Health studies

A health studies degree looks at the structures of health and social care and helps you develop the skills to follow a career in health, social care, leisure or education

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Community development worker
• Education mental health practitioner
• Further education teacher
• Health improvement practitioner
• Health service manager
• Medical sales representative
• Naturopath

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Adult nurse
• Anatomical pathology technologist
• Counsellor
• Dental hygienist
• Dental technician
• Dental therapist
• Diagnostic radiographer
• Occupational therapist
• Personal trainer
• Physician associate
• Prosthetist/orthotist
• Special educational needs coordinator (SENCO)
• Social worker
• Youth worker

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Whatever career area you're interested in, finding some short-term paid or voluntary work will improve your prospects of getting a job and can give you a valuable insight into how a company or organisation operates. Make the most of any placements on your course to develop your practical skills and make contacts.

You may find opportunities to get healthcare experience in your local hospital, doctor's surgery or nursing home. Depending on your career interests, you could also work for a mental health trust or a centre for homeless people. Experience of mentoring, counselling or befriending may also be useful for social work and related careers.

If you're interested in alternative approaches to health and healing, you could explore work experience within a holistic health practice. Volunteering on a health project in a developing country is also valuable career preparation.

Other relevant experience includes working in a community setting or at fitness centres in health promotion.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

Many health studies graduates work in the public sector for:

• the NHS
• local authorities, including education departments and social services
• schools and colleges.

You can also find work in the voluntary sector and with medical charities and not-for-profit organisations.

There are a range of opportunities in the private sector, working, for example, in private healthcare organisations as a lifestyle consultant or working in alternative medicine and therapies. Many of these options involve being self-employed.

Find information on employers in healthcare, social care, charity and voluntary work, and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

A degree in health studies covers health in its broad context and investigates contemporary health issues. It gives you an in-depth understanding of health and healthcare and you learn to:

• research, analyse and evaluate health and health-related issues from a multidisciplinary standpoint
• use health information and data effectively
• understand and formulate health-related arguments and contest theories.

You also develop a range of general skills, including:

• written and oral communication
• the ability to work both independently and in a team
• effective problem solving and time management
• report writing
• research and data analysis
• information technology.

Further study

For many health-related careers, for example nursing, speech and language therapy, social work, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, you'll need to take a specific degree or higher qualification. You may have to complete a full vocational course from the beginning or there may be a shortened postgraduate option for health studies graduates.

It's also possible to take a postgraduate certificate, diploma or Masters in health studies or a related area such as public health or leadership in health and social care.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in health studies.

What do health studies graduates do?

Popular occupations related to health studies include care workers and home carers (15%), welfare and housing associate professionals (7%), nursing auxiliaries and assistants (7%), senior care workers (5%), educational support assistants (3%), residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors (3%) and youth and community workers (2%).

Find out what other graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.

Find out more

• Health Careers
• NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme