Online Health Care Degrees

Campus-based and online health care degrees available at that focus on different areas within the health care and medical industries.

The growth in the health care industry has led to an increased demand for graduates in these fields. The growth in the number of people looking for online healthcare degrees is growing. Due to health care reform and the aging baby boomer demographics, not to mention longer life expectancy, the demand in healthcare fields continues to grow. This means that many online health care degrees are also preparing students for various professions. Some university offer various health programs of study including a program in Master of Science in Health Communication (MSHC). Some online healthcare degrees and medical majors specialize in the prevention on illness, while others focus on medical treatment. An example of this is the online masters degrees in public health. Other areas that continue to see growth are nursing, public health, and health care administration and management.

Online Universities with Health Care Degree Programs

A.T. Still University

Kaplan University

Walden University

Capella University - Online

South University - Campus and South University Online

Western Governors University

Grand Canyon University

Chamberlain College of Nursing

American Sentinel University

Norwich University

Herzing University

Stevens-Henager College

Everglades University - Online

Benedictine University

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Healthcare Education and Training

Various majors cover a wide range of specialties, for example dental hygiene, family medicine, health education, nutrition and dietetics, nursing, and health care administration. Many of the listed here offered are focused on preparing students for medical school or graduate study, although other online health care degrees such as physical and occupations therapy, physician's assistant studies, and radiology lead directly to the workplace. Online health care degrees are offering over a broad range of professions including nursing, administration, and therapy degrees.

Health Care Degree Specializations

There are many areas of study within the medical and health care profession. Below is a list of various areas of study related to medical degrees.

• M.S. in Human Services/Health Care Administration
• Master of Public Health/Community Health
• RN to B.S. in Nursing
• AAS in Medical Office Management
• BS in Gerontology
• Case Management Certificate
• Forensic Nursing Certificate
• Geriatric Care Management Certificate
• Master in Public Health
• Occupational Therapy Aide
• Physical Therapy Aide
• Master of Health Education
• BS in Nutrition Science
• Master of Science in Advanced Physician Assistant Studies
• Advanced Masters in Physician Assistant Studies
• M.S. in Mental Health Counseling
• Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology
• Master of Public Health
• Associate of Science (AS) in Radiation Therapy
• MSc. - Sports Medicine
• Ph.D. in Public Health
• Doctor of Health Education
• Diploma in Medical Assisting
• Diploma in Medical Office Administration
• Doctor of Physical Therapy
• Master of Science in Advanced Occupational Therapy Studies
• BS - Respiratory Care
• Master of Science in Human Movement
• B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science
• B.S. in Health Information Management
• B.S. in Alternative Medicine
• M.A. in Human Services - Health and Wellness
• Bachelor of Science in Radiological Sciences
• Doctor of Pharmacy degree program
• Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nutrition
• Bachelor of Science in Natural Health
• Consulting Herbalist Certificate

Careers in Healthcare

Health and medical care is a very broad field and training is offered at various degree levels including certificate, diploma, associate degree, bachelor degree, masters degree, doctoral degree (PhD) and professional degree levels. With new medical research and technology emerging all the time, health has become one of the fastest growing industries, with more opportunities than most professions. There are many tracks to choose from including:

• Alternative Medicine, Natural Health, and Holistic Health
• Massage Therapy
• EMS and Paramedic
• Gerontology
• Communication Disorders
• Health Care Administration
• Health Information Technology (Health Informatics)
• Medical Billing, Coding and Transcription
• Health Education
• Laboratory Sciences
• Radiology
• Health Education
• Community Health
• Phlebotomy
• Medical Assistant
• Dental Assistant and Dental Hygienist
• Medical Technology
• Nursing
• Nutrition and Dietetics
• Pharmacy
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Physician Assistant
• Psychology and Mental Health Counseling
• Forensic Psychology
• Public Health
• Radiologic Science
• Respiratory Therapy
• Sports and Fitness
• Surgical Technology
• Ultrasound and Sonography
• Respiratory Therapy
• Chiropractic
• Physician Assistant

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the health care industry could increase up to 22% between 2008 and 2018, making it the fastest growing industry. This figure is twice that of other industries (11% for most industries). This growth is being driven by major advances in medical knowledge and technology as well as advanced research.

With the field being so broad, the range of salaries is just as wide, and current median salaries range anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000 depending on the profession and years of experience. For example, the median annual wages of registered nurses were $62,450 in 2008, while medical and health services managers earned $80,240. Thus, it looks like online health care degrees will continue to make contributions to this growing field.