Skip to main content

Computer Science with Healthcare Information Technology

As a computer science with healthcare information technology major, you’ll learn what it takes to function as a fully capable software developer in any professional environment, but specifically tailor your skills to the rapidly expanding healthcare IT field.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science offers two major programs in computing: a Bachelor of Science in computer science and a Bachelor of Science in computer science with healthcare information technology.

Computer science and computer science with healthcare information technology have a common set of core courses for the first two years of study, and the majors diverge for the upper-level courses, with computer science majors acquiring a strong understanding of how and why technology works, while healthcare information technology majors focus on learning how to apply technology to healthcare-related industries.

Major in Computer Science with Healthcare Information Technology: See Undergraduate Bulletin page.

Group of students walking in front of the Administration Building with Rodman Hall in the background in the spring

Program Overview

The computer science with healthcare information technology major provides a rigorous and broad education. The program includes courses on software development, database systems, computational modeling, and other foundational and advanced areas.

In addition, students:

  • Learn medical terminology in an IT context.
  • Earn HIPAA certification.
  • Work with software, tools, and standards in IT-specific to the healthcare field.
  • Build software systems for healthcare professionals

The capstone experience for the major is interning with healthcare IT professionals. Our students have built valuable connections through internships at the Cleveland Clinic, the MetroHealth System, and other prestigious healthcare organizations.

Students walking across campus on a spring day

Program Partnerships

Students majoring in computer science with healthcare information technology benefit from a special partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. John Carroll students complete prestigious healthcare IT internships at the Clinic. These internships were established in collaboration with JCU alumni who work at the Clinic. In addition, students conduct software engineering projects for the Clinic during their senior seminar. These projects have included a tool that enables collaborative diagnoses of medical images by several radiologists, and a tool to quickly access supporting images and data to aid in radiological diagnoses.

John Carroll University is a supporting collaborator of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Innovation Center, located in the Global Center for Health Innovation in downtown Cleveland. This partnership provides our students and faculty with access to resources and leaders in the healthcare IT industry. This includes opportunities to participate in events such as the annual IHE Connectathon, which brings together hundreds of healthcare IT vendors and experts to test healthcare devices and verify they meet information exchange standards.