The Health Sciences can be one of those tricky groups of majors when it comes to identifying study abroad opportunities. Many students find themselves locked into a curriculum that involves a majority of courses that must be taken on their home campus, and as a result, can find it difficult to study abroad. However, with a bit of planning and perhaps a little flexibility, students studying Public Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Biomedical Science, Nursing, Exercise Science, Physical or Occupational Therapy, and more can incorporate a study or intern abroad program into their degrees.
Many of those health science majors who are able to study abroad with us for a semester head straight for Australia, where multiple programs offer large course catalogs full of courses they need to take, but there are other program locations around the world that also could work well.
For others, who know it will be too challenging to spend a semester abroad, a summer taking non-health electives or language courses might be the best choice. Yet another route is to pursue an health-related internship to gain experience and insight into the profession. Be sure to check out all of the options available below.
The University of Limerick offers a variety of health science students courses to meet their needs via its School of Allied Health and particularly the Department of Physical Education & Sport Sciences and Department of Nursing and Midwifery. Physical Therapy, Exercise Science, Nursing, and Midwifery students should definitely consider the U of L.
While many of our semester abroad programs in Australia would be a good match for health sciences students, Newcastle stands out for the broad range of courses offered by its Faculty of Health and Medicine. Students specializing in fields across the health sciences will likely find what they need here, including Biomedical Science, Nursing, Nutrition and Dietetics, Physical and Occupational Therapy, and even Midwifery. Set on the beautiful coastline a couple of hours north of Sydney, Newcastle, it must be said, would be a lovely place to study anything.
Mahidol University is a top-ranked institution in Thailand and is well-regarded across Asia. The Biomedical Science and Nutrition-related coursework offered through its International College stand out as strong options. And with a large course catalog available to our students, they can easily identify science courses and those from other disciplines to count towards their degrees back home.
For students seeking an academically rigorous experience at a top One of Australia’s newest and most innovative universities, Bond University, makes an excellent location to explore various health topics. Students can take courses in Nutrition, Sport and Exercise studies, and Global health while enjoying a campus just 15-minutes from a gorgeous 100-mile beach. Between classes, try your hand at one of the many outdoor activities the Gold Coast has to offer including surfing, whale-watching, or stand-up paddle boarding!
Study at one of the largest universities in the United Kingdom while you expand upon your studies in the field of Health. Take foundational courses in Biology and Human Physiology, or dive in deep, learning topics like Clinical Immunology, Cancer Biology, or Human Parasitology. Depending on your interests within the field, students may also choose to add an internship to their time in London, exploring administrative and research opportunities within healthcare.
Health science courses can be few and far between on summer study abroad programs. Many students will use a summer during their college career to take advantage of general education courses or electives offered abroad. However, CIS Abroad does have several programs that are particularly popular for health majors.
A customized internship experience in can be an excellent way for students to insert themselves right into the shoes of a healthcare professional. While there are differing rules and regulations around contact with patients depending on the host country, students should expect to largely act as support staff and spend much of the time shadowing and learning from professional colleagues. Keep in mind that some health science fields are more accessible for internships than others-- for example, an Exercise Science placement is more likely than a nursing one. Our top intern abroad program recommendation for health science placements is:
What’s next? To dive deeper into the courses available on a particular program, take a look at the program pages that you are interested in, and scroll down to Academics. There, under “Choose your courses” you will find information about course offerings and availability. For intern programs, sample placements can be found on each program page as well.