Majoring in health sciences as an undergrad prepares for you a number of advanced learning programs at the graduate level. It's almost like being a pre-med major. A pre-med major will need to attend medical school and go through years of training before actually working as a doctor. When you major in this field, you should prepare yourself for attending graduate school and taking more classes later. Depending on the courses you took in your program, you may enroll in a more advanced graduate program.
Resource: 15 Most Affordable Online Bachelor's in Health Sciences Degrees 2016-2017
Midwifery
One option for health majors is a graduate program in midwifery. Midwives are men and women who help women during the early stages of their pregnancies and after they give birth. These professionals offer care in the form of ultrasounds, prenatal support and tips for giving birth. They are in the room when women give birth and help them feel more comfortable as well as take care of any issues that might occur. Though some assume that midwives only help up to this point, these professionals can also help women in the days and weeks after giving birth up until the child becomes a toddler.
Public Health
With a Master's in Public Health, you can help a large community or group of people improve their general health. Public health is a field of study that looks at environmental conditions and other factors. MPH programs often require that you do some fieldwork to gain experience working with patients and helping a large population with their health and medical needs. You can work in a community health center that offers affordable health care for the homeless and those without insurance. Some MPH graduates also work for government agencies, in private hospitals and in research labs.
Social Work
Undergrad health programs often include information on mandatory reporting, which refers to laws that require certain professional report any signs of abuse they see. If you want to work more closely with the victims of that abuse, you can enroll in a Master of Social Work program. MSW graduates meet many of the requirements necessary for becoming a licensed social worker. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the median salary for social workers is nearly $46,000 a year. According to the BLS, the need for social workers will grow at a faster than average rate through 2024 too.
Clinical Psychology
Even if you didn't major in psychology as an undergrad, you will take a few courses in a health sciences program that can better prepare you for an advanced learning program in clinical psychology. Clinical psychology refers to the area of psychology where professionals actually do clinical work and work with real patients. These programs can take three years to finish but often include a full year of fieldwork that lets you spend more than 1,000 hours working in a clinical setting with actual patients. There are other areas of psychology you might study too, including mental health counseling or marriage and family therapy.
Health sciences programs are great for those who want to study an advanced area of health later. These programs teach you about the functions of the human body, proper nutrition and popular treatments. When you finish an undergrad degree in health sciences, you can apply for a spot in an advanced learning program in a subject like social work, public health or clinical psychology.