Online Programs in Health Sciences - Bachelor's Degree Completion Programs (BSHS, BAS)
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A degree completion program in health sciences allows healthcare professionals who have completed an associate degree to advance their career. These programs allow students to transfer credits and complete their bachelor’s degree online in a shorter period.
Students can choose from a number of specializations such as healthcare management, health services, and psychiatric rehabilitation. Some of the courses in a health sciences degree completion program may include health education, healthcare policy, public health science, and ethics in healthcare. Additionally, some degrees offer concentrations in areas such as aging, psychiatric rehabilitation, or healthcare management.
On completion of the program, graduates can expect to work in governmental health organizations and clinics, hospitals, research institutes, and health services institutions.
The following article covers seven online degree completion programs in health sciences and three noteworthy faculty members behind them.
Featured Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs in Health Sciences
Rutgers University offers an online bachelor of science (BS) in health sciences degree completion program. The program is meant for healthcare professionals who have earned an associate degree and wish to advance their healthcare career. It helps students gain a better understanding of healthcare issues and manage resources efficiently.
Admission requirements include an associate degree from an accredited allied health education program with an overall grade point average of 2.5 or higher, two letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all academic institutions attended, a completed online application, and a current health professional license.
The program offers three tracks: aging, healthcare management, and psychiatric rehabilitation. The 15 credit-hours of core courses include an introduction to interprofessional education, the principles of scientific inquiry, healthcare organizations, the ethics of healthcare, and cultural issues in healthcare.
The aging track explores topics such as approaches to the older adult, managing disease, social and healthcare policy, and death and dying. The healthcare management track includes courses such as healthcare finance and budgeting, health services management, human resources management in healthcare, and quality and leadership in healthcare. Finally, courses in the psychiatric rehabilitation track include introduction to the principles of psychosocial rehabilitation, communication techniques, group interventions for people with disabilities, and community resource management.
Students learn how to collaborate with healthcare teams, manage healthcare and patient information, and apply the methods of scientific inquiry. At the end of the program, graduates can pursue opportunities in hospital or health organization administration, healthcare education, governmental health agency administration and clinical department management.
- Location: Newark, New Jersey
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years (maximum eight years)
- Estimated Tuition: $692 per credit-hour
Wilmington University offers an online bachelor of science in health sciences degree program. This is a four-year degree program, but can also be used as a degree completion program for students that have an associate degree in a health-related discipline.
Interested candidates must submit a completed undergraduate application, official transcripts from any schools attended, an immunization record, and an unencumbered RN license. SAT/ACT scores are not required.
Health sciences degree completion students can transfer up to 90 credits towards lower division general education requirements. The health sciences core is made up of 24 credit-hours including courses such as professionalism in health sciences, ethical and legal issues of healthcare, health education and principles of teaching, leadership for the healthcare professional, and healthcare policy.
The program teaches students to formulate strategies for healthcare planning and assessment, use critical thinking strategies to address issues within the health sciences profession, and integrate legal and ethical principles into professional practice.
The program helps graduates advance their career and apply for roles such as medical and health services managers and be prepared to practice as leaders, and educators.
- Location: New Castle, Delaware
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,116 per course
Old Dominion University offers an online bachelor of science in health sciences with a concentration in health services administration program. The fully online program prepares new and current healthcare professionals for success in the field.
In order to make transfer of credits easy, Old Dominion University has partnered with a few educational institutions as well as the Virginia Community College System. This means students can earn an associate’s degree from any of the University’s partners and then complete their bachelor’s degree online.
Admission requirements for the program include a completed online application, completion of an introductory statistics course with a grade of C or better prior to submitting application, completion of lower division general education requirements, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or better, among others.
The program comprises 120 credit-hours. Students must complete at least 30 credit-hours with Old Dominion University. Courses in this program include public health science, population health, the U.S. health delivery system, managerial epidemiology, an introduction to environmental health, ethics in health administration, and health services research.
Along with theoretical knowledge, students also get hands-on experience with healthcare management and policy. They are prepared to serve as leaders for healthcare organizations in the public, private, and military organizations. Graduates can pursue roles such as healthcare administrators, healthcare facility managers, and leaders in healthcare management and policy.
- Location: Norfolk, Virginia
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $407 per credit-hour
Western Kentucky University offers an online bachelor of science in health sciences program. There are three concentrations available in this program: health services leadership and management, health sciences-allied health, and preparatory health sciences. The health sciences-allied health concentration is ideal for graduates with an associate degree in a health-related field.
Admission requirements include official transcripts from each college attended, ACT or SAT scores, and a completed online application, among other requirements.
The curriculum consists of 120 credit-hours and draws from disciplines such as psychology, public health, biology, healthcare administration, and public health. Some of the courses included are chemistry for the health sciences, medical terminology, an introduction to epidemiology, biostatistics in the health sciences, healthcare organization and management, the legal environment of business, and ethics and critical thinking.
The program prepares students to better serve and support the field of medical care.
- Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $540 per credit-hour
The Ohio State University offers an online bachelor of science in health sciences. The program offers students with an opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree online after achieving the program’s prerequisites at any higher educational institution.
Applicants to the program must submit official transcripts of each college attended, have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5, and complete prerequisite courses by the end of the semester prior to enrollment in the professional program. A personal interview may also be requested by the division.
The 120-credit program introduces students to key aspects of healthcare. Students must complete a minimum of 30 hours from Ohio State University in order to receive the degree. The coursework includes an introduction to health sciences, health promotion and disease prevention, the application of ethical decision making in healthcare, individual differences in patient/client populations, management and human resources in healthcare, and pathophysiology.
Students learn about disease prevention, health promotion, and the application of ethics in allied health professions. They are encouraged to pursue leadership roles in healthcare or to enter graduate professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and more. Further, they can work in hospital management, long-term care, health administration, and non-profit organizations.
- Location: Columbus, Ohio
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $20,599.20 total
Northwestern State University offers an online bachelor of applied science in allied health degree completion program. This program is ideal for associate degree allied health professionals to transfer credits to meet the requirements of this program.
The program offers two concentrations:
- Health science and technology – This concentration enhances students’ knowledge and skills related to the patient care environment or teaching in health-related areas.
- Health science leadership and management – This concentration develops students’ knowledge and skills for leadership and administrative roles in healthcare.
Admission requirements include a completed online application, proof of immunization, a copy of selective service registration card (if applicable), official transcripts from previously attended institutions, and official ACT, SAT, or Accuplacer scores, among others.
This degree completion program is made up of 60 credit-hours out of which students are allowed to transfer up to 30 hours of clinical coursework credits as well as general education credits from their associate degree program. Students explore topics such as medical terminology, cultural and ethical influences on healthcare, integrative medicine for health, foundations of healthcare, transition into professional healthcare, health informatics, and research in healthcare.
The program provides students with an understanding of patient-centered care, healthcare informatics, and quality improvement. They also develop research and critical thinking skills. Graduates of the program can take up roles in various clinical and professional healthcare settings.
- Location: Natchitoches, Louisiana
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $375 per credit-hour up to 12 hours, then $100 per credit-hour thereafter
The University of Colorado offers an online bachelor of science in healthcare science with an option for an allied health degree completion. Allied health professionals with an associate degree can pursue this program to take their career to the next level.
Admission requirements include completing the ‘Online Transfer Student Application’ form, and submitting a portfolio containing a copy of transcripts showing 40 training credits, a current resume, and a copy of the student’s license to practice in their allied health field.
The program comprises 120 credit-hours and provides students a strong foundation in general education as well as a broad understanding of healthcare delivery systems. The courses include health behavior change, health communication, culture and health, statistics and research methods, human physiology, human anatomy, and statistics and research methods.
Students develop the ability to assess, plan, and implement interventions, improve their written and oral communication, and learn to incorporate research and theory in health sciences practice. They also build fundamental skills such as management, health promotion, and critical thinking and communication—all essential for taking up leadership roles in health-related professions.
- Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $799 per credit-hour
Professors to Know in Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs in Health Sciences
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Jill Clutter, PhD Ohio State University
Dr. Jill Clutter is an assistant professor in the health sciences program at Ohio State University, where she leads courses in health promotion and disease prevention, health promotion in practice, teamwork and leadership in health sciences, and issues and policy in health sciences. Her research efforts are focused on workforce development issues in the health professions, especially the current state of healthcare education.
Dr. Clutter has published her research in prominent journals such as the Journal of Allied Health, the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, and the Journal of Extracorporeal Technology. She completed her PhD, MA, MS, and BS at Ohio State University. -
Angela Herman, DNP Wilmington University
Dr. Angela Herman is the health sciences program chair in the College of Health Professions at Wilmington University. Her classes include professionalism in health science, ethical legal issues of healthcare, research for evidence-based practice, healthcare policy, and leadership for the healthcare professional.
Presently, Dr. Herman’s research focuses on technology in healthcare, dietary factors for cardiac diseases, ethical decision-making in nursing, and depression and anxiety in post cardiac device implants. Her research has appeared in top journals such as the Journal of Applied Physiology and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Professor Herman earned her DNP from Wilmington University, and her MSN and BSN from University of Delaware. -
Vaishali Singhal, PhD, DMD Rutgers University School of Health Professions
Dr. Vaishali Singhal is an associate professor and program director for bachelor of science in health sciences in the Rutgers School of Health Professions and an associate professor at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. She leads courses such as healthcare policy and planning, management and leadership in healthcare, research methods for the health sciences, and data analysis and interpretation. Dr. Singhal is a member of organizations such as the American Dental Education Association and the New Jersey Dental Assistants Association.
Dr. Singhal has authored several peer-reviewed journal publications as well as two textbooks. She also serves on three journal editorial boards, and has delivered many conference and meeting presentations. She completed her PhD at Rutgers University, Newark, her MS and DMD at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and her BS at Rutgers University.