Online Bachelor's in Health Science: Top Programs & More
A bachelor’s in health science is a versatile degree for anyone who wants to work in healthcare but hasn’t decided on a specific career. Degree holders go on to work in public health, health education, and healthcare administration. Use EduMed’s guide to learn about campus and online bachelor’s degrees in health science, including what they entail, how they work online, and which career paths you can take after graduation.
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Featured Online Health Science Bachelor’s Degree Programs
A bachelor’s degree in health science offers a strong foundation for both immediate employment and future education. It prepares graduates for entry-level roles in patient care, research, and healthcare administration while also paving the way for advanced degrees in specialized medical fields.
Many students use this degree as a launchpad for graduate or professional programs in:
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Speech-language pathology
- Physician assistant studies
- Audiology
- Medical, dental, or public health schools
Health science programs are also ideal for online learning, with many schools offering fully online options that combine flexibility with academic rigor. Below are three accredited programs that provide 100% online coursework to help you advance your career in healthcare.
Expert Insight
A major benefit of my health science degree program was that several of the required courses were also prerequisites needed for admission into higher level professional schools, such as physician assistant, nursing, pharmacy and even medical school.
Indiana University
Indiana University’s online Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science is an excellent example of how you can earn your health science bachelor’s through the convenience of online academics at a highly affordable price. Offered through IU’s East, Kokomo, Northwest, South Bend, and Southeast campuses, the 120-credit program is presented 100% online in an asynchronous format, meaning that students can log on and access their coursework at any time.
The program includes two concentration track options: health administration and health education. Students entering the program can transfer up to 64 credit hours from a community college or up to 90 credit hours from a four-year college or university, which can substantially shorten the length of what is typically a four year program.
Duration: Four years
Mode: Fully online
Cost: $257.23 to $378.10/credit (residency dependent)
Admissions Requirements:
- Indiana Academic Honors or CORE 40 high school diploma or comparable high school course credits
- Submit official transcripts
- Complete online application for admission
Curriculum:
- Essentials of the Healthcare Delivery Systems
- Leadership and Management in Healthcare
- Intercultural Health Communication
- Health Policy, Ethics, and Legal Issues
- Population Health, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics
- Research in Health Sciences
- Consumer Health
- Economics of Healthcare
- Informatics
- Grant Writing and Internship
Liberty University
In Liberty University’s Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree program, students take extensive coursework in healthcare administration, financial analysis and management, research and evidence-based practice, and chemistry for health science professionals.
Course content is delivered 100% online. As a new college student, you can complete the program with four years of full-time study.
If you already have college credits, you can transfer in previously completed college coursework totaling up to 75% of degree requirements. A number of financial aid resources are available to those who qualify, including scholarships exclusively for online students.
Duration: Four years
Mode: Fully-online
Cost: $390/credit (full-time); $455/credit (part-time)
Admissions Requirements:
- High school diploma or equivalent (GED)
- 2.0 or higher GPA
Curriculum:
- Medical Terminology
- Introduction to the Health Professions
- Applied Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II
- Chemistry for Health Science Professionals
- Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare
- Introduction to Healthcare Administration
- History of Life
- Environment and Sustainability
- Human Nutrition
- Financial Analysis and Management in Healthcare
- Environmental Science and Policy
- Public and Community Health for Business
- Research and Evidence Based Practice in Healthcare
- Wellness and Behavior Change Theories for Business
- Principles of Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Business
Ohio State University
Ohio State University’s online Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program is designed to prepare you to fill a wide range of entry-level positions in the healthcare field. These positions can include work in areas such as administration, public health, and medical and pharmaceutical sales. Ohio State University’s health sciences program is unique in that it is essentially a degree completion program.
As a student in this program, you’ll enter with 30 previously earned college credits and six additional prerequisite courses either completed or in the process of completion. You will then complete an additional 65 credits of health science courses to earn your degree. All major coursework is delivered online in an asynchronous format, allowing you to log on and complete your degree requirements at any time.
Duration: Varies by student pace
Mode: Fully online
Cost: $507.50/credit (part-time); $6,090/semester (full-time)
Admissions Requirements:
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Completion of or active enrollment in six prerequisite courses or their equivalents
- A minimum of 30 earned college credits post-high school with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
Curriculum:
- Introduction to Health Sciences
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Critical Phases in Life
- Application of Ethical Decision Making in Healthcare
- Contemporary Topics in Health and Society
- Community and Policy Influence in Healthcare
- Individual Differences in Patient/Client Populations
- Management Principles and Human Resources for Healthcare Professionals
- U.S. Healthcare Policy and Delivery System
- Introduction to Pathophysiology
- Health Sciences Research
- Epidemiology in Public Health
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FAQs 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.
Expert Insight
The wide range of courses I took to earn my health science degree helped me develop a number of hard and soft skills, both of which are essential when working in the healthcare field.
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.
Expert Insight
My program included a pre-clinical concentration. This track is very common and prepares students who are planning to continue on to medical, dental, and other health professional schools.
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.
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 healthcare. 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. Here’s a rundown of common career paths health science degree holders take.
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.
This career often requires a master’s in social work (MSW), but a health science bachelor’s can be a great first step.
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
EduMed’s data science team researched more than 7,000 regionally accredited colleges and universities to find the best schools for online health science bachelor’s degrees. The team analyzed each school using a number of quality and affordability factors, including accreditation, 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.
