Professionals who want to never worry about finding a job or earning a good amount of money should think about earning a healthcare degree, particularly a graduate degree. The Department of Labor reports that employment of all healthcare positions will increase by 15 percent in the ten-year period leading up to 2029. More than 2.4 million new jobs are expected to be added.
To take advantage of that type of job growth, you would be smart to get a healthcare degree, and these days, you can obtain your degree mostly online.
Below are the best types of graduate healthcare degrees to get online:
#1 Advanced Practice Nursing Degree
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) play a very important role in primary and secondary healthcare today. Whether you choose to become a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist or nurse anesthetist, you will provide vital healthcare services to all populations and also make a respectable salary. To become an APRN, you will need to earn your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and select an APRN specialty to focus on in the two or three year program.
Online University Option for APRN Degree: Chamberlain University
Chamberlain University’s online MSN program offers a two year path to becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. The FNP curriculum integrates practical application and theory of advanced nursing practice through online discussions, clinical experiences and simulations. Each student is required to complete at least 700 hours of clinical work in their local area.
#2 Biostatistics Degree
Biostatistics is a rapidly growing area of biology, medicine and public health. This field develops advanced statistical methods to perform analysis of public health issues and to advance biomedical research. Statisticians of all types, including in public health, are expected to enjoy rapid job growth through 2029 – as high as 33%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You will need to earn your online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree to work in this field.
Online University Option for Biostatistics Degree – University of Southern California
The USC biostatistics and epidemiology programs that are offered online are some of the most highly regarded MPH programs in the US. Distinguished faculty at this university are producing some of the most exciting public health research that addresses major issues that are facing the world in terms of global health.
#3 Epidemiology Degree
Epidemiology is the study of determinants and distribution of health related conditions in certain broad populations of people, and then the focused application of this type of study to improve and control health problems. Given the increased focus on preventative medicine to control healthcare costs today, epidemiology is becoming a very popular career path. To work as an epidemiologist, plan to earn an online MPH degree, which takes at least two years to complete.
Online University Option for Epidemiology Degree: University of South Florida
This 2.5 year online program has the same level of education as the campus based program. It features 17 full time public health professors and approximately 200 graduate students of public health each year. All of the classes are online and most are asynchronous, meaning that you can engage in classwork largely on your own schedule.
#4 Exercise Science Degree
Would you like to turn your passion for health, wellness, and fitness into an exciting and rewarding career? Earning an online master’s degree in exercise science could be a good fit. Courses in most online exercise programs focus on anatomy, physiology, exercise science, psychology and the liberal arts. You will be skilled in writing exercise lesson plans, leading sports and exercise teams, doing fitness assessments and coming up with innovative exercise programs.
Online University Option for Exercise Science Degree: Liberty University
The online Master of Science in Exercise Science at this university in Virginia will increase your understanding of wellness, health, and human performance among all types of people. You will learn about physiology, biomechanics, sports nutrition, statistics and research methods. Speciality options are Clinical, Community Physical Activity, Human Performance and Nutrition.
#5 Health Communications Degree
There are few subjects that dominate conversation today as much as healthcare does. Employers who work in healthcare have to feature excellent communicators who can keep up with all of the changes in this important industry. By earning an online master’s degree in health communication, you will have the skills and knowledge to boost the quality of healthcare by improving consumer healthcare literacy.
Online University Option for Health Communications Degree: Southern New Hampshire University
This online master’s in health communication focuses on providing you with media, marketing, branding and public relations skills that are needed in many healthcare industries. In your capstone course, you will use all you have learned to come up with and fully execute a health communication campaign.
#6 Health Informatics Degree
Health informatics includes all of the areas of health information science, such as fundamental research and clinical applications. This growing specialty focuses on grasping and promoting the organization, analysis and management and proper use of information to properly manage health care outcomes. This is very important to ensure that healthcare services are delivered in an effective but cost effective manner.
Online University Option for Health Informatics Degree: University of Miami
This online Master of Science in Health Informatics will prepare you for an exciting and rewarding health informatics career in hospitals, health insurance companies, medical vendors, pharmaceutical and biotech firms, and many consulting firms. You will be well versed in everything you need to know to manage electronic healthcare record systems, which are being implemented across America today.
#7 Health Information Management Degree
The health information management career field is growing, just as is health informatics. This field focuses on acquiring, analyzing and protecting both digital and paper based medical information that is needed to provide the best patient care. Health information management is essentially a combination of science, business and IT. These professionals are vital to the proper management of health information and electronic health records.
Online University Option for Health Information Management: Kaplan University
The online Master of Health Information Management degree focuses on strategic and operational importance and relevance, as well as clinical resources, clinical information and workflow. Classes are in healthcare financial management, health care statistics, human resources and health care data analysis.
#8 Health Information Technology Degree
For professionals who want to focus their careers on information technology implementation and management, one excellent option is to earn a graduate degree in information technology and enter the healthcare field. Just as in all business sectors, healthcare companies must have robust IT systems, especially with the new focus on electronic healthcare records.
Online University Option for Information Technology Degree: Grantham University
This online Master of Science in Information Technology will train you in how information flows through a healthcare organization, and will present you with how to use technology effectively to manage this information flow. You also will design, implement and evaluate computer based systems and programs to meet all health care organizational needs.
#9 Health Policy Degree
For professionals who want to help to develop long-term solutions to healthcare challenges that are faced across the US, you may consider earning an advanced degree in health or health care policy. You can learn the skills that many healthcare organizations need to implement and evaluate health care policies and regulations that shape patient safety and healthy outcomes.
Online University Option for Health Policy Degree: University of Denver
This two year, online health policy and regulatory leadership master’s program will teach you to compare and contrast the benefits and challenges of many healthcare systems across the world; navigate the state and federal legislative process; and create the most effective and lasting public healthcare policies.
#10 Health Science Degree
For people who are passionate about science and providing assistance to others, a master’s in health science online can be a good option. Professionals with this type of degree can work in many healthcare-related fields, such as administration, clerical, laboratory science, communications, counseling, clinical healthcare and public health.
Online University Option for Health Science Degree: Nova Southeastern University
This two year, online university offers a Master of Health Science degree that can be used as a springboard to enter many advanced positions in the health care field. Courses that you will take will include biology, chemistry, mathematics, social science, business and health science.
#11 Healthcare Administration Degree
The field of healthcare and health administration focuses on the effective operation of hospitals, healthcare systems and other health-related organizations. People in this field have a high level of responsibility for services, programs, facilities, staff, budgets and other management functions. Professionals in the field may work for public or private sector organizations.
Online University Option for Healthcare Administration Degree: Devry University
Earning an online master’s degree in healthcare administration will provide you with a high level of knowledge about healthcare policy as well as the technological foundation that is necessary to administer health care organizations effectively. You also will learn about advanced business skills that are necessary to be applied to the health services field.
#12 Healthcare Analytics Degree
Healthcare analytics programs are usually traditional MBAs with a special focus on healthcare management, data analytics and visualization. The focus is to apply essential business principles to the analysis of healthcare data and information.
Online University Option for Healthcare Analytics Degree: University of South Florida
This is a 36 credit hour, online MBA program with a concentration in healthcare analytics. Core MBA classes are Managerial Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Leadership and Corporate Accountability and Regulatory and Reporting Environment. Healthcare analytics courses are Healthcare Management, Healthcare Economics, IT Project Management and Using Data for Decision Making.
#13 Healthcare Management Degree
Healthcare management is a very fast-growing field, and it will not slow down soon. Most degree programs that focus on health care management are actually MBA programs with a concentration in healthcare management. By taking an MBA program with a healthcare focus, you will learn a valuable set of business tools with a focus on healthcare management.
Online University Option for Healthcare Management Degree: Capella University
With an online MBA in healthcare management, you will learn the business skills that will allow you to play a vital role in your healthcare organization’s administration and leadership.
#14 Mental Health Degree
With a focus on better healthcare outcomes and improving efficiency of healthcare systems, there is more of a stress today on mental and psychological health. After all, science has long since proven that one’s mental health affects the physical body. Mental health and counseling degrees are available online, including many master’s programs.
Online University Option for Mental Health Degree: Walden University
This online university offers an excellent Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, where you will gain the skills, confidence, qualifications and critical thinking skills that you need to help your clients cope with their daily problems and lives.
#15 Pharmacy Degree
The importance of prescription drugs has risen dramatically in the last 30 years, as many breakthrough pharmaceuticals have been developed that have a major impact on health and wellness. From life changing blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiac drugs, to cancer drugs, to drugs that fight depression and anxiety, pharmacists play a vital role in our healthcare system in the 21st century.
Online University Option for Pharmacy Degree: University of Florida
This online university offers an online Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. It is designed for pharmaceutical professionals who want to either supplement or change their career. This program is highly innovative as it allows you to study many advanced topics related to drug design and development.
#16 Physical & Occupational Therapy
Physical therapy is used to help people to restore function, boost mobility and relieve pain. It also is used to limit a permanent physical disability of patients who have various injuries or diseases. For example, PT is essential after joint replacement surgery on the hip or knee for the patient to regain regular function of the joint.
Online University Option for Physical Therapy Degree: Nova Southeastern University
This online university offers several online doctoral degrees in physical and occupational therapy, including a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Philosophy and Professional Hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy. Most of the programs may be completed online, with clinical work done locally, and two campus visits per year.
#17 Physician Assistant Degree
PAs play a very important part of today’s healthcare delivery system. PAs are qualified to perform many of the same duties as doctors, such as prescribe medications, conduct physical examinations, diagnose and treat conditions and diseases, and order diagnostic tests. The job demand for PAs, like NPs, is very high and will go higher in the next decade.
Online University Option for PA Degree: AT Still University
This online master’s program offers a direct path to become a PA mostly online. You may enter this program without a bachelor’s degree in the medical field. This program takes two or 2.5 years to finish, and will also require you to complete 750 clinical hours in a local health care center.
#18 Public Health Degree
Earning a master’s degree in public health is a very smart decision in the 21st century. There is a much strong emphasis on preventative medicine to reduce healthcare costs. One of the most important ways to do this is to prevent diseases from occurring in the first place. That is why most public health jobs are set to increase dramatically in the next 10 years.
Online University Option for MPH Degree: Johns Hopkins University
This is one of the highest rated MPH programs in the United States, and most of the classes can now be done online. At this highly regarded university, you can choose to specialize in biostatistics, epidemiology, health management, public health practice and social and behavioral sciences.
#19 Radiology & Ultrasound Degree
With an online degree in radiology and ultrasound, you will be in a very strong position to work in the upper management areas of radiology departments and focus on management, administration and education. You should have significant clinical experience in allied health, which includes radiology and ultrasound facilities.
Online University Option for Radiology Degree: Loma Linda University
This university has an online Master of Science in Radiation Sciences. It is a two year program that has 49 credit hours. You will need to do two, three unit classes every quarter for even quarters. You must also have certification by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists before you enter the program.
#20 Wellness & Nutrition Degree
For professionals who want to enjoy a career in nutrition and wellness and have a background as a dietician, you may earn an advanced degree in this discipline. Almost 50% of nutrition and dietetics specialists have this type of advanced degree, so obtaining a master’s in the field will be great for your career prospects
Online University Option for Wellness and Nutrition: Benedictine University
This Master of Science in Nutrition and Wellness program combines nutrition science and wellness programming into one two year program. You will participate in a multidimensional study of nutrition and health that will help you to improve your skills in health and nutrition risk assessment, as well as evaluation and intervention.
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends for healthcare occupations and statisticians represent national data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2021.
