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Studies & Degrees in Human Health Studies

Human health studies is a broad label for degrees that examine health and illness in people: how the body works, what makes populations healthy or sick, and how health services are organised. The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, and courses in this field follow that wide view. They combine human biology with psychology, sociology, statistics, ethics and health policy.

The label covers two different kinds of study. The first is the training for a clinical profession such as medicine or nursing. The second is a non-clinical degree in health sciences, public health, global health or health and social care, which prepares students for work in prevention, education, management and research, or for later professional training. It is important to know which of the two a programme is before applying.

Qualifications and levels

  • Non-clinical bachelor's degrees. These study health from a social and scientific angle. The BA (Hons) Health and Social Care at Liverpool Hope University, for example, lasts three years full time and looks at questions such as why different groups experience health differently, how health inequalities are tackled and how policy affects services. It includes a work placement in the second year.
  • Master's degrees. Many are open to graduates of several disciplines. The MSc in Global Health at the University of Copenhagen is a two-year programme taught in English, with about 40 students a year. Public health, the best-known specialisation at this level, is summed up by the health careers service of the NHS in England as helping people stay healthy and protecting them from threats to their health.
  • Clinical degrees. Degrees that give access to a health profession are regulated in each country. In Spain, the law on health professions lists medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine, and also nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, optics and optometry, speech therapy, and human nutrition and dietetics. Spanish bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits, except those that must have 300 or 360 under European rules; official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120.
  • Study abroad and short programmes. Some institutions teach health courses to visiting students for a semester or a summer. These give credits towards the degree of the home university, not a qualification of their own.

A general degree in health studies does not by itself allow a graduate to practise as a doctor, nurse or physiotherapist. Students who want a clinical career should check with the regulator of the country where they plan to work which degrees are accepted.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 13 active schools for human health studies. Three are in the United States, two each in Spain, Denmark and the United Kingdom, and one each in Peru, Russia, Ukraine and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The list is mixed. It includes large universities such as the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, the University of Copenhagen, the University of London, Liverpool Hope University, Middle Tennessee State University and SUNY, The State University of New York; a private university in the Valencia region, the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera; two medical universities, Rostov State Medical University and Bukovinian State Medical University; and DIS - Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen.

The language of instruction depends on the country and the level. At the University of Copenhagen, for instance, the bachelor's degree programmes are all taught in Danish, while the MSc in Global Health is taught in English. In Spain and Peru the degrees are taught mainly in Spanish. Clinical placements involve patients, so a good level of the local language is normally needed even where lectures are in English.

Careers

Graduates of non-clinical programmes work in health promotion and education, public health agencies, hospital and health service administration, non-governmental organisations, the pharmaceutical and food industries, and research. The University of Copenhagen names development agencies, NGOs, consulting firms, pharmaceutical and medical companies, public authorities and research institutions among the workplaces of its global health graduates. Many students use a first degree in health studies as the base for a master's degree or for professional training.

Official projections for the United States point to steady demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035, with about 1.9 million openings each year. Health education specialists, who develop programmes to teach people about conditions affecting well-being, typically need at least a bachelor's degree; their employment is projected to grow 6 percent over the same period, with about 6,900 openings each year. These figures describe the US labour market only.

Frequently asked questions

Is a degree in health studies the same as a medical degree?

No. Health studies, public health and health and social care are non-clinical degrees. Medicine, nursing and similar professions require their own regulated degrees.

How long does a health studies degree take?

It depends on the country. The BA (Hons) Health and Social Care at Liverpool Hope University takes three years full time; a Spanish grado normally has 240 ECTS credits; the MSc in Global Health at the University of Copenhagen takes two years.

Can I study health in English outside English-speaking countries?

Often at master's level. The University of Copenhagen teaches its MSc in Global Health in English, while all its bachelor's degree programmes are taught in Danish.

What can I do after a non-clinical health degree?

Typical paths are health education and promotion, public health, health administration, work in NGOs or industry, research, or a master's degree.