The Importance of Health Education
Health | 10min Read
The online Bachelor of Science (BS) in Health Sciences from Southern New Hampshire University helps you build the skill set needed to enter the allied health field or move into management positions in healthcare.
Whether you're looking to start or continue your career in healthcare, our online health science degree program will help prepare you for your next step. The program will focus on skills essential to success in any number of roles within the industry.
The online bachelor’s in health sciences focuses on written and oral communication, computational skills, critical thinking and societal and cultural context in 7 core classes.
Visit the course catalog to view the full BS in Health Sciences curriculum.
All undergraduate students are required to take general education courses, which are part of SNHU's newly redesigned program, The Commons. The goal of The Commons' curriculum is to empower you with some of the most in-demand skills, so you can succeed not only in your academic career, but in your personal and professional life too.
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Operating System | Currently supported operating system from Microsoft. |
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Hard Drive | 100GB or higher |
Antivirus Software | Required for campus students. Strongly recommended for online students. |
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Component Type | Apple (Mac OS) |
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Operating System | Currently supported operating system from Apple. |
Memory (RAM) | 8GB or higher |
Hard Drive | 100GB or higher |
Antivirus Software | Required for campus students. Strongly recommended for online students. |
SNHU Purchase Programs | Visit Apple |
Internet/ Bandwidth | 5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100ms Latency |
Additional Information:
SNHU has provided additional information for programs that educationally prepare students for professional licensure or certification. Learn more about what that means for your program on our licensure and certification disclosure page.
Our no-commitment application can help you decide if SNHU is the right college for you and your career goals. Apply up until 2 days before the term starts!
Upcoming term starts: June 30, 2025 | September 1, 2025
Attending college online at SNHU can be a life-changing experience. In fact, 93.2% of online students would recommend SNHU according to a 2023 survey with 21,000+ respondents.
You’ll take your courses within SNHU’s Brightspace platform. This is where you’ll find your:
At SNHU, we value the hands-on, practical experience our faculty bring to the table. Our instructors offer relevant industry knowledge to help you understand and navigate the field.
Not only does Dr. Leanne Skehan have more than a decade of higher education experience, but she's also certified as a health education specialist, dietetic technician and health coach. Her recently co-authored works, “The Microbiome and Neurotransmitter Activity” and “A Multi-Faceted Approach to Weight Loss: A Case Report," have been published in multiple medical journals.
Position
Clinical Faculty, Health Professions
Joined SNHU
2015
Education
Read more about other online faculty at SNHU.
At Southern New Hampshire University, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 400,000 students, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. Our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate the field. Plus, with our growing, nationwide alumni network, you'll have the potential to tap into a number of internship and career opportunities.
Recently, SNHU has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education:
Founded in 1932, Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with over 180,000 graduates across the country. SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.
No application fee. No test scores. And no college essay. Just a simple form with basic information. It’s another way SNHU helps you reach your goals sooner.
It's easy, fast and free.
Whether you're applying for an undergraduate or graduate degree, you’ll fill out a form to verify your previous education experience. As part of our admissions process, we'll help you request transcripts from your previous school(s) to see if you can transfer any credits into your SNHU program! (Also for free!)
After reviewing your official evaluation, you can decide if SNHU is right for you! If you choose to enroll, just pick your start date and get ready for classes to begin.
Talk to an admission counselor: 888.327.SNHU | enroll@snhu.edu
SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The university also carries specialized accreditations for some programs.
As a nonprofit university, SNHU offers some of the lowest online tuition rates in the country. And when you work with our Financial Services team, we'll explore ways to help you save even more on your education – and customize a payment plan that works for you.
*before previously earned credits are applied
Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.
**Note: Students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.
Additional costs: Course materials vary by course.
If 30 of your prior learning credits ($330/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.
Your remaining tuition cost: $29,700
If 45 of your prior learning credits ($330/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.
Your remaining tuition cost: $24,750
If 60 of your prior learning credits ($330/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.
Your remaining tuition cost: $19,800
If 75 of your prior learning credits ($330/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.
Your remaining tuition cost: $14,850
If 90 of your prior learning credits ($330/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.
Your remaining tuition cost: $9,900
How we estimate your tuition cost:
We look at the cost per credit multiplied by the number of credits you need to earn for a bachelor's degree. Most bachelor's degrees require 120 credits. SNHU allows you to transfer in up to 90 credits, requiring a minimum of 30 credits to be taken at SNHU. This is only a tuition estimator, and doesn't account for other fees that may be associated with your program of choice.
Transfer up to 90 credits toward your bachelor's degree program at SNHU. If you’ve taken one course or many, we’ll evaluate them for you.
Fill out the FAFSA to see if you’re eligible for grants or work-study. (You could also be offered loans, though you’ll have to pay those back later.)
Earn credits in leadership, technology and more – while taking advantage of a 30% online undergraduate tuition discount for active-duty service members and spouses.
Getting free money for college – from SNHU or an outside organization – could help you save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Bring in credits from popular options like CLEP, Sophia Learning, Google and other common credit for prior learning (CPL) experiences.
Learn how you can save money with tuition reimbursement from your employer.
Receive an online tuition discount if your organization has partnered with SNHU for educational benefits. See if your organization partners with us.
An online health science degree can help prepare you for any number of roles in the allied health field. This includes positions as varied as lab technicians, dental hygienists, sonographers, medical assistants, occupational therapy assistants, physical therapy assistants, radiographers and more.
Plus, with courses on economics and finances, delivery systems, law and ethics, and healthcare quality management, you can develop skills you need to succeed as a medical and health services manager.
Earning your bachelor's in health science online could help prepare you for leadership roles like:
Ensure labs operate efficiently and effectively by scheduling staff, reordering supplies and maintaining all necessary security protocols and standard of quality.
Develop and implement programs and services in hospitals or other healthcare settings, including personnel administration, training and coordination of medical staff and other related functions.
Design, maintain and ensure effectiveness of departmental programs or teams — focusing on organization, administration, evaluation, development and maintaining high standards of patient quality.
Direct work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service, maintenance and other personnel, and provide evaluations and recommendations for optimum performance.
Establish work schedules and assignments for staff according to workload, space and equipment availability to optimize operational efficiency.
Ensure effective use of resources, staff, equipment and services by monitoring the use of diagnostic services, inpatient beds, facilities and general departmental needs.
Increase in medical and health service management positions through 2033, projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.1
Median annual pay for medical and health service managers as of May 2023, according to the BLS.1
Understanding the numbers
When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors—like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not on SNHU graduate outcomes, and do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.
According to the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions – or ASAHP – allied health can be defined as all "health professions that are distinct from medicine and nursing,"2 including, but not limited to:
The allied health classification encompasses a wide range of roles under the broad umbrella of healthcare – and accounts for as much as 60% of the entire U.S. healthcare workforce.2 Right alongside nurses and physicians, these professionals are making a major impact on the present and future state of healthcare.
Every day, medical personnel affect patients' lives on an immediate and personal level. By earning a health sciences degree, you can gain the skills and experience you need to help transform the healthcare system from within. The BS in Health Science may open doors to take on a leadership role, using data to improve process at their employer's healthcare institution.
A health science degree does not lead to nursing licensure.
If you're interested in becoming a nurse, you'll need to start by earning an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing. SNHU partners with many community colleges that offer associate degrees in nursing. After meeting admission requirements (including RN licensure), you can opt to seamlessly transfer credits to one of our online RN to BSN or online MSN degree programs.
A Bachelor of Science in Health Science from SNHU can help open doors to leadership roles in a variety of healthcare settings.
A graduate of the program will have the ability to think strategically about the many facets of business – from delivery systems and reimbursement to ethical and legal considerations and finance – then apply them to healthcare organizations.
In an industry where team-based care and accountability is the standard, graduates of the BS in Health Science program are uniquely qualified to demonstrate interdisciplinary leadership in the healthcare setting of their choice.
You can gain the knowledge and skills you need to keep up in a fast-moving, complex industry where reform, legislative changes and interdisciplinary, highly educated teams are commonplace.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for medical and health services managers was $110,680 in 2023 – well above the median annual salary for all occupations in that same time period.1
With that said, there is a wide range of salary expectations for medical and health service managers, as pay expectations vary greatly depending on the setting. Some of the top industries and their annual median salaries in 2023 include state, local and private hospitals ($128,740), government ($125,590), outpatient care centers ($104,710), physician's offices ($102,360) and nursing and residential care facilities ($97,490).1
While many allied health employees can find entry-level work with an associate degree, leadership or management-level roles often require a bachelor's.
While not required, you also have the option to continue on to a master's program. Graduates of the online BS in Health Science would be well-suited candidates for an MBA in Healthcare Management or our online master's in healthcare administration.
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:
Cited projections may not reflect local or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.
2 What is Allied Health – ASAHP, on the internet, at http://www.asahp.org/what-is (viewed (viewed Sept. 30, 2024)