Health Sciences Careers
Find out what careers you can achieve with a Health Sciences degree from MBU, and how you can get there!
Health Sciences Careers
These are just some of the many careers an MBU Health Sciences BA/BS can prepare you for. Select a linked career to learn about the job, average salary, employment outlook, required education level, and more.
Clinical Care & Medical Treatment
- Athletic Trainer
- Physical Therapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Recreational Therapist
- Rehabilitation Counselor
- Dentist
- EMT/Paramedic
- Optometrist
- Pharmacist
- Physician
- Physician Assistant
- Psychiatric/Behavioral Health Technician
- Radiologist
- Surgical Assistant
- Veterinarian
- Personal Care Aide
- Prosthetics Technician
Healthcare Operations, Administration & Program Management
- Fitness Program Director
- Health Information Technologists
- HMO Contract Coordinator
- Medical Office Manager
- Medical Records Specialist
- Patient Care Administrator
- Consumer Safety Inspector
Health Education, Advocacy & Community Support
- Health Advocate/Educator
- Community Health Specialist
- Patient Advocate
- Public Health Advocate
- School Health Educator
- Wellness Specialist
- Substance Abuse Case Manager
Use the resources below to find more career profiles on these and hundreds of other jobs in health sciences.
Career Spotlights
Athletic Trainer
Helps prevent, diagnose, and treat injuries affecting muscles, bones, and movement—keeping athletes and active individuals healthy, safe, and performing at their best.
Education: Master’s degree + certification/licensure
Workplaces: Schools, hospitals, sports teams, fitness centers
Median Pay: $60,250/year
Job Outlook: +11% (fast growth)
Occupational Therapist
Helps people with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities build or regain everyday skills—supporting independence at home, school, work, and beyond.
Education: Master’s degree + state licensure
Workplaces: Hospitals, schools, outpatient clinics
Median Pay: $98,340/year
Job Outlook: +14% (much faster than average)
Health Education Specialist
Creates programs and resources that help people understand health topics, make informed choices, and improve overall well-being.
Education: Bachelor’s degree (certification sometimes preferred)
Workplaces: Hospitals, nonprofits, government agencies
Median Pay: $63,000/year
Job Outlook: +4% (average growth)
MBU Alumni Employers
Our Health Sciences majors have gone on to build impactful careers at leading hospitals, research institutions, government agencies, non-profits, and more.
- ABS Kids
- Augusta Health
- Bon Secours Mercy Health
- Carilion Behavioral Health
- Carilion Clinic
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Central Shenandoah Health District
- Duke Health
- Erlanger Health System
- HCA Virginia Health System
- Inova Health System
- OrthoVirginia
- Sentara Health
- University of Virginia School of Medicine
- UVA Health
- Valley Health System
- VCU Health System
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Virginia Department of Health
- Virginia Urology
- Western State Hospital
Alumni Story: Jordan Ellis, ’13
Jordan Ellis graduated from Mary Baldwin University with a Health Sciences degree, where a capstone project analyzing patient flow in Virginia hospitals sparked a focus on healthcare operations. “That’s when I saw how much systems design affects patient care,” Jordan says.
Now a Clinical Operations Analyst at a Richmond healthcare technology company, Jordan works with hospitals to streamline admissions and improve care coordination, including projects that reduce discharge delays and improve emergency department throughput.
What makes a great
Health Sciences student?
A good health sciences student is curious, works with purpose, and refuses to settle for halfway understanding. Beacause we’re not just memorizing the body, we’re learning to respect it. Students who go far are not perfect; they are the ones who care enough to keep learning and who give themselves grace while they grow.
Hailee McDonaldHealth Sciences Major, Class of ’27
What’s your path?
MBU offers dozens of complementary minors, majors, clubs and more to enhance your study of Health Sciences and put you on the right path to your dream career.
Consider pairing your Health Sciences major with:
- A minor in:
- A double-major in:
Build one of these Skill Stacks to gain an edge in the job market:
- Problem-Solving
- Data Fluency
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Leadership
Join one of these MBU clubs for connection and networking:
- Pre-Med/Health Club
- Psychology Club
- Chemical Society
Pursue an internship at organizations such as:
Consider one of our outstanding MBU graduate programs:
*We offer Accelerated Pathways for these programs. Graduate in less time and save!
Consider pairing your Health Sciences major with:
A minor in:
A double major in:
Build one of these Skill Stacks and gain an edge in the job market:
- Leadership
- Data Fluency
- Communication
- Problem-Solving
- Collaboration
Join one of these MBU clubs for connection and networking:
- Chemical Society
- Colleges Against Cancer Club
- Psychology Club
Pursue an internship at organizations such as:
Consider one of our outstanding MBU graduate programs:
Consider pairing your Health Sciences major with:
A minor in:
A double major in:
Build one of these Skill Stacks and gain an edge in the job market:
- Communication
- Inclusivity
- Leadership
- Problem-Solving
- Creativity
Join one of these MBU clubs for connection and networking:
- Chemical Society
- Colleges Against Cancer Club
- Psychology Club
Pursue an internship at organizations such as:
Consider one of our outstanding MBU graduate programs:
Planning for Graduate School
Whether you plan to continue your education in health sciences or are interested in a career that requires a graduate or medical degree, thinking about graduate school early can save you a lot of stress in the future. While every graduate program will have its own prerequisites and application requirements, there are consistent elements across them.
You will be expected to take a variety of lab science and math courses, potentially more than are required for the Health Sciences BA or BS.
- In addition to Biology, Chemistry, and Physiology, you may be required to take Psychology courses
- In addition to Statistics, you may be required to take Calculus
You may need to have experience in multiple settings, with a variety of patient populations, or a certain number of clinical hours. Knowing what programs you would like to apply to lets you learn about that school’s requirements and allows you to plan in advance.
In addition to academic and clinical experiences, your application may include taking entrance exams such as the
- GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)
- MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
- CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics)
These tests are much like the SAT or ACT, but at the graduate level. There are many kinds of these exams, and they range from general knowledge to medical knowledge to situational judgement and ethics. Students taking these exams often take weeks or months to study the material and take practice tests. Knowing early if one of these exams will be included in your application will give you more time to prepare.
Mary Baldwin offers a number of health sciences related graduate programs through the Murphy Deming School of Health Sciences. In fact, all Health Sciences BA/BS graduates from MBU are guaranteed an interview for any Murphy Deming program.
Additionally, some Murphy Deming programs provide accelerated pathways. These pathways let students work towards their graduate degree as an undergraduate and enter the workforce sooner.
McCree Center for Career Success
Students are encouraged to meet with advisors from the McCree Center for Career Success to explore, prepare for, and secure meaningful internship and work-based learning opportunities aligned with a health sciences major.
Through individualized advising and resources like Handshake, students can identify opportunities, connect with employers, and apply for experiences that build their skills and professional networks.
