Online Bachelor's in Health Science: Top Programs & More

Featured Online Health Science Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Bachelor’s degrees in health science serve two primary functions. First, they prepare you to fill a wide range of entry-level positions providing patient care, conducting research, and working in healthcare administration and management. Second, they provide you with foundational knowledge and skills you can use to continue to graduate work to prepare for the next stages of your career.

Some post-grad careers you might pursue include physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, physician assistant, audiologist, and postsecondary teacher. Health science bachelor’s degrees can also act as a stepping-stone to medical or dental school.

If you’re looking for a fully online health science bachelor’s program, you’ll discover during your program search that health science study lends itself well to distance learning. In fact, there are lots of programs that feature 100% online courses. Below are three accredited programs that offer fully online coursework.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Health Science Bachelor’s Degrees

Finding the right bachelor’s in health science degree program takes a bit of digging into the details of what each individual program has to offer. To guide your research, here are a few important questions and answers to consider.

What professional skills will I gain in an online health science bachelor’s degree program?

Health science bachelor’s students gain clinical, research, and leadership knowledge and skills that they will be able to apply on their first day of employment and throughout their careers. They include:

• Effective evaluation of healthcare systems, trends, policies, and environments.
• Effective application of professional and ethical principles as they apply to healthcare practice.
• The ability to explain key concepts of epidemiology and identify risk factors associated with the signs, symptoms, and treatment of specific diseases.
• Effective oral and written communication skills on a range of relevant healthcare topics.
• The ability to access information and data systems to meet organizational goals and improve patient outcomes.

What are the main concentrations in online health science bachelor’s programs?

Many bachelor’s degrees in health science students wish to gain specialized knowledge and skills in a particular area within the health sciences field as part of their degree studies. Some programs offer specific concentration tracks that correspond to those areas of interest. Three of the most common concentration tracks are:

• Health Administration: These are for students seeking careers in administration and management of health services entities.
• Health Education: These are for students interested in careers involving the creation, implementation, and evaluation of healthcare education programs and activities.
• Public Health: These are for students seeking careers involving public and global health practices and advocacy.

How long does it take to complete an online health science bachelor’s degree?

A student with no earlier college experience will typically spend four years of full-time study to earn their health science bachelor’s degree. However, an accelerated online health science degree can help you launch your career sooner. A number of other factors may lengthen or shorten your completion time, including:

• Part-time study: Part-time options may require an additional two, three, or more years to complete all degree requirements.
• Asynchronous formats: Asynchronous formats often allow students to take more or less time to complete individual courses and/or total degree requirements.
• Liberal credit transfer policies: These allow students to transfer previously earned college credits that can shorten program lengths.

What is the average cost of an online bachelor’s in health science degree?

Costs of health science bachelor’s degree programs can vary substantially depending on several factors. For example, tuition rates charged by private colleges are often higher than those charged by public colleges. Also, some public colleges charge higher tuition rates to students residing outside the school’s home state. Below are the recent tuition costs for three online health science bachelor’s programs to give you an idea of what you can expect to pay. Keep in mind, though, that your total cost will be higher due to additional program fees and the cost of books and supplies.

• University of Missouri: $647.90/credit
• Southern New Hampshire University: $330.00/credit
• Bellevue University: $449/credit

Can I get financial aid to help pay for my online health science bachelor’s degree program?

There are many online health science programs with financial aid options for qualifying health science bachelor’s students. Those options include scholarships and grants, work-study, employer tuition reimbursement, VA benefits (for military vets), and student loans. Some schools offer payment plans that allow students to pay their tuition over time in monthly installments. The best way to find out about the funding help that’s available to you is by contacting the financial aid offices at each of the schools you’re considering. This is especially important to do before you make your final choice of program.

Career Profile: What Can You Do with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science?

A bachelor’s degree in health science prepares graduates for direct entry into a range of well-paying non-clinical positions throughout the healthcare and health services industries. However, it’s quite common for health science bachelor’s holders to continue their academic paths to obtain a graduate degree for careers in any number of professional practice roles, such as a physical therapist or occupational therapist. Others continue their studies to earn master’s or doctoral degrees, leading to top-tier leadership positions in healthcare administration, advanced research, and postsecondary education. If you’re looking to start your career right after completing your bachelor’s degree in health science, below are five popular options:

Health Educator

Health educators work with individual clients and groups to promote healthier life choices and behaviors. Common tasks include:

• Developing and presenting health education workshops at conferences, community centers, and schools.
• Distributing health education materials.
• Maintaining databases (address lists, telephone numbers, statistics, etc.) to facilitate effective education communication within the community.

Some positions require employees to hold the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) certification.

Medical or Health Service Manager

Medical and health service managers carry out executive and administrative duties at hospitals, clinics, medical practices, and physician groups. Job tasks typically include:

• Planning and administering facility programs and services.
• Hiring and supervising staff and evaluating their work performance.
• Overseeing organizational fiscal operations.
• Managing public relations within their organization’s or facility’s local community.

Healthcare Social Worker

Healthcare social workers counsel patients about their illnesses and injuries and help them to make changes to their lifestyles and behaviors to improve their health and recovery. Common job duties include:

• Collaborating with colleagues in evaluating the health condition of clients and assessing their needs.
• Aiding clients in resolving physical and mental health-related crises.
• Referring clients to available community health, financial, educational, housing, and legal resources.

Health Claims Reviewer

Health claims reviewers work for medical and health insurance carriers. Working as a health claims reviewer requires strong research and investigative skills along with a detailed knowledge of medical billing and coding practices. Their job tasks typically involve:

• Reviewing and assessing the legitimacy and reasonableness of claims.
• Authorizing payments and denying claims were appropriate.
• Referring questionable claims for further investigation.

Medical Sales and Marketing Representative

Medical sales and marketing representatives work for providers of medical and healthcare products and services (pharmaceuticals, medical devices, etc.). They may also work for insurance companies as health insurance sales reps. Medical sales and marketing reps require a deep understanding of the healthcare industry and the products and services they’re selling, as well as strong communications skills to develop and maintain working relationships with clients. Their job duties can include:

• Communicating with hospital personnel, physicians, healthcare executives, and clinics to increase the visibility of their company’s products and the volume of their sales.
• Promoting medical equipment, products, and services to potential buyers.
• Establishing and maintaining relationships with customers.

Ranking the Best Online Bachelor’s in Health Science Degrees

We’ve surveyed the current landscape of online bachelor’s in health science programs and ranked the best programs to help you find your ideal online bachelor’s in health science degree. Our choices were made by considering various student-focused program elements that include academic quality, curriculum depth and breadth, affordability, study convenience, the availability of student support services, and more. For more information on our selection methodology, click the “About the Rankings” button.