Health Sciences (BA/BS)
Find your place in today’s fastest-growing industry.
Careers in healthcare are on the rise. Everywhere along the continuum of care — from patient registration to the operating room — there’s a need for caring, competent professionals. A degree in Health Sciences is excellent preparation for in-demand careers in health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, and related areas. With a strong focus on human health, this degree also provides a solid foundation for graduate study.
- Time to Completion
- 4 years
- Format
- On Campus
- Degree(s)
- Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
Next steps
Why Study Health Sciences at Mary Baldwin?
Part of MBU’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, this degree program is built on the strength of a dynamic, interprofessional learning community. Interdisciplinary in nature, this major also gives you access to facilities and faculty members across the entire university.
Program highlights and benefits:
- Available on-campus or hybrid (online classes with on-site labs)
- Small class sizes and personalized attention
- Wide variety of electives from across disciplines
- Senior research project (and the chance to present at conferences)
- Internship and study abroad/away opportunities
- Plenty of ways to get involved on campus, including health professions-related clubs and organizations
A Closer Look: Two Degree Options
One of the biggest benefits of a Health Sciences degree is its versatility—and Mary Baldwin makes it even more flexible with two distinct degree options. Choose the one that best meets your career goals:
Bachelor of Science (BS)
This science-heavy degree program is intended for students looking to pursue clinically based professions and graduate programs.
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
With more flexibility in electives, the BA in Health Sciences prepares students for a wide variety of health-related fields and functional roles.
Next steps
“After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in healthcare and look for opportunities to serve the women and children in my community.”
Cory Martin ’21Health Sciences major
What You’ll Learn: Our Health Sciences Curriculum
As a Health Sciences major, you’ll take foundational classes in biology, human anatomy, and chemistry. If you’re on the BS track, you’ll dive deeper into the life sciences. In both degree options, you’ll have the flexibility to take courses from across disciplines such as anthropology, social work, psychology, exercise science, and communication.
Sample core and elective courses include:
Gives you the information you need to identify a career direction in healthcare and related fields. Offers an overview of professional paths while introducing concepts around professionalism, cultural competence, interdisciplinary healthcare teams, and healthcare policies.
Investigates macro- and micro-nutrition and their effects on human health. Topics include metabolism, supplements, relationships between energy intake and expenditure, metabolic disorders, nutrition, and disease. You’ll evaluate your energy intake and assess its effectiveness within the context of daily energy expenditure.
Examines health/illness issues as they relate to societal conditions and social identities. Topics include social factors in health, the medicalization of life, interrelationships between health and social institutions, the U.S. healthcare delivery “system,” and medical ethics.
What Can You Do With a Health Sciences Degree?
With a degree in Health Sciences from Mary Baldwin, you’ll be prepared for direct entry into clinical and non-clinical roles in a variety of healthcare settings. With on-the-job training or additional education, you can also move into more specialized positions. Recent alumni job titles include:
- Medical assistant
- Behavioral health technician
- Healthcare recruiter
- Radiation therapist
- X-ray sales engineer
- Patient care technician
Many Health Sciences majors continue their education in graduate nursing and other health professions programs—including those offered right here at the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences.
Looking ahead to graduate school, Mary Baldwin’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences offers several master’s and doctoral programs. MBU undergraduate students are able to take advantage of a guaranteed interview program at Murphy Deming.
Next steps
Cost & Financial Aid
A great education is worth it. Here’s how Mary Baldwin helps you pay for it: Generous financial aid packages, a broad range of scholarships, transferring maximum credit hours from previous coursework or relevant work and life experiences — the list goes on. Our mission is to help you level up and bring your aspirations to life.
MBU helps you fast-track your path to a bachelor’s degree with the opportunity to transfer up to 18 credits (6 courses) through direct course equivalents from the Virginia Community Colleges System.
A bachelor’s degree requires 120 credit hours of study.