Online MS in Health Science Programs - MSHS Degrees

As the demand for quality healthcare professionals continues to rise, a number of universities now offer special courses and degrees that focus on delivering instruction in health services. An online master of science in health science (MSHS) can be a lucrative option for healthcare professionals wishing to acquire specialized skills and pursue leadership roles.

These programs focus on healthcare strategy, data-based decision-making, research, and evaluation. Students learn how to analyze data, influence healthcare policies, and ensure patient safety. Many of these degrees provide specializations in areas such as nutrition, clinical laboratory science, rehabilitative science, and sports performance. Along with a specialization, each program includes a set of core health science courses such as healthcare leadership, ethical and legal issues in healthcare, clinical chemistry, and health policy.

This advanced degree can prepare students for a successful public or private healthcare organization career. Graduates can take on management-level positions in a laboratory, teach at universities, or conduct research. Many MSHS-holders have gone into roles such as clinical director, healthcare administrator, and healthcare quality analyst, among many others.

This guide features accredited online MSHS degrees and three exceptional faculty member profiles.

Professors to Know in Master of Health Sciences Programs

  • Lesley Clack, ScD Florida Gulf Coast University

    Dr. Lesley Clack is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Marieb College of Health & Human Services. Her specialties include healthcare administration, health informatics, and organizational behavior. She is certified in public health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Dr. Clack has taught various courses such as management and leadership; healthcare delivery systems; health information systems; comparative health; and human resources management.

    Notably, several conferences have featured her as a speaker and her articles have appeared in prestigious journals such as the Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy, the Annals of Medicine & Surgery, and the International Journal of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Dr. Lesley Clack earned her ScD in health systems management from Tulane University, her master’s in counseling psychology from the University of West Alabama, and her bachelor’s degree in biological science from the University of Georgia.

  • Anita Nucci, PhD Georgia State University

    Anita Nucci holds a PhD in epidemiology and MPH in public health from the University of Pittsburgh and has completed her BS in nutrition from Pennsylvania State University. Currently, she serves as an associate dean of academics and an associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University. She teaches or has taught courses such as reproductive and pediatric nutrition; nutrition issues; life cycle nutrition; nutrition research methods; scientific principles of nutrition; and research methods for health professionals.

    Her research focuses on pediatric intestinal failure and type 1 diabetes. Influential publications such as Diabetologia and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism have featured her articles. She is also a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Greater Atlanta Dietetic Association.

  • Sabrina Figueiredo, PhD

    Sabrina Figueiredo is the program director for healthcare quality and an assistant professor of clinical research and leadership at George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She currently teaches in the translational health sciences and healthcare quality programs. Before joining George Washington University, she served as an assistant professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and at McGill University in Canada.

    Dr. Figueiredo’s research focuses on coordination of care, patient safety, creating innovative measurement strategies to contribute evidence to patient-centered outcomes, and developing telehealth initiatives for improving seniors’ outcomes. Having published a book chapter and scientific papers in these fields, she has received external funding and awards for her presentations at international and national meetings. She completed her master of science and PhD in rehabilitation from McGill University and her bachelor of science in physical therapy from Pontifical University Catholic of Minas Gerais.

Kimmy Gustafson
Kimmy Gustafson
Writer

With a unique knack for simplifying complex health concepts, Kimmy Gustafson has become a trusted voice in the healthcare realm, especially on MHAOnline.com, where she has contributed insightful and informative content for prospective and current MHA students since 2019. She frequently interviews experts to provide insights on topics such as collaborative skills for healthcare administrators and sexism and gender-related prejudice in healthcare.

Kimmy has been a freelance writer for more than a decade, writing hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics such as startups, nonprofits, healthcare, kiteboarding, the outdoors, and higher education. She is passionate about seeing the world and has traveled to over 27 countries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. When not working, she can be found outdoors, parenting, kiteboarding, or cooking.

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