A health studies degree covers a broad range of issues 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
• 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
• Occupational therapist
• Personal trainer
• Physician associate
• Prosthetist/orthotist
• Special educational needs coordinator (SENCO)
• Social worker
• Youth worker

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 institution 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.

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.

kills 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.