Looking for a rewarding career where you help people live fuller, healthier and happier lives? Inspired to contribute to big social changes like combating obesity, reducing sedentary lifestyles and improving the health and wellbeing of families and our ageing population?
Look no further than health science careers – your ticket to meaningful work in Australia’s fastest growing employment sector.
Discover diverse health science careers
If you're interested in a healthcare career but are struggling to identify job opportunities outside of nursing, medicine and other clinical fields – Deakin’s Bachelor of Health Sciences could be the perfect fit for you. This health science course equips students to work in hundreds – yes, hundreds – of roles in community, population and organisational health.
Deakin's Bachelor of Health Sciences offers unique opportunities for specialisation as well as the flexibility to fit in with your life, says lecturer and course director Dr Elyse Warner. ‘The Bachelor of Health Sciences is a diverse course that offers flexible learning for students across four Deakin campuses', including a study online enrolment option, she says.
‘The course has a unique structure that combines two to three complementary study specialisations – or major pathways – within a robust structure of core health science units that develop students’ knowledge and skills in research, policy and professional practice.’
'Our major pathways have been carefully designed to articulate with current industry priorities so that students can enhance their primary practice area with specialist knowledge that makes them stand out from the crowd.’
Plus, the Bachelor of Health Sciences also serves as a pathway to further study in specialist undergraduate and postgraduate areas such as disability and inclusion, health economics, health and human services management, and allied health disciplines like dietetics and physiotherapy. ‘This makes it a great option for students who know they want a career in health but are unsure which speciality area will suit them best,’ Dr Warner says.
Having the opportunity to train in up to three specific discipline areas within their health degree provides our students with a bespoke, multidisciplinary skillset for their future work in health and human services.
Dr Elyse Warner
Course Director, Bachelor of Health Sciences at Deakin University
Double your expertise
The double major option is unique to Deakin and gives you the opportunity to specialise in two complementary areas. You can also pick a third major or six elective subjects.
You could combine physical activity and health with psychological science, or food studies with environmental health or health promotion with nutrition – there are seemingly endless different combinations to suit your interests and skillset.
There’s no doubt graduating with a double (or triple) major broadens job prospects and boosts employability.
For instance, if you choose to combine a major in food studies with a major in health and sustainability, you'll be better equipped to tackle ecological sustainability issues faced by the food industry – and be a clear asset to any environmentally responsible business.
In a more traditional health sciences environment, if you decide to combine a major in health promotion or exercise science with a major in disability and inclusion, you'll be setting yourself up to be a champion for inclusive practice in your future workplace.
‘This can be a strong selling point for employers wishing to expand their client base or improve their capacity to support clients under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS),’ Dr Warner says.
Preference the #1 Victorian uni for graduate employment
If you want a degree that provides vital industry experience, invaluable academic support and helps secure your dream job, choose Deakin. We’re the #1 uni in Victoria for graduate employment and course satisfaction.
Expand your options in the workforce
Where do graduates of the Bachelor of Health Sciences find employment? Everywhere from health promotion and mental health organisations to local councils, charities and private companies. And there’s also a huge range of job titles.
‘Some of the locations for health and wellness officers are pretty diverse and sometimes quite surprising,’ Dr Warner says. ‘We have recently seen positions in mining, infrastructure, local councils and not-for-profit organisations such as the Country Fire Authority of Victoria. A graduate could enter one of these positions with a number of major and minor combinations.’
What’s more, the Bachelor of Health Sciences frequently attracts students who are already working in the health or human services sector but want to gain additional, specialist or transdisciplinary knowledge to enhance their practice. And because of the applied nature of Deakin’s majors, students implement these new skills and knowledge on the job.
Keen to explore health science careers? Check out Deakin's Bachelor of Health Sciences.