Best Health Science Colleges and Universities in the World
About Health Sciences
Health science is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of disciplines associated with the implementation and execution of healthcare practices for humans and animals. Health Science involves the application of several relevant fields of study, such as mathematics, science, technology, and engineering. The essence of multiple disciplines is combined to improve the living conditions of humans and animals. The health science department has broadened to include several modern specializations and branches throughout the years. Health science consists of conventional and popularly practiced western medicine and ancient medical practices such as Eastern medicine. Health science can be categorized into research and practice.
Duties of a Health Sciences Professional
- Health Science professionals can include a multitude of professions such as doctors, nurses, physicists, therapists, dieticians, researchers, dentists, and more.
- They may work directly with the patients to discuss and diagnose health concerns and prescribe an effective solution.
- Health science professionals could be involved in diagnostic tests to analyze body fluids and other samples to assist accurate diagnosis.
- Their duties can comprise dispensing appropriate prescription medications and communicating the guidelines for usage.
- They could also be involved in more offbeat professions that involve therapy through the medium of art, such as dance, music, painting, or drama, or involved in alternative healing methodologies that apply spiritual concepts or ancient medical knowledge.
- Health science professionals involved with research can work towards performing complex experiments, analyzing the observed results, drawing appropriate conclusions, and determining the next course of action.
Qualities of a Good Health Sciences Professional
The field of health sciences is demanding and requires individuals with a keen interest in the area to perform their duties well. Health sciences look for individuals who are observant and analytical. Being a knowledge-heavy domain, people who can retain, remember, and apply vast amounts of information will find themselves suitable for such roles.
For positions that involve dealing with patients directly, qualities of empathy and patience are vital. Making patients feel at ease, especially children, is crucial for the successful treatment process.
Communicating insights, observations, prescriptions, and other core actions assures proper dissemination of information to all the channels involved. Other professionals who look into the biological sciences of animals, such as veterinarians, need to exhibit kindness and compassion.
It is also crucial for healthcare professionals to maintain their health to stay adept at their duties. Multitasking skills ensure a professional can handle multiple patients or projects without allowing any room for error.
Popular Degrees in Pursuing a Career in Health Sciences
Bachelor’s Level
The recent times saw a surge in the development of the health sciences field resulting in several undergraduate programs designed to serve specific career goals. The choice of a bachelor’s degree is dependent on the applicant’s interest area. Below are a few of the many programs that applicants can look forward to pursuing their Bachelor’s in health sciences.
- Bachelor of Science in Health Science
- Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management
- Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Master’s Level
Opportunities for specialization in health science are plenty. Students should consider the most appropriate program as per their interests and career goals.
- Master of Science in Health Science
- Master of Public Health
- Master of Health Information Science
- Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health
Doctoral Level
Doctorate level courses in Health Science are best suited for individuals who wish to undertake research at the highest level in the field of Health Science.
- Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc)
- Ph.D. in Health Science
- Ph.D. in Public Health
Specialisations Under Health Science
Nutrition Science
A specialization in Nutrition Science equips students to understand how diet and nutrition influences well-being, which includes researching food science to incorporating the results in nutrition programs, and analyzing the legitimacy and impact of health trends and diet fads. Experts in nutrition science can evaluate the lifestyle and food regime to address health concerns of their clients and advise on areas of improvement. Usually, nutrition scientists specialize in a particular category of population: infants, children, young and middle-aged adults, or the elderly.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy deals in pain, injury or disability that impairs one’s ability to easily carry out their daily activities, like job or housework. This specialization focuses on the ability to adapt with the use of assistive devices. Occupational Therapists or OTs work along with physicians, psychologists or other health professionals to assist in healing. The treatment involves coming up with a plan to perform tasks better with less pain.
Audiology
Audiology is the study of hearing and its associated disorders. The work of an audiologist involves using technology and medical science for diagnosing and treating hearing or balance disorders. The work can involve across clients of all age groups, and even new borns.
Speech Language Pathology
Speech-Language Pathologists specialize in communication disorders, and work with people across all agegroups. Speech and Language Pathologists work in addressing speech sound disorders such as articulation or apraxia of speech, aphasia or how well one understands auditory or written language, social communication and voice modulation, fluency or issues with stuttering, and the ability to chew and swallow properly.
Biostatistics
The field of biostatistics may be limited in scope, but however is a crucial part of successful public health policy implementation. Biostaticians engage in evaluating data relevant to community health, recognize trends, and highlight anomalies or significant changes. The information or insights obtained from biostaticians can be used to influence public health policy for the betterment of public health.
Health Care Administration
Another non-clinical specialization relates to the planning, strategizing, and overseeing the effective implementation of public health policies. Health Care administrators can be found in medical offices, hospitals, and other significant governmental or international organizations. Health care administrators budget the finances, ensure quality controls are in check, and manage and improve human resources.
Applied Microbiology
Microbiology involves the study of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that contain the potential to impact human lives. Extensive research goes into recognizing the harmful ones and prevent possibilities of disease outbreaks. Applied microbiology has the ability influence other realms of health science such as food and nutrition, medical science, biotechnology and the environment.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy is the alternate medicine and healing system that believes in the body’s ability to heal through natural foods, substances, or methodologies, as opposed to the conventional medicine. Naturopathy incorporates the use of herbs and supplements, or use techniques such as massage therapies, acupuncture, or other manipulative treatments to readjust the body.
Average Salary of Health Science Professional
The demand for health officials, practitioners, and health science experts has been rising as the recent virus outbreaks raised health concerns. Accordingly, health science poses a significant opportunity to progress in one’s career. The salaries of health professionals across various regions have been as follows:
- USA – USD 69,870 per year
- UK – USD 180,740.25 per year
- Canada – USD 70,171 per year
- Australia – USD 64200 per year
Duration for Completing Health Science Education
| Country | Bachelor’s Level | Master’s Level | Doctorate |
| USA & Canada | 3-4 years | 1-3 years | 4 years |
| UK | 3 years | 2 years | 3-4 years |
| Australia | 3 years | 2 years | 4 years |
Top 50 Universities for Health Science Based on Various Rankings
| QS World Ranking By Subject | Shanghai Rankings | U.S. World News Rankings | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Harvard University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 2 | 18 | 5 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 3 | 12 | 3 | Stanford University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 4 | 10 | 8 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 5 | 15 | 9 | Johns Hopkins University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 6 | 4 | 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 7 | 11 | 11 | University of California, San Fransisco | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 8 | 24 | 48 | Karolinksa Universitet | Sweden | Click here | Click here |
| 9 | 6 | 14 | University of California, Los Angeles | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 10 | 2 | 16 | UCL | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 11 | 19 | 12 | Yale University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 12 | 32 | 20 | Imperial College London | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 13 | 25 | 16 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click here | Click here |
| 14 | 14 | 13 | University of Pennsylvania | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 15 | 26 | 7 | University of Washington | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 16 | 3 | 6 | Columbia University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 17 | 39 | 23 | Duke University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 18 | NA | NA | University of California, San Diego | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 19 | 51-75 | 37 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark | Click here | Click here |
| 20 | 23 | 22 | Cornell University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 21 | 48 | 4 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 22 | 76-100 | 28 | The University of Sydney | Australia | Click here | Click here |
| 23 | 33 | 33 | King’s College London | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 24 | 51-75 | 32 | The University of Edinburgh | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 25 | 30 | 25 | The University of Melbourne | Australia | Click here | Click here |
| 26 | 45 | 19 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 27 | 76-100 | 29 | National University of Singapore | Singapore | Click here | Click here |
| 28 | 201-300 | 130 | Seoul National University | South Korea | Click here | Click here |
| 29 | 76-100 | 35 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Click here | Click here |
| 30 | 20 | 31 | Washington University in St. Louis | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 31 | 37 | 51 | McGill University | Canada | Click here | Click here |
| 32 | 36 | 39 | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 33 | 76-100 | 77 | The University of Tokyo | Japan | Click here | Click here |
| 34 | 49 | 54 | Heidelberg University | Germany | Click here | Click here |
| 35 | 51-75 | 40 | Monash University | Australia | Click here | Click here |
| 36 | 31 | 30 | New York University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 37 | 50 | 38 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click here | Click here |
| 38 | 51-75 | 36 | The University of Queensland | Australia | Click here | Click here |
| 39 | 51-75 | 15 | University of Chicago | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 40 | 35 | 46 | University of Munich | Germany | Click here | Click here |
| 41 | 51-75 | 48 | Utrecht University | Netherlands | Click here | Click here |
| 42 | 51-75 | 58 | The University of Manchester | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 43 | 9 | 64 | University of Zurich | Switzerland | Click here | Click here |
| 44 | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here | ||
| 45 | 51-75 | 65 | Boston University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 46 | Sorbonne University | France | Click here | Click here | ||
| 47 | 101-150 | 67 | University of California, Davis | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 48 | 34 | 42 | University of Pittsburgh | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 49 | 51-75 | 62 | Erasmus University Rotterdam | Netherlands | Click here | Click here |
| 50 | 101-150 | 84 | University of Glasgow | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
Top Health Science Universities in USA
| University | QS World Ranking By Subject | U.S. World News Rankings | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| Harvard University | 1 | 1 | Click here | Click here |
| Stanford University | 3 | 3 | Click here | Click here |
| Johns Hopkins University | 5 | 9 | Click here | Click here |
| Massachusets Institute of Technology | 6 | 2 | Click here | Click here |
| University of California, San Fransisco | 7 | 11 | Click here | Click here |
Top Health Science Universities in Canada
| University | QS World Ranking By Subject | U.S. World News Rankings | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| University of Toronto | 13 | 16 | Click here | Click here |
| University of British Columbia | 29 | 35 | Click here | Click here |
| McGill University | 31 | 51 | Click here | Click here |
| McMaster University | 52 | 133 | Click here | Click here |
| University of Montreal | 71 | 151 | Click here | Click here |
Top Health Science Universities in UK
| University | QS World Ranking By Subject | U.S. World News Rankings | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| University of Oxford | 2 | 5 | Click here | Click here |
| University of Cambridge | 4 | 8 | Click here | Click here |
| UCL | 10 | 16 | Click here | Click here |
| Imperial College London | 12 | 20 | Click here | Click here |
| King’s College London | 23 | 33 | Click here | Click here |
Top Health Science Universities in Australia
| University | QS World Ranking By Subject | U.S. World News Rankings | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| The University of Sydney | 22 | 28 | Click here | Click here |
| The University of Melbourne | 25 | 25 | Click here | Click here |
| Monash University | 35 | 40 | Click here | Click here |
| The University of Queensland | 38 | 36 | Click here | Click here |
| The University of New South Wales | 66 | 41 | Click here | Click here |
Academic Requirements for Studying Health Science in a Top-Ranked University
Bachelor’s Level
The admission requirements for pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Health Science are similar across universities to a large extent. The applicants should be able to submit the following documentation during the admission process:
- Certificate demonstrating high school completion. International students can submit an equivalent document or get their high school certification translated by an acceptable agency.
- Universities may require applicants to prove their English proficiency through certificates from TOEFL or other acceptable English proficiency examinations.
- Applicants should be older than 17 years of age to be considered eligible.
Master’s Level
Admission to master’s programs in health sciences in top universities will be based on academic merit and other distinguished accomplishments. However, the basic entry requirements are
- A minimum of an upper second-class honors degree in relevant subjects like medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, pharmacy, biological sciences, psychology, or an equivalent overseas bachelor’s degree.
- Proof of English language proficiency.
Applicants may be required to submit other documentation such as Statement of Purpose (SOP), reference letters, and Curriculum Vitae.
Exams To Be Passed for Obtaining a Health Science Degree
The examinations to apply for health science programs are dependent on the specific specialization or branch of study that the applicant chooses.
- Courses such as MBBS or bachelor’s in dentistry and MD or MS postgraduate courses require country-specific entrance examinations like NEET, SATs, IMAT, MCAT, OMET, DAT, PCAT, etc.
- Other general branches of health science usually do not require an entrance examination. The admission would be based on academic merit. Some universities may conduct their internal examinations to screen applicants.
- English proficiency examinations like TOEFL, IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE with a minimum grade of B2 or another equivalent score.
