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 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
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
- Behavioral Health Group
- Boars Head Resort
- Carilion Clinic
- Clifton Forge Fire Department
- Dominion Physical Therapy, LLC
- Duke Health
- Encompass Health
- Erlanger
- Form Function Fitness
- Hastings Medical Clinic
- Ivy Rehab Network
- MedStar Health
- Medical Facilities of America (MFA)
- OrthoVirginia
- Ovid Healthcare Center
- River Edge Nursing and Rehab
- Sentara Healthcare
- Shenandoah Powerhouse Gym
- Titan Medical Group
- UVA Health
- Virginia Department of Health
- 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’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 or professional organizations for connection and networking:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Medical Women’s Association
- Alpha Epsilon Delta Honor Society
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society
- Pre-Med/Health Club
- Psychology Club
- Chemical Society
Pursue an internship such as:
- Cardiac Clinic Internship at UVA Health
- Case Management Internship at Loving Steps
- Office Intern and Shadow of a primary care provider at a private practice
- Student Volunteer and Shadow at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute
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:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Medical Women’s Association
- Chemical Society
- Colleges Against Cancer Club
- Psychology Club
Pursue an internship such as:
- Cardiac Clinic Internship at UVA Health
- Case Management Internship at Loving Steps
- Office Intern and Shadow of a primary care provider at a private practice
- Student Volunteer and Shadow at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute
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:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Medical Women’s Association
- Chemical Society
- Colleges Against Cancer Club
- Psychology Club
Pursue internship such as:
- Cardiac Clinic Internship at UVA Health
- Case Management Internship at Loving Steps
- Office Intern and Shadow of a primary care provider at a private practice
- Student Volunteer and Shadow at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute
Consider one of our outstanding MBU graduate programs:
What makes a great
Health Sciences student?
A good health sciences student is curious, works with purpose, and refuses to settle for halfway understanding. Because 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
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
Graduate programs in healthcare and medicine require clinical experience prior to admission. Clinicals provide direct exposure to patient care through observation or hands-on practice, and can be gained through shadowing, internships, or clinical rotations.
An application may require documented experience across multiple settings, with a variety of patient populations, or for a minimum number of 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.
