Whether you’re a recent high school graduate, a working professional seeking a career change, or someone looking to re-enter the workforce, postsecondary healthcare programs are designed to get caring individuals like you into impactful careers and fulfill growing workforce demands. Healthcare is recognized as one of the largest and fastest growing employment sectors in the United States, with an increasingly high demand for qualified practitioners and providers.
Participating in the right healthcare program can build a foundation for a fulfilling healthcare career, opening doors to various roles in hospitals, clinics, emergency services, and other healthcare settings.
And these roles don’t always require a large investment of time. The best healthcare programs allow folks with diverse lifestyles and commitments to build accomplished careers, often without spending years in medical school.
Let’s look at nine collegiate-level healthcare programs you can accomplish quickly, even if juggling other commitments.
Learn how to become a healthcare professional through Goodwin University.
1. Associate Degree in Nursing
Turn your passion for helping others into a rewarding career. As a registered nurse, you can make this world a better place for your patients through the provision of quality, compassionate care. You will care for people of all ages, promoting optimal health.
Some programs, like Goodwin University’s, offer the ability to complete the nursing coursework towards your associate degree in Nursing in as few as 20 months part-time (after prerequisite courses). For your convenience, most nursing classes are offered days and evenings. Clinical experiences are chosen by lottery and there are day, evening and weekend options available.
Upon completion of this degree, graduates take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) to become licensed as an RN. After you’ve passed the NCLEX and are licensed as an RN, you may wish to complete your bachelor’s degree in Nursing immediately, jump into the workforce to start earning and caring for others, or return to school after practicing as a nurse for a few years.
2. Accelerated Bachelor’s in Nursing Degree
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is geared toward individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA to qualify for a non-nursing major from a regionally accredited college or university. This accelerated second bachelor’s degree program allows graduates to become licensed as an RN and work in the field quickly.
Some stellar 60-credit ABSN programs can be completed in as few as 16 months full-time, so you can be on your way to a career where you truly make a difference in just months. The ABSN coursework will put you on the path to becoming an RN on a timeline that works for you. Ready to see if you meet the requirements to apply?
3. Associate Degree in Respiratory Care
Another option to get into a clinical career quickly is an associate degree in Respiratory Care.
Those in this field perform daily tasks such as assisting physicians in administering medications to help relieve breathlessness, obtaining and analyzing blood and sputum samples, using ventilators to help patients, from infants to adults, who cannot breathe independently, and performing diagnostic tests for patients with sleep disorders.
All prerequisites must be completed or in progress for admission into the healthcare program at the time of application. If courses are in progress, acceptance will be conditional upon submission of an official transcript immediately upon completion. To meet requirements, prerequisite courses taken at Goodwin must be completed with a grade of “C+” or higher.
Look for a school with clinical partnerships with hospitals, health centers, and physicians that will expose you to real-life experiences. Many programs make sure that their curriculum, classes, and clinical rotations can be tailored to your busy schedule. And, if later on down the line, you want to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science, you can apply most of your credits toward the degree.
A Respiratory Care degree program has been designed to prepare you for the entry-level and advanced practitioner-level examinations for respiratory care practitioners given by the National Board of Respiratory Care and to assume an entry-level position as a competent respiratory care practitioner. Upon completing the program and licensure, you will have the necessary skills and knowledge to secure employment as a registry-eligible respiratory care practitioner.
4. Associate Degree in Funeral Service
End-of-life and post-mortem care may not be daily topics at the dinner table, but those called to serve in this field provide a valuable service. A Funeral Service program trains you to become a well-rounded industry professional with the integrity, compassion, and moral ethics necessary to succeed in this vital field. This associate degree program teaches a range of funeral service procedures, from the initial pronouncement of death to the deceased’s final disposition. Core classes are offered one day per week and include on-campus lectures and laboratory training.
But remember that hands-on learning is just as valuable as time in the classroom. Look for programs that offer internship placement so you can gain exposure to embalming, restorative art, and business management first-hand. For instance, at Goodwin, all graduates complete an internship that includes participation in at least ten embalming operations, funeral directing, first calls, and removals of human remains. This 65-credit program can be completed in as few as 24 months full-time.
5. Medical Assisting Certificate or Degree
Medical assistance careers are on the rise nationwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance and need for medical personnel in all areas of health care. With a certificate or degree in Medical Assisting, you will serve as a facilitator between physicians and other individuals.
Daily responsibilities may include scheduling patients for exams, taking vital signs, performing ECG/EKGs, collecting and processing specimens, preparing patients for procedures, updating filing records, and corresponding with insurance companies regarding patient matters.
After meeting the admission requirements, applying, and being accepted into a program, students graduate with a well-rounded education, a wide range and scope of skill sets, and current and upcoming practices. Learning clinical skills by being placed in clinical sites to gain valuable hands-on experience.
This type of healthcare program can be completed in as few as 12 to 16 months, and flexible online scheduling options are available.
6. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Certificate Program
LPNs are highly skilled nursing professionals with the training needed to support registered nurses, medical doctors, while providing excellent nursing care to clients in diverse backgrounds. When you earn your certificate and become an LPN, you’ll be responsible for recording vitals, reporting patients’ statuses to RNs and doctors, changing wound dressings, and more! In addition to working with physicians to provide effective care, LPNs offer comfort and support to patients and their loved ones. When you earn your LPN certificate, you’ll lay the groundwork for a sought-after career providing efficient and compassionate care to your community.
This degree is also a wonderful way for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) to take patient care skills to the next level. CNAs often assist in the feeding, monitoring, bathing, and transportation of patients. While those responsibilities are vital to healthcare teams, LPNs have opportunities to perform more advanced nursing tasks that contribute to a patient’s overall care plan. LPNs can administer medications, assess patient conditions, and even specialize in areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, or critical care nursing.
A flexible path to a career that counts, an LPN program can be designed to meet your personal and professional needs. At Goodwin, for example, classes are offered in the days and evenings, and in both part-time and full-time class formats. You can even complete the LPN program in 16‑28 months.
7. Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree
An Occupational Therapy Assistant associate degree program prepares students to care for clients limited by physical illness or injury, emotional disorder, developmental disability, or the natural aging process. Therapy focuses on assisting clients in restoring or maintaining independence in everyday life skills.
Occupational therapy assistants work under the supervision of an experienced occupational therapist, applying functional activities and treatment methods. High-quality programs include a comprehensive curriculum, supervised clinical hours, and hands-on experience for a well-rounded education. Graduates then must pass the national certification administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) to become Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants.
8. Master’s Degree in Public Health
The Master’s in Public Health (MPH) program prepares students for complex, local, national, and global issues in contemporary public health. Completing a certificate or degree program can also provide the opportunity to work in a rewarding industry, including the chance to make a difference in the community, where every day creates new challenges.
In fact, many programs are fully online MPH and offered in accelerated formats—Goodwin’s is only seven weeks! You will be immersed in an inclusive environment where you become profession-ready through our relevant and innovative competency-based curriculum.
Whether you’re full-time or part-time, once you meet the admission requirements, we’ll teach you how to tackle public health issues, from acute and chronic illnesses to lifestyle and health behavior change. These include maternal and child health, the opioid epidemic, Medicare for all, influenza, obesity, and other emerging health issues.
Goodwin’s Masters in Public Health program promotes equity, inquiry, health, well-being, and skill development for current and emerging leaders.
9. Medical Billing and Coding Certificate
For those who want to make an impact in healthcare and medicine, but do not want to work directly with patients, the medical billing and coding pathway is a great option that does not require a long time investment. Medical billers and coders work behind-the-scenes in healthcare, ensuring that patients receive services seamlessly and that providers get paid for their care.
A Medical Billing and Coding certificate program prepares students with knowledge in medical terminology, health insurance, industry coding language and software, as well as general medical office management. Graduates of Goodwin’s program, with this knowledge in hand, are prepared to sit for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) examination, qualifying them for a range of lucrative job opportunities.
Not only is this program fast to complete, it’s also offered entirely online at Goodwin University. Classes can be completed online while assignments can be completed on a time that best fits your schedule. Through this career-oriented healthcare program, you can launch a medical billing and coding career in as few as 12 to 18 months.