A complete guide to healthcare degrees

Are you ready to level up your healthcare career, and finally learn those specialist skills you’ve been hoping to gain? No matter what stage of your career you’re at, or how many years of experience you’ve got, a postgraduate healthcare degree can help you focus on your specialism or progress to more senior roles.

So, if your answer is yes, you’re in the right place. In this complete guide to healthcare degrees, we’ll be discussing the different options available to you, how studying online can help you balance other commitments, how to apply, career opportunities, and more.

What is a healthcare degree?

While you’re probably aware of the more traditional healthcare degree programs, like medicine, dentistry, midwifery and nursing degrees, did you know that there are also plenty of excellent online degree programs? 

Online healthcare degrees, like the ones we offer at FutureLearn, can supplement your in-person training and prepare you for careers in areas such as healthcare management, public health and mental health nursing.

Hands-on training is nearly always necessary in the healthcare industry, regardless of the position you’re interested in, but that doesn’t mean that an online healthcare degree can’t give you the career boost you’ve been looking for. 

After all, it can be near impossible to study a full-time, on-campus degree while you’re working in your healthcare job, so learning online offers an alternative route for students who live in remote areas or cannot take a year or two off work.

Skills you’ll learn on a healthcare degree

Because there are so many possibilities when it comes to healthcare degrees, the hard skills you’ll learn depend rather heavily on your subject. But there are some things that are likely to be commonplace across all healthcare degrees — take a look at some soft skills you’ll learn below.

• Communication
• Empathy
• Teamwork
• Stress management
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability.

Types of healthcare degree

There are all kinds of healthcare degrees out there, including the more traditional on-campus undergraduate programs like BSc Nursing, but also a wide range of more specialised postgraduate degrees.

Below, we’ve listed some of the most common bachelor’s programs, and the most popular types of master’s degrees in healthcare — they tend to be Bachelor’s or Master’s of Science (BSc/MSc) due to the subjects having a firm basis in scientific knowledge and research. This is by no means an extensive list, but will give you an idea about some of your options.

Undergraduate degrees

• BSc Nursing
• BSc Midwifery
• BSc Biomedical Sciences
• BSc Pharmaceutical Sciences
• BSc Dentistry

Postgraduate degrees

• MSc Healthcare Leadership
• MSc Healthcare Management
• MSc Clinical Pharmacy
• MSc Health Informatics
• MSc Occupational Therapy

How long does it take to get a healthcare degree?

If you’re studying alongside your day job, you’ll most likely have to choose a part-time degree. This means it’ll probably take 4 years to complete a bachelor’s degree, 2 years for a master’s degree, and 1-2 years for a postgraduate certificate.

Full-time degrees, on the other hand, are normally 3 years for a bachelor’s and just one year for a master’s. While full-time degrees are quicker to complete, it does take a lot more effort and hard work packed into a shorter time frame, so make sure you choose an option that works with your lifestyle and pre-existing commitments.

Entry requirements for a healthcare degree

There’s certainly not a one-size-fits-all approach with entry requirements for healthcare degrees. What you need to get in very much depends on the specific degree program you’re applying for.

However, if it’s a postgraduate degree that you’re going for, you’ll need to have a bachelor’s in a relevant subject already, and probably a good amount of work experience too — or volunteering experience at the very least. You may also need to have scored at least a 2:1 or 2:2 on your bachelor’s to get in.

Besides having specialist medical skills, most healthcare professions care about you being a well-rounded person. Emotional intelligence is just as important as academic achievement, and it’s also about being able to work hard and manage high pressure environments without it negatively impacting your personal life too much.

Must-haves 

• Relevant academic qualifications
• Passion for your subject
• Enjoy working with people.

Good-to-haves 

• Relevant work or volunteering experience
• Able to handle stressful situations
• Desire to make a difference.

How much does a healthcare degree cost?

At the undergraduate level, tuition costs £9,250 per year for most UK students, though degrees are free for Scottish students studying in Scotland, and the tuition is less in Northern Ireland. International students can expect to pay quite a bit more.

The cost is more variable for master’s degrees and other postgraduate qualifications. On average, master’s degrees cost between £12,000 and £25,000, but where exactly it falls on the spectrum will depend on how in-depth the program is and the prestige of the institution. 

Funding options for healthcare degrees

Fortunately, undergraduate degrees (and normally one year of a master’s degree) are covered by Student Finance in the UK. This means that you get a loan to fund your degree, and sometimes also a grant for living costs. 

There are, however, additional routes you can go down when it comes to funding your degree. For example, there might be options for obtaining a scholarship or grant, and your university might even offer financial aid packages. So, make sure you look into your options carefully. 

Where to look

• Check out Prospect’s postgraduate funding page
• Use the Turn2Us grants search tool
• Take a look at The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding
• If you’re Scottish, check out Student Awards Agency Scotland

How to get into a healthcare degree

In the UK, you usually apply for undergraduate degrees via UCAS, choosing five degree options and ranking them in order of which one you’d most like to join. You also normally have to meet the entry requirements stated by your chosen university and write a personal statement detailing your suitability for the degree  — more details on this below.

For master’s programs, you apply directly on the institution’s website, and you’ll need an undergraduate degree in your chosen field, whether that’s nursing, psychology or something else. As previously mentioned, you’ll probably also need work experience.

Personal statement tips

• Explain why you’re passionate about your specialism. What originally made you interested in pursuing this healthcare career, how has that passion developed, and what are your goals for the future?
• Dive into your experience. Talk about your current healthcare work experience, and perhaps any volunteering you’ve done in health or community contexts.
• Highlight your positive personality traits and disposition. Since many healthcare jobs require you to be a well-adjusted person with emotional intelligence and great communication skills, it’s important that you talk about the kind of person you are, as well as your passion, experience and achievements.
• Showcase your knowledge of the course. It’s good to be as specific as you can about your reasons for choosing this degree in particular. What about it stood out? Which degree modules are you most excited to study and why?

How will you be assessed on a healthcare degree?

Whether you’re at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you can expect to be assessed using a mixture of essays, practical assessments, research papers, exams, and then the odd presentation or group project. 

However, this will depend on your degree program to an extent. When it comes to online degrees, all of your assessments will be online, making it as easy as possible for you to complete your degree from home.

How difficult is a degree in healthcare?

Many healthcare degrees are very specialised, especially at postgraduate level. So, it’s important that you have the aptitude, drive and commitment to work hard and ensure you focus on your studies. This is all the more important because you’ll be working in a field where you’re often responsible for people’s lives.

However, despite there being lots to learn and many hours of work to put in, a healthcare degree is extremely rewarding, and it’s worth the effort to know you’re gaining lifesaving skills. Not only will you boost your career, but you’ll get to put those new skills to excellent use.

Job satisfaction and prospects for healthcare graduates

First of all, it’s pretty safe to say that you’ll be in demand with a healthcare degree, especially if you have more niche skills and expertise. Quite a lot of areas within healthcare in the UK are currently experiencing staff shortages, for example, in nursing and social care, and this means that your skills and expertise are very much needed.

And, if you pursue a career in healthcare management or leadership after taking a postgraduate degree, your career progression opportunities will skyrocket. The demand for skilled healthcare managers continues to grow as the healthcare industry evolves to meet a complex, constantly evolving health landscape.

While job satisfaction reports tend to go up and down in the healthcare industry, which is natural due to the stressful work environments and long hours that many workers put in, most people find that working in healthcare is extremely rewarding, and that their work feels purposeful.

What can you do with a healthcare degree?

The job possibilities are endless when it comes to healthcare, but in this section, we’ll focus on jobs you might be able to get into after taking a postgraduate healthcare degree. This way, you might discover that it’s possible for you to land a career you didn’t think you could.

• Healthcare manager
• Healthcare administrator
• Nurse educator
• Therapist
• Mental health nurse
• Nursing supervisor
• Epidemiologist
• Medical policy manager
• Chief nursing officer
• Clinical specialist.

Salary prospects: How much do healthcare graduates earn?

As you can imagine, salaries for healthcare graduates vary far and wide. However, if you’re planning on working for the NHS, there are official NHS pay bands that dictate how much you’ll be paid based on the position you’re in and the years of experience you’ve got.

For example, brand new nursing associates and pharmacy technicians are on band 4, so they will start off earning £25,147 per year. Graduate nurses, midwives and paramedics are on band 5, which means they earn £28,407 per year, for the first two years. 

It’s worth noting though, if you take a specialist postgraduate degree in a certain area of healthcare, you’re more than likely to be paid more than this. Advanced clinical practitioners, service managers and speciality leads are all in band 8a, which means they start on an annual salary of £50,952. You can also expect to earn quite a bit more if you work in the private sector.

Why choose a degree in healthcare?

If you’re new to the world of work, and trying to figure out whether healthcare is the right industry for you, the most important thing to consider is whether you’re passionate about providing quality healthcare. 

Are you willing to go the extra mile to help people with their health concerns, conditions and emergencies? If so, a healthcare degree is the first step towards a long and successful career making an impact on people’s lives.

If, however, you’re deciding whether to take a postgraduate healthcare degree, it’s all about what you’re hoping to achieve next. If you’re looking to progress in your role faster, switch roles, increase your earning potential or learn specialist skills, an online degree can help you do this while you work.

Get an online healthcare degree with FutureLearn

If you’re ready to give your healthcare career a well-needed boost, and open the doors to career progression and new opportunities, we’ve got some excellent online healthcare degrees by world-class institutions. 

You can study from home, or wherever suits you, so that you don’t have to sacrifice your work, family or other life commitments for your studies. Take a look at just some of your options below.

• MSc Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors by the University of Edinburgh
• MSc Nursing by Coventry University
• MSc End of Life Studies by the University of Glasgow
• MSc Global Health and Infectious Diseases by the University of Edinburgh
• PGCert Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine, and Culture (Online) by the University of Exeter
• BSc (Hons) Health and Care Management by Arden University
• MBA Healthcare Management by the University of Roehampton
• MSc Mental Health by the University of Birmingham
• Masters of Public Health (MPH) by Brunel University London.