5 health professions to explore (beyond nursing)

When it comes to healthcare degrees, nursing typically pops to mind first. For good reason: Nursing is the nation's largest healthcare profession, with nearly 4.7 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide*.

For those interested in entering the healthcare field, though, there are numerous degree options that require a similar skill set as nursing does — and can lead to equally in-demand and meaningful careers. The following five healthcare degrees from BGSU offer hands-on experience, state-of-the-art research equipment, and mentoring and networking opportunities, leading to varied career options in growing industries.

1. Medical laboratory science

Consider medical lab scientists as the unsung heroes behind the microscope. They are the ones diagnosing and managing disease, analyzing blood, body fluid and tissue samples. The interdisciplinary field means that students take courses in biology, chemistry and allied health. Students in the BGSU medical laboratory science program get to work in state-of-the-art on-campus research labs and are guaranteed an 18-week practicum — a unique feature of the program.

The program boasts 100% employment after graduation, with many students securing jobs well before completing their degree. Read this student success story!

Career paths include:

hospital and private labs
infection control
education
sales and marketing
public health
medical and pharmaceutical research

Syringe, diagnosis, medicine, support, treatment

2. Public health

Did you know that BGSU is one of the top schools for public health in Ohio? Public health blends science and service and can lead to such careers as environmental health scientists, health educators and community health workers.

Small class sizes offer mentorship opportunities, while a mandatory 180-hour internship, research opportunities and field practicums ensure real-world experience upon graduation. Students can choose from two concentrations — environmental health (including air and water quality, food safety, waste disposal and emergency response coordination) and health promotion (focusing on developing programs to enact behavior change).

3. Gerontology

Talk about job security: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 5 Americans will be older than 65 by 2050. Defined as the scientific study of the aging process, from biological to social to psychological, the field of gerontology applies that knowledge to promote programs, policies and practices to help those ages 65 and older.

BGSU is one of the fewer than 50 schools in the United States that offers a gerontology degree, and students can tailor their program by choosing a subspecialty such as biology, human resources or public health. A required 400-hour senior-year practicum, along with networking and volunteer experience options through the Gerontology Student Association, set students up for real-world experience.

The degree leads to a varied career path, from senior housing project managers to Medicare advisors to health marketing communications, in settings such as nonprofit agencies, insurance companies, assisted living facilities and public service agencies.

4. Social work

You can find social workers in settings ranging from schools and hospitals to criminal justice agencies and child and family services.

The degree is in high demand: Within six months of graduating from the BGSU social work program, 99% report they are employed, in graduate school or starting a business.

A semester-long internship during senior year and community service programs provide students with real-world experience, while two active student organizations offer networking opportunities — plus a chance to conduct research alongside still-practicing faculty in the field.

5. Healthcare administration

Healthcare administration is an all-encompassing career involving the day-to-day, behind-the-scenes management and administration in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare organizations. Career paths include:

financial managers
insurance underwriters
human resources managers
purchasing managers
administrative service managers
health information officers

Students start with intro classes like economics, accounting, public health and biology, followed by more specific coursework catering to narrower fields of interest, such as healthcare policy, human resource management and emerging infectious diseases. Graduates of the program get immediate networking opportunities through membership with the Midwest Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (MCACHE) higher education network. Healthcare partners — such as Cleveland Clinic, Mercy Health and ProMedica — have kept the program in high demand, while the accelerated bachelor-to-master’s program offers advanced opportunities in the field.

*American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Updated: 08/01/2025 08:19AM