The degrees for most allied health fields are affordable and faster to complete than medical school, but they do often have in-person labs. If you’re working full-time or have other obligations, it can be tricky to go to campus three to five times a week, making an in-person degree unfeasible. Fortunately, there are many high-quality online programs popping up in the allied health sector. Here are the seven fields you’re most likely to find a virtual degree in.
What are the allied health fields?
Before we get into the best online allied health degrees for remote students, let’s start at the beginning: what are the allied health fields? Allied health professionals assist doctors and nurses. They are responsible for providing patient care, optimizing healthcare systems, and performing administrative duties, depending on their roles.
As that vague description might indicate, the field is vast and changing constantly. As an allied health professional, you could help nurses draw blood in the ER or work on administrative tasks for a private practice. For a better idea of what allied health fields fit your interests, take our free allied health career quiz.
Health Education
If you’re passionate about providing health advice and training to the general public, health education could be the field for you. For a health education degree, most programs are more lecture-heavy, making it easy to complete the entire degree online. After graduating, students enjoy many job opportunities, making an impact on their community, and earning around $59,900 annually.
To learn more about how online health education degrees work, explore these three programs:
- Bachelor of science in health education from Arizona State University
- Online associate of science in public health from the University of Cincinnati
- Online bachelor of science in community health education from Southern New Hampshire University
Typically, these degrees are four-year bachelor’s and often include live virtual class sessions, though some asynchronous degrees or associate degrees exist.
Health Information Management Clerk
Given the large amount of healthcare data, there is a need for more information management and medical records specialists. Typically, these individuals have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, and skills in data analysis. On average, they take home $47,180 a year. Since much of the coursework focuses on information management, completing this degree online is often possible.
For a better idea of how this degree works in a virtual format, check out these three high-quality virtual information management degrees
- Associate of science in health if roto on management from American National University
- Bachelor of science in health information from the University of Central Florida
- Associate of science in health information from Columbia Southern
Human Service Assistant
What do the human services associate degrees at Monroe College and Columbia College have in common? They’re both fully online programs. Human service assistants provide insight and support for families and communities. They work alongside licensed social workers and often make $46,310 annually.
Human service assistants work at the intersection of health and social services, meaning this degree is better suited to those who are interested in both, not just healthcare.
Medical Administrative Assistant
Medical administrative assistants are currently in high demand. After graduating, students in this field can expect to make $37,000 to $45,000 a year and help in administrative tasks in a variety of healthcare settings. Before graduating, students take coursework on medical terminology, administrative duties, and more.
Much of this coursework can be completed online, and as a result, many universities have created 100% virtual programs. These include the online associate of medical administration at Herzing University and Colorado Tech.
While students usually enter the field with an associate’s, they can go back to school and get a bachelor’s and master’s for more career opportunities.
Medical Biller
Medical billers process payments for hospitals, private practices, and insurance companies. Often, these individuals have an associate’s degree in medical billing. Top virtual programs include:
- Associate of applied science in medical billing from Charter College
- Associate degree in medical billing and coding from Keiser University
- Associate of applied science in medical billing and coding from the University of Arkansas Grantham
After graduating, students can expect to make $47,180 annually. There are many upskilling opportunities to learn new healthcare technologies and make even more.
Medical Health and Services Manager
If your goal is to be a healthcare leader, but don’t want to go to medical school, becoming a medical health and services manager may be the right career path. Typically, these managers lead teams and optimize systems for increased efficiency at a hospital, private practice, or other healthcare facility. They are also one of the highest-paid allied health fields.
Since the role is closer to a business degree than a lab-heavy science degree, it’s easy to find online programs. Some standout degrees include:
- Associate of science in healthcare management from Ashworth College
- Bachelor of science in health services from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Master of health services administration from the University of North Texas
Medical Informatics Technician
Healthcare informatics is an in-demand field, with technicians focusing on day-to-day data management. As a medical informatics technician, you spend most of your day at a computer, updating patient records and retrieving files for insurance claims. It’s a great way to impact patients without providing direct care.
Some of the best include the degrees at Seminole State and Saint Paul College.
No matter which allied health field you choose, you should be able to find an online program. Your first step in choosing the right virtual allied health program is to explore each field and decide on the one that’s best for you.
