About the program

You know you want a career in healthcare, but you’re not sure which one. Or maybe you know what you want to do, but you need to beef up your academic experience and résumé to compete in that field. The Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS) program is designed to help you discover your goals – and reach them.

How can one major be the right fit for so many? Personalization. The BSHS is custom designed around you. In your first year, you’ll take an Introduction to the Majors course to learn about all majors at MCPHS, and then a Health Sciences Seminar to explore your options within the BSHS major. Along the way, you’ll work one-on-one with the faculty program director and career advisors to navigate a plan that’s right for you, as well as connect with alumni to seek their insights. Whatever you decide to do, MCPHS will work with you to formalize a path forward, and your faculty mentor will help ensure that you meet all required prerequisites to achieve your goals.

As an early part of your BSHS curriculum, you’ll conduct informational interviews with professionals in your target career to gain a tangible sense of what you want to pursue. Later in the major, you’ll take a deeper dive with a full-semester internship and job shadowing. Our location in Boston’s world-renowned Longwood Medical and Academic Area offers unparalleled opportunities for hands-on learning. With intensive advising, plenty of due diligence, and real-world experience, you’ll graduate ready to compete in your chosen field. Three different tracks lead you to where you want to go.

Track 1: Bachelor of Health Sciences – General

Get the lay of the land before choosing your specialty.

Undecided majors are welcome to start here and then apply for a transfer into their desired program. Personalized academic and career advising help you find your path, and since all first-year students at MCPHS take the same curriculum, you won’t lose any ground.

Or, continue as a major in Health Sciences in preparation for graduate school. Faculty advising ensures that you complete all of your required prerequisites as concentration courses, and hands-on experience builds your résumé for application to grad school in your chosen field.

Track 2: Bachelor of Health Sciences – Health Education

Become a certified health educator to teach the future of healthcare.

The BSHS with a concentration in Health Education prepares you to teach and promote health and well-being in a range of settings, some of which include healthcare (hospitals, medical groups, private practice); communities and non-profit organizations; colleges and universities; K-12 schools; businesses and worksites; and government. Graduates of this concentration are eligible to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

This pathway pairs well with clinical and non-clinical aspirations. For example, after earning your BSHS, you may choose to enroll in a postbaccalaureate program in nursing or dental hygiene. You could then pursue a career as a clinical health education specialist. Or, you could continue your education and earn a master’s degree in public health, health sciences, or healthcare management and become a leader within the field of public health, teaching and learning, or business administration with a strong background in health education and promotion.

Track 3: Bachelor of Health Sciences – Healthcare Management

Join the team that makes healthcare work, day in and day out.

The BSHS with a Healthcare Management concentration prepares you to run the business of healthcare. This nonclinical pathway can also be paired with clinical aspirations. For example, you can earn your BSHS in healthcare management, go on to nursing postgrad, and enter the workforce as a nurse manager.