Campus and Online Healthcare Degrees

Working professionals can earn a healthcare degree with greater convenience through an online^{(See disclaimer 1)} or hybrid program. These convenient learning modalities enable busy professionals to further their education while balancing the demands of work and family. 

A degree in healthcare is not the same as a medical degree. Healthcare is a broad field that encompasses many careers, including allied health professionals and other non-physicians, such as occupational therapy assistants, physical therapists and nurses. The best majors for the medical field, in contrast, are professional degrees that enable individuals to become licensed doctors, such as medical doctors. 

There are many online^{(See disclaimer 1)} healthcare degrees available to choose from. Some degrees may be available entirely online, while others may require some in-person learning components. For example, nursing students may be able to take nursing theory coursework online, while visiting the enrollment site for labs and nearby healthcare facilities for clinical rotations. 

Many online^{(See disclaimer 1)} healthcare degrees do include hands-on, in-person learning opportunities. Some degree programs may require in-person immersive simulations, such as nursing programs, while others may require internships, practicum/field experience hours or other applied projects. These hands-on learning experiences provide opportunities for students to develop work-ready skills in healthcare. 

Health science focuses on clinical care and patient support, while healthcare administration focuses on the business side of healthcare. A healthcare administrative professional brings leadership to the healthcare setting, overseeing the daily operations of departments or facilities. In contrast, a health science professional may focus on supporting clinical diagnoses. While both specialties are in healthcare, health science emphasizes scientific principles, while healthcare administration emphasizes business theory and applications.

You may be able to transfer earned college credits into a new degree program in healthcare. Completed credits from an accredited institution may fulfill some general education requirements or possibly some major-specific degree requirements. Talk to a university counselor to find out which of your credits may transfer to your new program. 

Although many healthcare workers are indeed nursing professionals, there are many other career opportunities in the healthcare field beyond nursing. Some examples include roles in healthcare administration, medical records management, public health and health informatics. If you’d like to work directly with patients, but not as a nurse, consider careers in health education or mental health counseling. 

There are many quickly growing healthcare careers, including roles in nursing, allied health and health management. The fastest-growing healthcare career is nurse practitioner, at a projected 40% growth rate from 2024 to 2034, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Other quickly growing healthcare careers include medical and health services managers, physician assistants, psychiatric technicians, occupational therapy assistants and substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors.^{(See disclaimer 6)}