join the Health Information Management Society (HIMS), and many students present posters at the Louisiana Health Information Management Association's annual conference. Explore student organizations.

See HIM at a Glance | View the Curriculum | Apply Now