Online Health Sciences Degree Programs, Schools & Resources Online

Introduction

Health science is the study and research of the human body and health-related issues in addition to improving health and preventing and curing diseases. The core of health programs is on science, but the major deals with applying the results of scientific investigation. Students can continue with graduate studies in fields like occupational therapy, physician assistance, nursing, podiatry, optometry, physical therapy or into more advanced medical sciences. Health degrees hold the appeal of helping people every day using advanced technology to help diagnose, prevent and treat disease.

Health Sciences Books

Health degrees vary so much that reading materials really depend on the course. Introductory classes in health science could read Introduction to Health Physics by H. Cember. Radiology courses may need to read Fundamentals of Nuclear Science and Engineering by K. Shultis and R.E. Faw, while future pharmacists will probably read J.G. Hardmanís Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. Public health courses will likely read Introduction to Community Health by J.F. McKenzie, R.R. Pringer and J. Kotecki. Many classes do not even use textbooks, relying solely on recently published findings in the health community.

Health Sciences Research

Health majors will often have to read articles or published studies concerning their area of focus. Students can access articles, medical journals and other publications through the schoolís science library. Use databases such as MDConsult, the Public Health Image Library, BioOne, BioWizard and PubMed.

The other kind of research health science majors take part in is hands-on programs, such as internships, that let students conduct biomedical projects in laboratories on-campus. Some schools require students to participate in internships get a hands-on approach and work with other health care professionals.

Online Health Science Degree FAQs

Are Online Health Science Programs Available?

Many schools offer online health science programs so that busy adults can find the time to earn degrees that can take their careers to the next level. Between work and family, it can be very difficult for non-traditional students to find the time to earn a bachelor's degree.

Distance learning and online classes give you the chance to finish assignments at your own pace. Many students decide to earn degrees part-time. While it will take you longer to get your degree when you study part-time, it can also leave you with the time that you need for all of the other responsibilities in your life.

Which Online Health Science Program Should I Choose?

You should choose an online class that uses the latest Internet technology to replace classroom instruction. Many programs use chat rooms, email, video presentations and virtual classrooms to ensure that non-traditional students get the same educational benefits as those who study on campus.

Contact your school to get more information about their online programs. Find out how many required classes are available online, how long the program is, if there is a difference in tuition and if you will have to take some classes on campus.

Some students worry that employers will discriminate against degrees earned online. Most schools give their non-traditional students the same diplomas as those who study on campus, however, you should verify this with the school before enrolling.

What Can I Do With a Health Science Degree?

Many health science graduates pursue careers as dental hygienists, medical assistants, biomedical equipment techs, health information managers, medical record technicians, veterinary assistants, nursing aides, pharmacy technicians, health education and other healthcare related positions.

The Health Science Curriculum

Health science students typically take classes that cover topics like public health, economics, disease, healthcare systems, healthcare regulations, management, public speaking, corporate finance and ethics. Most programs give students the opportunity to take elective classes as well so they can concentrate on subjects that interest them most.

General Information About Health Science Degree Programs

Health sciences programs help prepare students for careers in the health care industry or for graduate studies in health-related fields. The development of health science programs has required figuring out what kind of undergraduate training a student should receive, especially since many health care jobs now need a graduate degree, all of which can be attained from an accredited school or college. As a result, the degree is often interdisciplinary and can go by other names, such as health science, biomedical sciences or physiology.

One of the reasons health degrees are becoming more popular is the flexibility of career choices after college. Students can either choose a specialization or take classes that will give them a general background for health they can later use to pursue careers in medicine, pharmaceuticals, dentistry or public health.

Coursework In Health Sciences

Coursework includes classes in biology, mathematics and chemistry, along with more specialized courses with a focus on human anatomy, neuroscience, microbiology, physiology, gerontology, medical terminology, quantitative methods, nutrition, occupational health, statistics, science writing and bioethics. Health science majors do not usually take the advanced courses in botany and invertebrate biology because the focus is on human biology.

Other classes focus on patient care, medical research and health promotion and education. The courses a health science student takes will ultimately depend on their concentration. For example, many programs have a track that a student follows for a career in something specific within the realm of health care, such as public health administration or physical therapy.

Earning a Health Degree Online

While earning a health degree online is not impossible, it is difficult because it requires an interactive learning experience in labs. Health administration degrees are more feasible and are available at a number of online educational institutions.

Online degrees allow students the flexibility of studying on their own time and from any location with an Internet connection. Check with the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools to make sure the online programs are accredited. Also, look into community colleges that offer an associate's degree in two years that can be transferred to another school.

Bachelor Of Science In Health Sciences

The Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences is designed to prepare students who are interested in furthering careers in medicine, public health or biomedical research. Courses will include basic sciences along with molecular, cellular and developmental biology. Some universities offering undergraduate programs in health science include Stony Brook University, University of Colorado, University of California Santa Cruz, Ohio State University and Marquette University.

This kind of program encompasses more specialties compared to other majors, since the field of health care is much broader. Many students will find schools that offer concentrations or tracks that segue into other aspects of health care, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiology, pharmacology, physiology and more.

Master Of Health Science

The Masterís in Health Science (MHS) degree is for students who want to advance a career in the field of health care, particularly as a senior health policy executive. These programs, which can last up to three years, allow students to work closely with doctors, nurses, surgeons and public settings like hospitals and clinics to learn more about health sciences and organization of a medical business. Coursework may include advanced levels of human anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, occupational biomechanics, pathophysiology and pharmacology.

Master In Health Administration Or Public Health

The Master in Health Administration (MHA) or Public Health is a graduate degree designed for students that want to advance their careers into a senior managerial position within a hospital, non-profit or health service organization. Study involves coursework in health sciences and applied experience in health care economics, health policy, management, organizational behavior, marketing, communications, human resources, operations, information systems and leadership. Some schools offer joint MHA/MBA degrees, while others have similar programs in public health.

Career Opportunities In Health

The health care industry is one of the fastest growing job markets in the country and therefore is one of the best businesses to find a job. Health degrees can lead to a number of career opportunities, including pharmacist, physical and occupational therapist, podiatrist and radiological and anesthesiology technician.

Other employment opportunities for health science majors include personal trainer, rehabilitation specialist, physical education, sports medicine, fitness instructor, dietician, chiropractor, nutritionist, physiologist and medical technician.

Earning Potential For Health Careers

The earning potential for someone with a degree in health sciences depends on what kind of career he wants. Physical therapists can earn anywhere from $63,000 to $73,000, whereas an occupational therapist can make anywhere from $59,000 to $71,000. Optometrists can earn a salary of up to $118,000 while physiologists can make up to $48,000. Those who earn a Masters in Health Administration can expect a median salary of $73,900.

External Links and Resources

Online Health & Health Science News

• Science Daily
  "ScienceDaily is one of the Internet's leading online magazines and Web portals devoted to science, technology, and medicine."
• New York Times
  The New York Times page on health related news
• National Public Radio
  Health and Science related news on NPR (National Public Radio)
• Time.com
  Time Magazines page on Health and Science news.
• SciCentral.com
  A reliable online science newspaper with well maintained Health Sciences and Biosciences pages.

Journal Databases

Internet Scientific Publications
A large database providing free access Medical Journals on a wide variety of subjects.

Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship
A quarterly publication of the Science and Technology Section, Association of College and Research Libraries. ISTL publishes substantive material of interest to science and technology librarians.

Priory Medical Journals
Priory Medical Journals is a UK based journal that provides free access to a substantal number of health and medical related research, case reports, meta analyses, review articles, computer programs and other media, with an archive ranging from 2008 back to 1994 when the site was founded.

IOP Physics in Medicine and Biology
Physics in Medicine and Biology is published by IOP Publishing on behalf of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine. It is also an official journal of the following medical societies: the Canadian Organization of Medical Physics, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Physik, the Japanese Association of Radiological Physics, the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics and the International Organization for Medical Physics.

Free Medical Journals
Free Medical Journals is a Flying Publisher website promoting free vailiability of full text medical journals on the Internet.

Online Journals

• Journal of experimental medicince
• Journal of General Physiology
• Medical Education Online
• The New England Journal of Medicine
• Medical Journals - UK's Biggest Free Portal for Medical Journals

Health Sciences Research Resources

Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects
CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects) is a searchable database of federally funded biomedical research projects conducted at universities, hospitals, and other research institutions.

Merriam Webster Medical Dictionary
A useful dictionary for medical terms. Type the word that you would like to find, and get provided with a definition, pronounciation and a window of related terms.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
A government organization working to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

Highwire Press, Free Online Full-text Articles
HighWire Press at Stanford University is the largest archive of free full-text articles on the web, containing 1,966,307 free full-text articles and a total number of 4,874,286 articles as of 10/29/08.

eMedicine.com
"Launched in 1996, www.eMedicine.com comprises the largest and most current Clinical Knowledge Base available to physicians and other healthcare professionals."

Government Resources

National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…”

United States Department of Health and Human Services
The Department of Health and Human Services is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
A government organization working to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

U.S. National Library of Medicine
“The National Library of Medicine (NLM), on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's largest medical library. The Library collects materials in all areas of biomedicine and health care, as well as works on biomedical aspects of technology, the humanities, and the physical, life, and social sciences.”

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
A government organization working to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

Health and Sciences Communications Association
The Health and Science Communications Association is an association of communications professionals committed to sharing knowledge and resources in the health and science arenas.

Health Science Centers

• Texas Health Sciences Center
  Texas Tech University (ttuhsc.edu)
• Florida Health Sciences Center
  University of Florida (health.ufl.edu)
• Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
  The University of Oklahoma (ouhsc.edu)
• Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
  Oklahoma State University (healthsciences.okstate.edu)
• Arizona Health Sciences Center
  The University of Arizona (ahsc.arizona.edu)
• Houston Health Science Center
  The University of Texas (uthouston.edu)
• Tennessee Health Science Center
  The University of Tennessee (utmem.edu)
• LSU Health Sciences Center
  New Orleans Health Sciences Center (lsuhsc.edu)
• West Virginia Health Sciences Center
  West Virginia University (hsc.wvu.edu)
• Utah Health Sciences Center
  The University of Utah (healthcare.utah.edu)
• UNM Health Sciences Center
  University of New Mexico (hsc.unm.edu)

History of Health Sciences

History of the Health Sciences World Wide Web Links
Organizations, important figures, diseases, and more, in the history of health sciences.

History of medicine
Links and resources at Karolinska Instittet to the history of medicine, ranging from 499 A.D. to modern day discoveries.

Multimedia

IME Video Library
“The Innovations in Medical Education (IME) Video Library is a collection of free, high quality videos of educational events that have taken place at the University of Wisconsin (UW) Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC).

SWTC CourseCasts
SouthWest Tech offers full lectures and podcasts for online listening or download.

Clinical Skills Online
Instructional videos on different medical techniques, provided by Clinical Skills Online at St George's e-Learning Unit.

Health Video Library
Spine-Health’s video library contains a series of informative and useful videos on a variety of pain, wellness, and treatment topics.

Interactive Health Tutorials
Interactive health tutorials at Medline Plus displayed in flash with spoken instructions on a wide variety of subjects.

Videos of Surgical Procedures
A library of over 300 complete recorded surgeries is divided in sections such as Blood, Heart and Circulation, Bones, Joints and Muscles, Brain and Nerves, Cancers, Ear, Nose, and Throat, Endocrine System and more, also at Medline Plus.

Stanford Health Library Online Video Collection
A collection of documentary videos and lectures on different health related subjects at Stanford Health Library.

Health related podcasts from the CDC
Podcasts on a variety of health related subjects availiable for download or online listening from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lensshopper Contact Lenses
Lensshopper features an interactive 3D eye anatomy tool covering the different parts of the human eye.

Other Resources

Hardin Library for the Health Sciences
Medical and Health Libraries at The University of Iowa

University of Pittsburg Health Sciences Library Systems
Health Library system at the University of Pittsburgh

Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library
Health Sciences Library at the Utah Health Sciences Center

Careers with a Health Science Degree
A page at San José State University, displaying different career opportunities with a Health Sciences degree.

Health Occupations list
An extensive list of health professions at Medline Plus with links to official government and organizational resources.

Other Pages Related to Health Sciences

Sciences > Health & Medicine >

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Medical Organizations
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Nutrition
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
(National Institutes Health)

Related Health Science Information

• Online Associate Health Science Degree Programs
• Online Bachelor Health Sciences Degree Programs
• Online Doctorate Degree in Health & Medical