Frequently Asked Questions

General

Yes. The University of South Florida (USF) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, specialist and doctorate degrees.


Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the University of South Florida.

Accreditation means that an institution of higher education has met the criteria of a sound educational program, as determined by the United States Department of Education.


The health informatics accreditor of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for the Master of Science in Health Informatics degree has been affirmed through 2029. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL, 60601; by phone at (312) 235-3255; or by email at info@cahiim.org.

Yes! More than 6.3 million students already pursue higher education through Internet-based learning programs, according to the Babson Survey Research Group’s 2018 report, “Grade Increase: Tracking Distance Education in the United States.” Through interactive and streaming video-based lectures, you can rest assured you’re getting an in-classroom feel with added convenience and the same degree as on-campus students.

The length of each course is eight weeks, offering the ultimate flexibility for professionals like you.

Courses are designed with your busy schedule in mind. There are no set classroom times, providing maximum flexibility for the adult learner. All of your course activities, assignments and exams, however, must be completed by their respective due dates.

University of South Florida graduate students report spending about 12 to 15 hours per course, per week on reading and assignments. When projects, papers or exams are due, that time may increase.

A student success representative can review your transcripts and give you an idea of your expected completion date.

Absolutely! The University of South Florida invites you to take part in graduation ceremonies on campus once you have completed your degree. Because online students receive the same degree as on-campus students, you are welcome – and encouraged – to walk at graduation once you have completed all of your courses. If you cannot attend graduation in person, your diploma will be mailed to you.

Enrollment & Admissions
You can enroll at any time. Classes begin every eight weeks, which means you don’t have to wait long to start working on your degree. Click here to view our academic calendar. Call now before the enrollment deadline passes for the upcoming term.

The University of South Florida does have a provisional admission that allows students to register for two courses, or a maximum of four months, while completing the admissions process. To be officially admitted, however, all documents and transcripts must be reviewed and approved. A formal letter of admission will be sent to your University of South Florida email account. Please note that individual situations vary, and your enrollment services representative can confirm where you are in the admissions process.

Alumni Information

Yes, University of South Florida alumni are eligible to waive the $65 application fee for the health informatics and healthcare analytics graduate programs. 

This waiver shall only apply to the application fee for the USF Health online health informatics/healthcare analytics graduate programs enabled by Bisk. This offer is non-transferable and cannot be applied to previously submitted applications. Applicants will be required to provide a valid usf.edu email address to qualify for the waiver.

For additional support, contact your student success representative or call 855-295-1866.

Cost & Financial Aid

Yes. The University of South Florida accepts numerous financial aid programs for degrees, including all government financial aid. For more information, visit our financial aid page.

Absolutely. The University of South Florida appreciates your service to our nation. For more information on military tuition assistance, visit our military page.

Yes. Because of the University of South Florida’s reputation and accreditation, many employers recognize the value of the university’s degree programs and provide tuition reimbursement. Questions regarding your employer’s tuition assistance policy should be directed to your personnel or human resources director.

These programs do not meet the University of South Florida’s Employee Tuition Program (ETP) guidelines and are not eligible for a tuition waiver. Visit USF’s Educational Benefits page for more information.  

 

The online health informatics and healthcare analytics graduate programs do not meet the eligibility requirements to use the State Tuition Waiver program benefit. For more information, please reference the State Employee Tuition Waiver Programs Frequently Asked Questions document

Support & Accommodations

You will have many academic support tools available to you. Your first and best resource is your instructor. Other resources include your classmates and the online library. You will even have access to online tutoring.

Your student success representative will help you choose the right course(s) for your first session. The student success coach assists continuing students with course selection and registration for future sessions. Additional assistance and career advice is available from faculty, or through a referral from the program director. The academic advisor is Natalie Conklin.

Visit https://www.usf.edu/graduate-studies/policies-procedures/ to view the University of South Florida Student Complaint Resolution Process.

If you have a disability that requires a special accommodation to participate in an online course, you must identify yourself as a person with a disability and request accommodations from the university. Please contact a student success representative at the number below to initiate the identification process and they will provide further details about the process for receiving special accommodations from the university.

You can enroll at any time. Classes begin every eight weeks, which means you don’t have to wait long to start working on your degree. Call now before the enrollment deadline passes for the upcoming term.

Online Experience

Yes. Since all courses are available via the Internet, you are not required to be on campus ­– unless you want to walk with your graduating class.

You may interact with program faculty and classmates through virtual office hours, faculty-monitored chat rooms, discussion boards and email. These technologies help ensure an engaging and rewarding educational experience. This format is an excellent way to meet, collaborate and network with professionals from across the nation and around the world. With dynamic features such as online chat rooms, streaming video, message boards and email, you can enjoy rich, real-time interactions.

All assignments are submitted directly to your professor through the online classroom. Exams are taken online, also through the online classroom.

The online classroom is available via any web browser with an internet connection and a current Windows or Mac operating system. Students must have access to a personal computer, personal access to the internet and a university provided email account. Minimum Requirements – All Systems

  • Access Requirements:
    • Reliable and daily access to a personal computer (PC) from day 1 of class
    • Ability to download/upload documents and files
    • The most recent version of one of the following browsers:
      • Google Chrome (required for exams and quizzes)
      • Internet Explorer
      • Firefox
      • Safari
      • Edge
    • Memory: 4 GB (or higher)
    • Hard Drive: 250 GB
    • Video Card: 512 MB or higher
    • Monitor/Speakers
    • Software: Microsoft Office 2013* or greater: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Project (required for HIM 6664: Healthcare Project Management Course**)
  • Windows
    • Recommended minimum for new system purchase for all students
      • Processor: 5th Gen Intel i5/i7 (3.2 Ghz, 6M) or (AMD equiv)
      • Operation System: Windows 8.1 or greater (64 bit)
      • Network Interface: 10/100/1000 MB Ethernet Card, High Speed Connection: (DSL, ISDN, cable modem, etc.)
    • Minimum acceptable existing system configuration for all students
      • Processor: 3rd Gen Intel i3/i5 (2.8 Ghz) or (AMD equiv)
      • Media Drive: 8x DVD +/- RW
      • Operating System: Windows 7 Pro or higher
      • Network Interface: 10/100MB Ethernet Card, High Speed Connection: (DSL, ISDN, cable modem, etc.)
  • Mac:
    • Minimum acceptable existing system configuration for Mac students
      • Processor: 3.2 GHz Intel Core i5/i7
      • Operating System: macOS X 10.9 or Higher
      • Network Interface: High Speed Connection: (DSL, ISDN, cable modem, etc.)

Some courses may require the use of a Remote Desktop Service and of Citrix Receiver.

*Students may download or access Microsoft Office products using the USF provided student subscription to Office 365.

**Microsoft Project is the main software used in this course. An acceptable alternative to Microsoft Project is ProjectLibre.

Have Questions?

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Academic Calendar

SPRING II – 2024

Application Deadline February 16, 2024
Start Date March 4, 2024
End Date April 28, 2024

SUMMER I – 2024

Application Deadline  April 12, 2024
Start Date  April 29, 2024
End Date  June 23, 2024

SUMMER II – 2024

Application Deadline June 7, 2024
Start Date June 24, 2024
End Date August 18, 2024

FALL I – 2024

Application Deadline  August 2, 2024
Start Date  August 19, 2024
End Date  October 13, 2024

FALL II – 2024

Application Deadline September 27, 2024
Start Date October 14, 2024
End Date December 8, 2024

Get Our Program Guide

If you are ready to learn more about our programs, get started by downloading our program guide now.