Health Sciences

Health sciences is a broad and applied discipline concerned with understanding and improving human health across populations. It draws on biology, physiology, psychology, sociology, epidemiology, and public health to examine the factors that determine health and illness, the systems through which care is delivered, and the evidence base that informs health promotion and disease prevention. The field sits between clinical practice and policy, developing graduates who can understand health needs at the individual and population level and contribute to addressing them.

The University of Northampton offers this four-year full-time degree with a foundation year, designed for students who need to build their scientific and academic foundations before entering the main degree. The foundation year makes the programme accessible to a wider range of students and ensures everyone is thoroughly prepared for the more demanding study that follows. You will engage with anatomy and physiology, health psychology, epidemiology, public health theory, research methods, social determinants of health, health policy, and service organisation.

The programme develops both your scientific literacy and your understanding of the social and institutional context in which health is shaped and managed, preparing you to work across a range of health-related roles.

Graduates in health sciences go on to work in public health, health promotion, health service management, community health, NHS administration, and the voluntary sector. The degree also provides a foundation for further study in nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, public health, health management, or social care, and many graduates pursue professional qualifications that open specific clinical or practitioner pathways. The combination of scientific grounding and understanding of health systems is valued across the full breadth of health and social care.