3 Things You Can Do with an Allied Health Science Associate Degree
For those interested in science and helping others, pursuing a career in the healthcare field can be a rewarding choice. However, committing to years and years of schooling all at once isn’t always practical or realistic. If you’re looking to enter the field sooner rather than later, our Associate of Science in Allied Health Science program can prepare you to pursue an entry-level healthcare role in as little as two years1. Because it’s available entirely online, you can complete your coursework and study when it’s convenient for you, working around your current job and schedule as needed. Even better, this program can help you build a strong foundation in the health sciences so that, if you choose, you can go back to school to advance your education in the future and specialize in an area that you’re passionate about. If this program sounds like a good fit for you, read on to learn about three of the options potentially available to students who earn an Associate of Science in Allied Health Science degree at South University.
1. Apply to other healthcare programs to develop more specialized skills.
Earning an associate degree in Allied Health Science can be an excellent way to acquire a broad understanding of the life sciences, so that you have a better idea of any additional healthcare degrees or certifications you’d like to pursue next. In particular, our online Associate of Science in Allied Health Science program curriculum will introduce you to areas such as:
- General chemistry
- Medical terminology
- Statistics
- Anatomy and physiology
- Human pathophysiology
- Microbiology
- Nutrition
- Human growth and development
- And more!
After graduating with an Allied Health Science associate degree, you may consider applying to another program in a field like nursing, healthcare management, physical therapy, medical assisting, respiratory care or X-ray technology. You could also choose to work in the field for several years to get first-hand healthcare experience and exposure to a variety of healthcare careers before returning to school. “Our Allied Health Science program [potentially] can be an excellent starting point not only for your career but also for your education in healthcare,” explains Stefanie Conti, Director of Admissions for South University’s online programs.
2. Pursue an entry-level role in medical records or healthcare information.
Our Allied Health Science program can prepare you with the knowledge and skills to pursue entry into the medical field right away following graduation. One possible career option for our Allied Health Science program graduates is to pursue a role working with medical records in a hospital, clinic, physician’s office, long-term care center or other health care setting. Having clear, reliable medical records is critical for patients, healthcare providers and insurance providers alike, which is why all healthcare organizations need people to help maintain the quality, accessibility, security and accuracy of paper and electronic medical records. After earning your associate degree, you could potentially work as a Billing Clerk, Insurance Clerk or other healthcare professional helping to organize, code, categorize, track and analyze information for databases, insurance and patient histories.
3. Pursue a position in healthcare administration and support.
The Allied Health Science associate degree program can also prepare graduates to pursue administrative roles such as Medical Admissions Clerk, Medical Secretary, Administrative Assistant, Hospital Registrar, Financial Liaison and Scheduler. In some roles, you may work behind the scenes in offices or clinical labs to support clinical and administrative staff. Other positions may require interacting frequently with patients, including greeting and directing patients, taking phone calls and scheduling appointments. In addition to helping you gain technical knowledge, our program is built to develop the interpersonal communication and critical thinking skills needed to solve problems and perform effectively in these types of positions. Conti says, “Beyond covering the important technical information, our program is designed to teach students the professionalism required for working in healthcare.”
To find out if this program is right for you, visit our Allied Health Science program page for more details or request information to speak with a member of our Admissions team today.
1 Average time to completion for continuously enrolled students full-time. Changing programs, taking remedial courses, taking time off from coursework, registering for fewer hours or unsuccessful attempts at course completion will increase the total length of the program and overall cost of education from what is disclosed.
