Health Science Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration

A bachelor’s degree in health science can provide several opportunities within the vast field of healthcare; however, extra education at a graduate school is often required for most positions. 

Healthcare Administrator

Organizing and managing health care services, including facilities, programs, and staff budgets. With a health sciences major, you can work in healthcare administration jobs such as a nursing home administrator, health information manager, or insurance underwriter.

Dietician/Nutritionist

Helping people examine and improve their health and lifestyle based on your knowledge of food and nutrition. With your health science degree, you can take this career to nursing homes, cafeterias, clinics, schools, or local government.

Radiology and Ultrasound Technician

Performing medical imaging examinations and treatments to help patients find a diagnosis with your bachelor of health science. 

Occupational Therapist

Helping patients who are ill, injured, or disabled learn to do daily activities so that they may live to their fullest in the face of a medical crisis. A health science degree gives you the knowledge and skills needed to work with injured patients regaining everyday skills, disabled children learning to be capable in a school setting, and more.

Physician Assistant

Taking medical histories, conducting physical exams, diagnosing and treating illnesses, and many other responsibilities. As a PA, you will work directly with other healthcare providers, collaborating and learning from licensed doctors.

So many more

There are a plethora of other roles available for a health science degree, including a drug and alcohol counselor, laboratory technician, pharmaceutical salesperson, claims reviewer, and more!

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A standard bachelor’s degree in health science can be completed in four years. Further education in a master’s or doctoral program can vary. 

A health science major is the study of life and health, generally for healthcare.

Along with general education, health science majors will take foundational courses in subjects such as Biology, Ecology, and Physics. As the degree progresses, classes become more specialized, like Microbiology and Organic Chemistry. 

Yes, health science is a good major, as it offers various career pathways and provides job security, as healthcare workers are in constant demand. 

Besides taking intense classes, health science majors spend time in laboratories conducting experiments, shadowing specific medical professionals, and socializing with peers. Read What to Expect as a Health Science Major to learn more about what health science majors do.

Pre-physical therapy in health science provides you with a general understanding of health science-based classes and prepares you for a physical therapy doctoral program. 

Majoring in health science provides the foundational science understanding that allows a student to tackle doctoral-level training related to health and disease. Meanwhile, your concentration in pre-physical therapy provides you with an understanding of the human body, genetics, and the physics of movement. You incorporate these concepts into your studies on health and the body, effectively applying your understanding of this field to eventually work in physical therapy, where you’ll improve body movement, provide rehab, and work in injury prevention.

Learn more about our health science major and what our pre-physical therapy program offers you. 

As a student pursuing a pre-physical therapy concentration, you develop a broader understanding of the health sciences. This allows you to choose from a range of careers. First, this bachelor’s degree could help you become a physical therapist. In this role, you would help individuals with body movements, providing rehab, injury prevention, and treating specific health conditions. This could include treating people with injuries, common or chronic health problems, and trauma. 

With a health science degree, you could also pursue a career in education through a transition-to-teaching program to teach others in your content area. You may work within research or diagnostics, conducting lab work. If you enjoy the medical field and are business savvy, you may find a job in sales. 

Within a pre-physical therapy concentration, you’ll take foundational courses that prepare you for a physical therapy doctoral program. This includes taking a broad range of science classes, including General Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Physics. 

In a biology class, you’ll study the life of animals and plants. In your anatomy and physiology class, you’ll study the structure and function of the body, analyzing how different body structures work and interact. Meanwhile, for physics, you’ll learn about the principles that run our world, the innovation of technology, scientific forces, and predictive models. 

A pre-physical therapy concentration allows you to meet the prerequisite classes needed for a physical therapy doctoral program. It provides you with a solid foundation in the health sciences, as well as the academic rigor, knowledge, and study skills necessary to pursue higher education. 

Furthermore, as a physical therapist, you’ll need to help others improve motion, manage mobility, cope with pain, and heal injuries. This concentration will help you understand the science behind the body, life processes, and healthcare aspects within this profession. 

Students who pursue physical therapy use noninvasive methods to help patients recover from surgery or injuries. This means looking at different modalities or exercises that benefit the patient. Individuals who have experienced physical therapy themselves and understand the process of recovery typically choose this path. 

Pre-physical therapy is a key concentration catered to students who:

• Desire to positively impact the lives of others with physical therapy. 
• Enjoy the field of medicine. 
• Like interacting with patients. 

If you have these attributes, this concentration may be for you. Discover more about our physical therapy program and alumnus Matthew Hauck’s journey into this profession.