2023 Best Online Health Sciences Degrees

Overview of Online Health Science Degrees

Bachelor's degrees in health science are designed for students who are interested in healthcare occupations. Enrollees can pursue an online health science degree to study patient care coordination, leadership, and public health policy.

Some students begin their college experience studying for a bachelor's degree, while many others first earn an associate degree in a specialization, such as nursing, medical assisting, or laboratory science. These alumni with associate degrees can enroll in a two-year completion program to earn their online bachelor's. To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science, students typically need to earn a total of 120 credit hours, and first-year students may need four or more years to graduate.

What Is a Bachelor's in Health Sciences Degree?

Faculty design bachelor's degrees in health sciences to teach the structure and function of the U.S. healthcare system from a multidisciplinary perspective. These degrees also emphasize soft skills that students can use regardless of their chosen healthcare career. 

Online health science degrees are mainly asynchronous, with classes that don't meet at set times. Some online programs may have live video class meetings, and others are hybrid programs with a mix of online and in-person elements. Schools may use online laboratory simulation software, but they could require students to complete lab work with designated equipment at home or at an approved facility.

Degree-Completion Programs

Bachelor's degrees in the health sciences are often degree-completion programs. This means that they're designed for students who already hold a certificate or associate degree. Candidates transfer credits they've earned into the bachelor's degree program and complete any necessary courses at the new school.

Degree-completion health science programs usually require an applicant's certificate or associate degree to be in an allied healthcare field. Allied health professionals help doctors and nurses with specialized aspects of patient care. Although COVID-19 has stressed the healthcare workforce, it's also inspired a new generation to join the ranks, so allied health programs remain popular.

Here are some allied health certificates and associate degrees that can lead to growing occupations:

• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Dental Assistant
• Medical Assistant
• Medical Biller and Coder

What's the Difference Between Health Science, Healthcare Administration, and Public Health?

An undergraduate degree in health science is similar to a bachelor's in healthcare administration and bachelor's in public health and many of the same courses are included in the curricula for these three degree programs. However, subtle differences in the educational outcomes may lend themselves to some occupations more easily than others. The following distinctions may be helpful to students when they're deciding which type of degree to pursue.

Degree Requirements

Administrations design health science bachelor's degrees to last four years, but many students take more than four years to finish. Degree-completion programs can take as little as two years to complete. 

Most schools require students to complete 120 credit hours, split between general education and major courses. Students in degree-completion programs can typically transfer up to, but no more than, 90 credits from their original institution. Because health sciences is a broad subject, programs often feature a choice of specialized concentrations, such as healthcare leadership, public health, and health policy. 

As a science-focused major, students in a health sciences program typically take a few courses that require laboratory work. Many schools also help health sciences students secure optional or required internships, externships, or other field placements to gain practical work experience in a medical facility or policy agency. 

Common Courses

While the curriculum for an online health science program focuses primarily on healthcare administration, it also addresses the forces that shape health services, public policy, and the various healthcare professionals involved. Coursework also helps students develop valuable critical thinking and communication skills. Most programs culminate in a one- or two-semester capstone course or senior seminar, which allows students to apply what they've learned in real-world settings. This may be in the form of an internship at a healthcare-related agency or organization, or it may be a research-oriented capstone project. 

The following courses are often included in an online health science degree program:

Concentration Options

Many schools offer areas of concentration as part of their online health science programs. Students often select a concentration to study a subject of personal interest, set themselves apart as well-qualified candidates for particular jobs, and/or position themselves for acceptance into graduate school. In health science, concentrations sometimes require courses, such as electives, from other fields besides health. Some of the more common concentrations include the following.

Admissions

Your college application timeline usually begins several months before you start classes. Enrolling for the fall term means applying to college sometime between November and February.

You'll need to follow one of two paths to apply, depending on the type of program you're interested in. Here's what many schools require for a traditional bachelor's degree track:

• Official high school or GED transcripts, usually showing a minimum GPA of 2.0
• A letter of recommendation from a teacher
• A personal statement on education and career goals
• Official ACT or SAT scores, with a minimum that varies by school

And here are typical requirements for a degree-completion program:

• Official high school or GED transcripts
• Official certificate or associate transcripts from any postsecondary school you've attended, usually showing a minimum 2.5-3.0 GPA and an allied health major
• Two letters of recommendation from professors
• A personal statement on education and career goals

No matter which option you choose, each college application will cost $30-90 to process.

What Can You Do With a Health Sciences Degree?

A health sciences education can help you start down a number of educational and career paths. Health sciences is a broad field of study, so many students use this bachelor's degree as a foundation for a career that requires an advanced degree, but others seek work at the bachelor's level.

It can be tough to decide which healthcare occupation is right for you, so we've laid out a few options below.

Health Science Careers

A health sciences bachelor's degree might qualify you for several healthcare occupations. For example, as a degree-completion program graduate, you might use your new degree to improve your chances for promotion or salary increases in an allied health field. You may even pursue management positions in medical billing and coding, health information technology, or medical assistant roles.

You could also seek a new occupation after earning your degree. Here are a few possible career options:

• Doing research as a clinical laboratory technologist
• Supervising administrative teams as a medical and health services manager
• Getting certified as a recreational therapist and helping patients improve their wellness through fun activities

Certifications and Licensure

Very few professionals in health science need licensure to practice, except for nursing home administrators. In the U.S., these professionals must apply to their state boards and pass an exam administered by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards to become licensed. Assisted living facility managers may also be required to obtain licensure in some states.

Some health science professionals may decide to pursue one of the many optional certifications available. Certification adds credibility to an individual's qualifications and may make a person more attractive as a job candidate, especially when applying for advanced or specialized roles in healthcare management. Below are some examples of healthcare certifications that may help professionals advance their career after graduation.

FAQs About Programs in Health Sciences

What Else Should You Consider?

The cost of your online bachelor's degree is important but won't be your only consideration. Ask yourself the following questions for every school you research to see if it meets your expectations. 

Is the School Institutionally Accredited?

Institutional accreditation refers to an independent review agency giving a stamp of approval to a college. This approval indicates that the school is regularly checked for the quality of its curricula, faculty, administration, and student services.

Institutional accreditation used to be called either regional or national accreditation, but this distinction has gone away in recent years. Individual degree programs can also receive accreditation from agencies that focus on a narrow specialty. But there aren't any recognized accreditors for the broad health sciences major, so this isn't a concern for bachelor's degrees in this subject.

What Would My Dream College Offer?

Some colleges are known for robust student services, such as widely available tutoring, digital library access, or accessible and caring career counselors. Other schools may feature diverse student bodies, comprehensive disability accommodations, or deep alumni networks in your field. Figure out your must-have and nice-to-have features, then compare them across colleges.

Should I Study Online?

Some people need the structure of on-campus learning to succeed, but others prefer the flexibility and convenience of online learning. You likely don't need to worry about what employers think: More than ever, online degrees are respected by recruiters and professionals.