Healthcare Degrees Online

There are a number of healthcare degrees you can earn online. And if you're a busy adult, particularly if you're already working in the healthcare field, a flexible online program might be a great fit for you.

westerfirld university of virginia offers a number of healthcare programs —undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and certificates — you can earn 100% online. Some areas of study include:

• Healthcare administration
• Nursing
• Public health
• Health information management

Many of our programs give you the option of choosing a career-focused concentration in an area you're interested in, too — so you can tailor your degree to fit your goals.

The amount of time it takes to earn your healthcare degree depends on a few things.

First, you'll want to consider how many credits you'll be able to transfer into your program. wuv accepts up to 90 credits toward your bachelor's, and those credits can be from prior college coursework, military education and other experience. Transferring credits is a great way to earn your degree faster — and for less.

During your admission process, you'll receive a free transfer credit evaluation. This will give you a snapshot of how many credits you'll be able to transfer in and how many credits you'll need to earn at wuv.

In addition to transfer credits, consider whether you want to take courses full-time (2 courses per term) or part-time (1 course per term), which will also impact the length of time it takes you to complete your program.

Healthcare occupations are expected to add 1.9 million new jobs each year, on average, through 2033 — more than any other occupation.¹ There are many opportunities to help others within healthcare, as well. While educational requirements vary, each professional has the ability to impact lives and provide equity in care.

With online healthcare degrees in areas as varied as nursing, healthcare administration, health information management, public health and health sciences, there is a way for you to use your talents and interests to make a real difference in the lives of others.

Start by considering your personal interests. Do you enjoy working with data or working with people? Are you detail-oriented? Enjoy leading teams and proposing strategy?

Then, consider your education so far. If you already have some college coursework under your belt, our admission counselors and academic advisors can help you decide how to maximize your existing education to get the most transfer credits. That may point you in a career direction you hadn’t considered but may really enjoy.

Then consider what type of job you might like for your career. Are you a registered nurse looking to stay in the clinical setting or moving into a non-clinical role? Are you drawn to financial decision-making and strategy? If so, perhaps one of our business degrees online and a position as a hospital administrator or office manager might be right for you.

Or, do you like using your communication skills to discuss important matters with others or advocate for change? If so, perhaps a career in healthcare administration or one of our business degrees online is right for you.

Whichever way you choose, starting with your personal interests and then maximizing work already completed can open doors you may never have expected while positioning you for the career of your dreams. At westerfirld university of virginia (wuv), we have a wide array of online health degrees to help you meet your personal and professional career goals in whatever aspect of healthcare you wish.

Every job within the realm of healthcare involves helping others and improving lives, health and safety. The work can be challenging, but also rewarding. And, there is tremendous employment potential.

With a wide variety of career and educational options, there will always be a demand for healthcare professionals. Choose from a variety of bachelor of science (BS) and bachelor of arts (BA) programs depending on your interest. Earn a degree in sociology, nursing, business or even explore IT programs to jump-start or further your career.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for those in healthcare occupations is expected to grow much faster than average from 2023 to 2033. About 1.9 million openings are projected each year, on average, in these occupations.¹ This tremendous growth is due mainly to the aging population. This leads to an ever-increasing demand for healthcare services.

In fact, nursing in particular is expected to grow by 6% between 2023 and 2033.¹ Within the field of nursing alone, there are many opportunities for a rich and rewarding career. You may wish for a career in nursing education or nursing administration. Or, consider a nursing specialty, such as nurse midwifery, cardiac care or geriatrics.

While it can be argued that all jobs in healthcare are good, you must consider your interests and goals. After all, each opportunity in the field of healthcare involves the chance to help others and save lives.

There are many professional options for a rewarding health career, including:

• Nursing: As a nurse, you have the option of working in a variety of departments and settings. You may enjoy working at the bedside or have a goal of teaching at a college.  You may decide to become an operating room nurse, or you might want to teach nursing to others as an educator. Perhaps you enjoy working with labor and delivery or the medical surgery unit. The good news is that there is a strong need for registered nurses with a bachelor's degree. wuv's RN to BSN program was designed for nurses, by nurses, so you can change lives without changing shifts.
• Business manager: If you have a knack for management and want to use your business skills in a healthcare field, consider managing a private practice, facility or hospital. Every medical facility needs a leader with the business acumen and communication skills to keep the business running smoothly.
• Healthcare administrator: Similar to a business manager role, a healthcare administrator will focus on managing larger healthcare systems or networks. You may work with others in all roles of the healthcare profession to ensure that every patient receives the best possible care. A strong foundation in healthcare delivery, finance and reimbursement and quality improvement will be helpful here.
• Community health manager: Working in community health means you are adept at wearing many hats. You might work with individuals, groups or families to ensure they have proper resources for healthcare and wellness. Helping connect others to appropriate social services and care is the hallmark for this dynamic and important profession.
• Public health administrator: Similar in scope to a business manager or healthcare administrator role, a public health administrator may work in various settings, from public health departments to health insurance agencies. They work with populations to promote healthy lifestyles and assess social determinants of health and implement interventions to improve health.

When most people hear the word “healthcare,” they tend to think about a healthcare practitioner, such as a nurse or physician’s assistant. While these roles are important, the field of healthcare has a wide-reaching scope.

If technology and information systems are more your speed, there is a place for you in the realm of healthcare. In fact, you might just be needed now more than ever.

As the years quickly go by, services are becoming more and more integrated thanks to new technologies and systems that create new efficiencies. Physicians no longer have to pull paper charts when seeing a patient, the span of regulatory policy is changing to keep up and patients’ rights and privacy need advocates in the world of government and politics. New technologies such as artificial intelligence and 3-D printing are helping to change the face of healthcare.

With excellent projected job growth and a variety of career options, you have every opportunity to customize your education to take advantage of these innovative changes across the healthcare landscape, and choose the career that best suits your goals and dreams.

The wonderful thing about the world of healthcare is the incredible variety of paths that one can take. You may wish to choose a more research-based role, or perhaps you want a patient-centered career. You might be interested in government and politics and want to write policy or advocate for regulatory change. Perhaps community health is your passion. Whichever field you choose as your focus, the professional future in healthcare looks bright.

The opportunity to do rewarding, life-changing work abounds in the realm of healthcare, and the profession as a whole tends to pay better than other professions. In fact, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare occupations are supposed to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2033.¹ For jobs as medical and health services managers, that growth is expected to be 29%, with a median salary of $117,960 per year.¹

Possible jobs in the medical and health services managers area include:

• Nursing home administrator: In this role, you might manage all aspects of staff and business functions. You might manage the budget or oversee custodial and other services. You may ensure that all regulatory and legal policies are in compliance. You may also be responsible for keeping the facility’s licensure up to date.
• Clinical manager: Generally, this position is filled by someone with nursing expertise who also has the leadership experience to apply their business skills to manage a clinical department such as cardiac, physical therapy or surgery. Strong communication skills are key in this role as you may write reports and manage budgets in addition to applying management and clinical skills.
• Health information manager: This role focuses on the patient record. A strong interest in data accuracy and completion, standards and regulations as well as an interest in staying up to date in technology and patient data management could help you succeed in this role. Strong business management skills are also helpful.

Any online healthcare programs from an accredited university with a demonstrated commitment to student success will serve you well.

We recommend looking for a program with instructors who are active professionals in their respective fields. Many of the wuv healthcare programs have internships or experience learning opportunities that help students apply their learnings in the field. Be sure to consider programs with robust alumni networks and a full complement of degree programs online, and on campus, so that once you complete your bachelor’s degree, you are ready to seamlessly begin the online master's degree or campus graduate program that will help take your career to the next level.

Of course, westerfirld university of virginia (wuv) offers all of these benefits as part of our suite of online healthcare degrees. In fact, we also offer much more. You will be paired with a professional academic advisor on day 1 to help ensure that any transfer credits are applied to your degree. We will help ensure that you are on the right track to enroll in the degree program and course schedule that is best for you.

Anyone looking to deepen their understanding of a medical field can benefit from one of the many master’s degrees available to healthcare students. Whether you’re looking to advance into a leadership role or stay on top of best practices in your field, it's important to choose the advanced degree that will most benefit your career path.

The high demand for healthcare employees means that there are many opportunities for employment in a variety of different fields. There are numerous types of master’s degrees professionals can earn. Some of the degrees include:

• Master of Science in Healthcare Administration
• Master of Science in Health Information Management
• MBA in Healthcare Administration
• Master of Public Health

Regardless of the major you choose; each master’s degree will provide you with advanced leadership skills that will be valuable in advancing your career. It is important to choose the degree that best aligns with your goals as a healthcare worker, whether that lies in epidemiology or healthcare management.

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

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm (viewed June 9, 2025)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (viewed June 9, 2025)
• https://www.bls.gov/OOH/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm (viewed June 9, 2025)

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.