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Health Science Degree Online Bachelor's Program in Health Science

Ryan Leite, who earned his bachelor's in health sciences from SNHU in 2024, wearing his cap and gown and holding his diploma at the SNHU commencement ceremony.

Cost per credit $330

Total courses 40

Term length 8 weeks

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Program Overview Why get a health science degree?

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.

Skills you'll learn:

  • Collaboration with diverse healthcare stakeholders
  • Financial and strategic planning in healthcare
  • Management strategies for operational efficiency
  • Healthcare policy and ethical decision-making
  • Interpreting data for continuous quality improvement
  • Healthcare management principles to improve patient care
Dana Aulds, an online degree graduate from SNHU, sitting in scrubs at a desk in a healthcare office.

Courses & Curriculum Online health science courses for aspiring managers

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.

Degree Courses

Online health science degree courses

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.

Courses may include:

Course ID: HCM 320
Learn about the standard economic principles and tools that healthcare administrators need to utilize for effective decision making within the healthcare industry. Explores a framework for understanding government policies, legislation, pricing, profitability, market supply and demand, and risk issues within the healthcare economic system.
Course ID: HCM 340
This course provides an overview of the nature, organization, and function of the continuum of health services found in the United States. Emphasis is placed on the interrelation of cultural, economic, political and social aspects of health care delivery at the federal, state and local level. Topics include health care costs, accessibility of services, governmental influence on health care delivery, private industry role in health care, services for the medically indigent and elderly, ethical issues regarding transplants, reproductive technology, end of life decisions and funding.
Course ID: HCM 345
This course explores some of the major issues facing the healthcare industry and the effect that public policy and business environment has on a healthcare organization. Emphasis is on supply and demand theory, reimbursement systems, managed care, charge-master management, Case-mix management, DRG prospective payment, insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, governmental regulations, accessibility, eligibility, budgeting, and planning. Students learn to use informational and research tools to make effective management decisions.
Course ID: HCM 400
This course provides an overview of the two main areas of Healthcare Finance, accounting and financial management. Topics explore include the healthcare financial environment, financial accounting principles, managerial accounting principles, financial management, long-term financing and capital investments.
Course ID: HCM 491
The capstone course is the culminating experience for the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences. The capstone course provides students with the opportunity to integrate and synthesize the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired throughout their course work and apply them in a comprehensive project within their clinical specialty, and to assess their level of mastery of the stated program outcomes of their degree program in Health Sciences. Students must have completed 111 credits prior to registration.
Course ID: IHP 420
Students in this course examine the role of health care policy and legal, regulatory, and quality control in ethical decision making in healthcare. Students explore concepts and principles of health care policy, legal control, ethical conduct, and regulatory environments and their application to the health care environment. The impact of health care policy and multicultural, socioeconomic, political, legal, and regulatory factors on health care systems is explored.
Course ID: IHP 430
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the management of operations and explore how healthcare organizations can use advance methods to improve healthcare processes, delivery, and outcomes. Specific focus will be on analyzing cycle times (e.g., patient wait times), measuring productivity, streamlining process flows, tracking outcomes and performance metrics, and generally improving health management processes and health outcomes. The process improvement will be measured by how it can improve quality of care and safety of healthcare delivery, reduce waste, and reduce costs. The role of technology and innovative approaches in improving continuing quality improvement in healthcare delivery will be presented.

Visit the course catalog to view the full BS in Health Sciences curriculum.

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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: September 1, 2025 | October 27, 2025

Next term starts:
June 30, 2025

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Online Student Experience What’s it like going to SNHU?

Attending college online at SNHU can be a life-changing experience. In fact, 91.6% of online students would recommend SNHU according to a 2024 survey with 8,000+ respondents.

What to expect:

8-week terms

Learn around your schedule

24/7 online support

Online Classroom

What does an online course look like?

You’ll take your courses within SNHU’s Brightspace platform. This is where you’ll find your:

  • Schedule of weekly assignments
  • Discussion boards
  • Grades
  • Instructor announcements
How to Take an Online Class at SNHU
5 ways SNHU makes the admission process "easy-peasy" #shorts

Admission Applying to SNHU is fast and free

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.

All it takes is 3 simple steps

It's easy, fast and free.

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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

Accreditations

SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The university also carries specialized accreditations for some programs.

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Tuition Cost & Savings College can be more affordable than you think

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.

Online undergraduate tuition

Student
Cost per credit
Cost per course
Cost for 120-credit degree*
Full- and part-time students
$330
$990
$39,600
Active-duty military and spouses | Full- and part-time students**
$231
$693
$27,720

*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.

Transfer credits and lower your cost by:

$9,900 $14,850 $19,800 $24,750 $29,700
Transfer credits and lower your cost by:

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.

Career Outlook What can I do with an online health science degree?

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.

Occupations

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.

29%

Increase in medical and health service management positions through 2033, projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.1

$110,680

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.

What SNHU students are saying

Erin Deleski '21, online program graduate.
Erin Deleski '21, online program graduate.
In order to advance in my career as a medical lab technician, I needed to obtain a bachelor’s degree. A degree in health sciences has now given me the opportunity to seek a more administrative role within the clinical laboratory setting.
Erin Deleski '21

Frequently Asked Questions

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:

  • Cardiovascular technology
  • Clinical laboratories
  • Dental hygiene
  • Diagnostic medical technology
  • Medical assisting & office management
  • Neurodiagnostic technology
  • Nuclear medicine technology
  • Occupational therapy assistant
  • Physical therapy assistant
  • Radiography
  • Radiation therapy technology
  • Respiratory therapy
  • Sonography
  • Surgical technology

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.

Related Articles

Sources & Citations

1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

  • https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm (viewed Sept. 30, 2024)
  • https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-5 (viewed Sept. 30, 2024)

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)