To start with, can you become a nurse with a health science degree? Yes!

Numerous in-demand careers, such as those as a nurse, physician assistant, health advocate, and more, are accessible to you with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science!

The healthcare industry is expanding, offering a range of chances for students to pursue rewarding career paths that have a positive impact on people’s lives.

For more information, continue reading.

What Is Health Science?

In contrast to basic sciences like biology, physics, and chemistry, which frequently study subjects unrelated to health, health science focuses on specific health-related issues. Although this type of science focuses specifically on health issues and their outcomes, it is a broad interdisciplinary field that includes both natural science and behavioral science.

Programs in health sciences combine laboratory science with courses that are crucial for comprehending population health, the reasons why people make unhealthy decisions, and outside forces that have an impact on a person’s health.

According to health science faculty, programs in this field typically require coursework in health-related social science disciplines like epidemiology, sociology, and psychology. Health science professors explain that degrees in the field frequently require a large number of public health classes and that they also frequently require coursework in nutrition and exercise science.

Students may also study health policy or the business of providing medical care through programs in this field. According to professors, specific health issues like communicable diseases may be covered in health science courses.

According to Gary Liguori, dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Rhode Island, studying health science typically encompasses a much wider range of topics than the technical education necessary to work as a specific kind of healthcare provider. According to Liguori, programs typically have a ton of preventative health coursework to go along with their material on disease treatment.

Experts say that one of the main advantages of earning a health science degree over another degree in the health field is that it exposes students to a variety of health-related fields, which can help them choose the kind of health career they want to pursue.

Health Science Careers

Scholars in the field of health sciences claim that a degree in the field could be useful for a wide range of health professions—so many, in fact, that it would be impossible to include them all in a succinct list. It should be noted that some of the occupations, such as medicine, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, call for clinical training and graduate education beyond what a health science bachelor’s degree can offer. Additionally, many positions in the field call for certification.

• Behavior analyst.
• an individual who works in public or community health.
• Doctor.
• a professional in hearing aids.
• Health educator.
• advisor for mental health.
• advocate for medical care.
• pharmacy salesperson.
• Occupational or physical therapist.
• Registered medical sonographer for diagnosis.
• certified radiologic technician.
• or associate in research.
• Registered dietitian.

“Although each has a more official title in their particular discipline, graduates of health sciences are frequently referred to as “technologists” in the professional world, according to Karen Dielmann, dean of health sciences, sciences, and humanities at the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences.

The typical wage for a U.S. worker, according to PayScale worker with a bachelor’s degree in health science is $63,000. See more about What Is Gap Health Insurance?

The Health Science Field Is Evolving

Health science is a relatively new academic field that first emerged in the early 21st century and has grown in popularity since then, according to Stefan Czerwinski, director of the division of health sciences at Ohio State University’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. According to Czerwinski, there were not as many health science programs available 15 years ago as there are today.

“They are beginning to appear across the nation, but few universities have had them for very long, according to him. “Therefore, I believe that one of the problems is simply spreading the word about these programs and the fact that they are excellent preparation for graduate study and careers in health.”

Since health graduate degrees frequently concentrate on a specific aspect of health, such as occupational therapy, rather than an interdisciplinary approach, experts say bachelor’s degrees in the field are more common than graduate credentials. There are, however, some master’s and doctoral programs in health science that are broadly based.

“According to Czerwinski, OSU’s health sciences M.S. program “tends to be more of a general degree that our students kind of design on their own based on their interests.” and Ph.D. degrees.

Some administrators of health science programs claim that their courses frequently focus on a single area of the field.

Rivka Molinsky, associate dean of students and innovation at Touro College’s School of Health Sciences in New York, points out that the school’s graduate programs cover a wide range of clinical specialties, including mental health counseling and physician assisting.

Careers Related To Health Science

Coursework for entering the healthcare industry is available in a health science major. Physician assistants, nurses, public health educators, dieticians/nutritionists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists are just a few of the medical and allied health professions included in the diverse health science career cluster. The majority of students will continue their education and training after earning their bachelor’s degree in order to pursue one of these clinical careers.

A health science major can also lead to a variety of rewarding non-clinical positions like researcher, public health educator, or health policy advocate. Students’ background knowledge of the healthcare system is strengthened through the interdisciplinary course combination, which is essential in these careers in healthcare administration.

Over 2 million new jobs are expected to be added in the healthcare sector between 2019 and 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In actuality, the top industry adding jobs to the economy is predicted to be the healthcare sector. With this enormous expansion in the healthcare industry, a bachelor’s degree in health science opens up a wide range of career opportunities.

Majoring In Health Science At Pace University

Your healthcare career goals can be accommodated by the Health Science major at Pace University. You can choose a Generalist, Pre-Physician Assistant, or Pre-Nursing track while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Health Science.

You can choose a concentration in Global Health or Health Policy and Advocacy within those tracks for pre-physician assistant preparation. Both concentrations are available to students in the Generalist and Pre-Nursing tracks, if they so choose.

Health Science Career Preparation

When you major in health science at Pace, you can take advantage of exciting opportunities both on campus and all over the New York metropolitan area. Every student majoring in health sciences completes an internship during their senior year that relates to their future professional interests.

Students majoring in health science at Pace’s Pleasantville campus benefit from a simulation lab and other amenities provided by the health science hub. Students can prepare for modern careers in these recently renovated spaces.

The End

Students interested in healthcare but unsure of the precise career path they want to follow after earning their bachelor’s degree may find that majoring in health science is a good option. An internship that allows you to gain practical healthcare experience is one of the many benefits of a health science degree. Students who major in health science either pursue graduate education to prepare for a specific clinical role or enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

Many thanks for reading.