Bachelor's degrees in health science

What jobs can you get with an online bachelor's in health science degree?

A bachelor's in health science program can help prepare you for numerous types of jobs in the healthcare industry, like medical services manager, clinical research coordinator, community health worker, or wellness coordinator. These professionals usually work in healthcare facilities or community health centers.

You could also work in pharmaceutical or medical equipment sales or manage medical sales teams. While some of this work might be in an office setting, you may need to travel to medical offices or hospitals to pitch and close sales.

Depending on your role, your responsibilities might include:

• Analyzing community health data to identify areas of improvement
• Developing health and wellness programs for communities
• Setting sales goals for medical equipment sales
• Recruiting healthcare team members
• Developing goals to improve patient care quality

Salary expectations and career outlook for health science graduates

Medical services managers — a top career for health science bachelor's graduates — earn an annual median salary of $110,680 as of May 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Those with professional licenses, certifications, or several years of experience may earn more than their peers.

Some employers may also require a master's degree in health science or a related field, especially for top-paying, executive-level roles in healthcare administration.

The BLS projects a 29% job growth rate for medical services managers from 2023 to 2033, which amounts to approximately 160,600 potential new jobs.

What can you learn in an online bachelor's in health science program?

An online health science bachelor's program teaches practical and professional skills for work within the healthcare industry. After graduating, you'll likely be prepared to work in several fields, such as health administration, health informatics, research, public health, or community health.

These programs usually require 120 to 128 credits and take about four years to complete. You'll complete courses like medical terminology, human anatomy, medical ethics, epidemiology, global healthcare systems, and contemporary issues in healthcare.

Some programs offer optional concentrations to help you define your healthcare specialty, such as:

• Aging health studies
• Biological health studies
• Exercise and movement science
• Health information technology
• Occupational and behavioral studies

Related bachelor's degrees in health science

• Bachelor's in health administration: A health administration program helps prepare you for administrative roles in healthcare, like nursing home administrators or quality improvement coordinators. You'll explore healthcare statistics and trends, healthcare policy, and management strategies.
• Bachelor's in public health: A public health bachelor's program teaches you to prevent and respond to public health challenges within communities. Common topics include health behavior theory, health program evaluation, and health in rural communities.
• Bachelor's in nursing: Prepare for a nursing career with this program, which covers direct and indirect patient care skills. Earning this degree requires in-person clinical experience to apply your skills in real patient care situations.

Further education in health science

A bachelor's in health science degree can be a springboard to further education opportunities in healthcare, like a master's in healthcare program or a master's in health administration program. Graduates can also pursue graduate degrees in fields like health informatics, exercise physiology, public health, or community health.

Medical school or physician assistant school is also a potential pathway for health science graduates.