Health Sciences major

Health Sciences: courses, careers, and where to study

Health Sciences is a broad pre-professional major for students preparing for medical, dental, PA, PT, or pharmacy school, combining biology, chemistry, and patient-care exposure.

Health Sciences is an umbrella undergraduate major covering the foundational sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, microbiology) plus health-system context (epidemiology, public health, healthcare administration). It is a common pathway for students aiming at medical school, PA programs, dental school, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or pharmacy. Many programs include a clinical-shadowing or internship requirement.

Unlike a strict pre-med Biology track, Health Sciences leaves more room for healthcare-specific electives like medical ethics, healthcare policy, and global health. It also better positions graduates for direct-entry healthcare roles if they decide not to pursue further professional school.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Health Sciences maps to CIP 51.0000, Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General, within the HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:

A general, introductory, undifferentiated, or joint program in health services occupations that prepares individuals for either entry into specialized training programs or for a variety of concentrations in the allied health area. Includes instruction in the basic sciences, research and clinical procedures, and aspects of the subject matter related to various health occupations.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What you'll study

  • General biology, chemistry, organic chemistry
  • Anatomy, physiology, microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Statistics and research methods
  • Public health and epidemiology fundamentals
  • Healthcare systems and policy
  • Medical ethics
  • Clinical or research internship

Typical careers

Typical salary range: $48,000–$75,000 early-career (varies widely by sub-pathway)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Health Sciences. Linked titles open a CampusPin career page with BLS pay and outlook data; others are listed for reference.

  • NO MATCH

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Crosswalk: CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. A program of study does not guarantee any specific occupation.

Before you commit to a Health Sciences major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Health Sciences program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Health Sciences department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Many health programs require specialized programmatic accreditation, and graduates often need state licensure or national certification to practice. Confirm a Health Sciences program's accreditation and your state's licensure requirements before you enroll.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Health Sciencescareers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Health Sciences program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges that offer Health Sciences programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

Search Health Sciences schools

Health Sciences by state

Related majors

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.