36+ jobs you can get with a degree from NAU’s College of Health and Human Services

Supporting athletics

If you are interested in athletics and health, then pursuing a MS in Athletic Training, could be the right fit for you. Athletic trainers provide care to patients in traditional and non-traditional settings such as colleges, K–12 schools, professional sports teams, clinics, hospitals, and within the armed forces. Athletic trainers are experts in the areas of injury prevention and evaluation, immediate and emergency care, and treatment and rehabilitation of sports-related injuries and illnesses.  

With this degree, you can secure a job as an athletic trainer in a variety of settings. Support athletes in other ways by obtaining a graduate degree in physical therapy or physician assistant studies in sports medicine, or a bachelor of science in physical education.

Making change

Have you always wanted to change the world? A degree in public health, whether you pursue a BS in Public Health or a Master of Public Health, will equip you to make real, lasting change in the community. People working in public health are often working behind the scenes, preventing hazards and keeping people healthy. This could look like tracking disease outbreaks, developing programs to ensure people have access to healthy food, preventing gun violence, and addressing the impacts of climate change, to name a few. 

Health inspector, community health worker, breastfeeding and nutrition educator, researcher, epidemiologist, advocacy worker, policymaker, public health nurse, and county health department public information officer are just a few of the careers you could pursue with a public health degree.  

Staying fit and active

Are you passionate about physical fitness and staying active? Consider pursuing a BS in Physical Education or a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. These degrees provide students with an understanding of physical movement, facilitating active living and helping people achieve their fitness goals.  

If you want a job that keeps you on your toes (literally!), you can become a physical education teacher, health teacher, or physical therapist with one of these degrees. 

Fostering health and well-being

Pursue a BS in Fitness Wellness to turn your interest in health and well-being into a career. Students who pursue this degree graduate ready to work with a diverse range of clients to achieve their health and fitness goals, incorporating skills in stress management, behavior change, fitness assessment, and exercise program design. 

With a degree in fitness wellness, students can secure jobs like wellness program administrator at a resort, wellness program manager in a corporation, strength and conditioning coach, one-on-one or group health and wellness coach, mental health coach, gym or health studio manager, and personal trainer.   

Understanding and preparing food

A BS in Nutrition and Foods or a MPH in Nutrition can prepare students to work in industries related to food, food safety, food science, and nutrition. Not only do students learn and apply their understanding of the physical, biological, and chemical makeup of food (nutrients), but they also learn how the body uses nutrients to impact health and disease. These degrees also explore the process of food selection and preparation for maintenance or improvement of overall health, wellness, and performance. 
 
With a degree in nutrition and food, you could pursue a career as a dietitian, dietitian technician, health educator, nutrition writer, chef, or food scientist, to name a few. 

Changing lives

If you want to make a difference in the lives of others by working directly with patients, the College of Health and Human Services offers many degrees to help you find a career of consequence in a high-demand field.  

• A degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders enables you to work with people of all ages to improve their learning, reading, and communication skills in a variety of settings like schools and clinics.  
• A doctorate in Occupational Therapy enables you to change lives by helping people maximize independence in activities of daily living after an injury or illness, assisting children with disabilities to participate in school, and training patients on how to use new tools like wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs, for example. 
• A degree in Nursing prepares you to work with patients in a variety of settings from hospitals, clinics, and households to treat patients as they recover from an injury or illness.   
• A master’s in Physician Assistant Studies trains you to diagnose illnesses, order labs, interpret labs, order imaging, interpret imaging, and treat patients with the right prescriptions. 
• A degree in Dental Hygiene allows you to work in dental offices and clinics nationwide. Dental hygienists help people manage oral disease, provide preventive care, and educate people of all ages, including children, about the impact of oral health on overall health. 

If you want to change lives through direct patient care or as a healthcare leader, these degrees will allow you to secure jobs like speech-language pathology assistant, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, college professor, registered nurse, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, physician assistant, dental hygienist, and oral health educator.