Online Master's Degrees in Health Science: View Top Schools

Inside Different Types of Online Health Science Master’s Degree Programs – VIII

As a health science master’s student, you will tailor your studies to prepare for a particular area of professional practice within the larger healthcare field. In many programs, this will take the form of a distinct concentration track. In others, you’ll focus your studies through your choice of elective courses. For more on popular specializations in health science master’s programs, see the FAQs section below.

Regardless of your academic focus, in most online master’s in health science programs, you will enjoy coursework delivered entirely online, often in an asynchronous format that allows you to access and complete your studies at any time that fits your unique schedule. To give you a better idea of what to expect in these programs, here are profiles of three Masters of Health Science degree programs currently available online.

Answering Online Health Science Master’s Degree Program FAQs – VII

Now that you’ve read through the program profiles, you’ve probably got a good handle on how those specific programs work in terms of academic content, curriculum structure, and delivery formats. To help you better understand online health science master’s programs in more general terms, here are the answers to five questions often asked by prospective health science master’s students.

Is accreditation important when choosing an online health science master’s program?

Proper accreditation of the degree programs you consider and the schools that offer them is an important indicator of academic quality. On the school level, you’ll be looking for institutional accreditation provided by one of several regional and national accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). At the programmatic level, there are a number of professional associations that accredit health science master’s programs, most of which focus on a particular specialized area of practice. Among the most common are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), and the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). You can check current institutional and programmatic accreditation status via the links above or by using this DOE search engine.

What are some of the popular health science master’s specializations?

We mentioned earlier the importance of specialization in pursuing your health science master’s degree. To give you an idea of just how you can tailor your studies to focus on the area of healthcare you wish to pursue professionally, here’s a list of some of the most popular areas of specialization currently offered by online health sciences master’s programs:

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Exercise/Wellness/Sports Medicine
• Healthcare Administration/Management/Leadership
• Healthcare Risk Management
• Health Education
• Health Informatics
• Health Research
• Nutrition
• Occupational/Physical Therapy
• Public Health

Bear in mind that this is just a sample of the specialization options available. Remember also that some online health science programs allow you to essentially create your own specialization through your elective course choices.

How long does an online master’s degree in health science take?

With the exceptionally wide range of specializations falling under the health science master’s heading, it’s no surprise that program lengths vary substantially from program to program. However, the biggest factor affecting completion times is study pace. Your study pace could be full-time, part-time, or self-paced. While there are accelerated online health science programs (like those at Nova Southeastern University Florida and Southeastern Oklahoma State University) with lengths of as little as one year, you’ll find that most online health science master’s programs will require a year and a half to three years to complete.

If you decide that you simply do not have the time to take on a full master’s degree, you may want to consider an online health science certificate program instead.

What is the average cost of an online health science master’s?

The costs of online master’s in health science programs also vary – sometimes substantially – from program to program. Factors affecting costs the most include whether the school offering the program is public or private, and (regarding public schools) whether a student is an in-state or out-of-state resident. The total number of credits required to earn the degree may also impact cost.

With all that in mind, a quick survey of online health science master’s programs finds per-credit tuition rates ranging from just over $400 to $1,000, with some costing more. Also, you should note that these are tuition rates only and do not include additional charges for things such as program fees, textbooks, materials, and other necessary expenses

Is financial aid available to help mitigate the cost of my online master’s of health science program?

Many degree programs offerfinancial aid optionsfor online master’s of health science students. Qualifying students in fully accredited degree programs are eligible for the same array of financial aid resources as their campus-based counterparts. Those resources include top scholarships and grants for online health science students, employer tuition reimbursement, and student loan assistance. You may even find a few programs that offer fellowships and assistantships to their online students. Be sure to speak with a financial aid officer at your school to find out what’s available.

A Survey on Careers for Master’s in Health Science Graduates

The variety of careers available to health science master’s graduates is as broad as the variety of specializations health science degree programs offer, and that’s a lot. To give you just a sampling, here are five popular occupations often filled by health sciences master’s holders. Keep in mind that your master’s in health science can act as a stepping stone to pursuing a doctoral degree, which can lead to top-level careers in post-secondary education, advanced research, and leadership in practically every area of the health sciences field.

Biostatistician

Biostatisticians apply biostatistical theory to the collection and analysis of data for biology, public health, and other health-related purposes. Common job tasks include analyzing data through a variety of statistical approaches (longitudinal analysis, mixed-effect modeling, etc.) and drawing conclusions based on that analysis. Biostatisticians must keep abreast of advances in the profession through current scientific literature, attending conferences, interacting with colleagues, and more.

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists are public health scientists who investigate and report on the causes, effects, and distribution of diseases, injuries, and other health outcomes. They may also conduct research, be involved in the creation of public policy, and take part in community education activities that reduce the occurrence of disease and other risks to public health.

Healthcare Administrator

Healthcare administrators run the business of healthcare, overseeing all nonclinical aspects of the operations of healthcare organizations, agencies, and facilities. As a healthcare administrator, your job responsibilities might include recruiting, hiring, and overseeing staff, managing organizational budgets, developing and implementing policies and practices to meet organizational goals, and ensuring that facilities and equipment run properly, efficiently, and in accordance with laws and regulations.

Health Educator

Health educators, also known as health education specialists, create, provide, and manage education programs and materials that inform and encourage patients, clients, and others to avoid illness and develop healthier lifestyles. As a health educator, you may acquire work at hospitals, ambulatory healthcare services, and federal, state, and local government health and social services agencies.

Health Informatics Specialist

Health informatics specialists (HITs) are high-tech professionals who design, develop, maintain, and upgrade computerized healthcare information systems. HITs are employed in a variety of roles as analysts, independent consultants, project managers, and support specialists. Employers include healthcare services and insurance providers, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and government agencies. It’s not uncommon for HITs to come from backgrounds in clinical health, including nursing.

Top Online Master’s in Health Science Degree Programs – VI

To help you get started on your degree search, we’ve surveyed the current landscape of online master’s in health science degrees and selected what we feel to be the best available. Factors considered in making our choices include academic quality, accreditation, affordability, program options, study convenience, and access to useful student support services. For more information on our selection process, click the “About the Rankings” button. Now, check out who’s leading the way in great online health science master’s programs.