Online Bachelor's Degree in Health Sciences
Find out the benefits of earning a bachelor's degree in health sciences. Learn about online degree options, certification and careers in health sciences.
What Is a Health Sciences Bachelor's Degree?
A health sciences bachelor's degree program aims to teach you about proper health care, how to communicate information to the public and how to implement research into practice. Because this is an interdisciplinary program, you can choose to take general health science courses, such as health care ethics and health services management, or you can focus on a specific area of interest within health care, such as education or community health. Some programs are degree-completion programs, designed for students who have associate's degrees or certificates and for students currently working in health care, including surgical technologists, paramedics, physical therapist assistants and medical assistants.
| Common Courses | Health care ethics, health services management, education or community health |
| Other Requirements | On campus lab courses maybe required in some online degree programs |
| Career Options | Health services manager at a small medical organization or department |
| Median Salary (2020) | $104,280 (for all medical and health services managers)* |
| Job Outlook (2019-2029) | 32% growth (for all medical and health services managers)* |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Why Should I Earn My Degree Online?
One of the benefits of online programs is that some programs offer more flexibility in terms of how long it takes you to complete your degree, possibly resulting in graduating in a shorter amount of time. This is especially true of some health sciences bachelor's programs, because many are tailored towards working students with packed daily schedules.
While online degrees offer many benefits, there are certain things you must take into consideration. Firstly, online degree programs require more self-control because only you will responsible for keeping up to date on your coursework. Secondly, many online programs are offered by for-profit colleges, so you may want to consider if your academic needs will be met by this type of institution. Finally, depending on your major, you may need to take lab courses on campus, so you should make sure you'll be able to travel to campus to meet those requirements.
How Will My Online Degree Help Me?
Earning your degree will prepare you to move on to graduate degree program in a health-related field. Alternatively, you can look for employment after graduation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a bachelor's degree in health sciences could qualify you to work as a health services manager at a small medical facility or department (www.bls.gov). If you're a working professional, a bachelor's degree could also qualify you to earn national certification.