Online certificate
Health Science Foundations Certificate
Find your way into healthcare.
Build broad health science knowledge while you explore where you may fit in healthcare, without committing to a clinical program.
Start with room to explore
Why earn an online Health Science Foundations Certificate?
You may know healthcare interests you without knowing exactly where you fit. Salem University’s 24-credit Health Science Foundations Certificate gives you a broad, exploratory first step through anatomy and physiology, biology, medical terminology, and healthcare fundamentals. It is an academic certificate, not a clinical credential.
Explore before a longer commitment
Build a health science foundation without starting a multi-year clinical program.
Keep a degree pathway open
All 24 credits are designed to apply toward Salem’s AAS in Health Science if you decide to continue. An individual degree audit confirms how your credits apply.
Start without the usual hurdles
No entrance tests, no minimum GPA, no application fee, and no prior healthcare experience are required.
Learn the language of the field
Study the science, terminology, health concepts, and management fundamentals used across healthcare.
Career relevance
Where can foundational health science knowledge be useful?
The certificate may help prepare you to pursue entry-level, non-clinical healthcare and administrative contexts such as medical administrative assistant or medical secretary. These are examples, not guarantees. Specific employer requirements vary by role, location, and organization.
Related national occupation
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- National employment, May 2025
- 961,610
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $45,930
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Review the national BLS table.
This is one related national occupation, not the full healthcare-management field and not an outcome measure for Salem graduates. Employment and earnings vary by employer, location, experience, and other factors. Completing a program does not guarantee employment or a particular salary.
Why Salem University
Why choose Salem for Health Science Foundations?
Salem combines focused online study with frequent opportunities to begin and a clear option to continue your education.
100% online
Study where you are
Complete the certificate online without a clinical, practicum, or capstone requirement.
Monthly
Choose when to begin
New terms begin monthly, so you do not have to wait for a traditional fall or spring semester.
How the schedule works
How does the online Health Science Foundations Certificate work?
Students complete 8 online courses totaling 24 credits in focused 4-week terms. The designed completion time is as few as 8 months.
There is no clinical, practicum, or capstone requirement.
A path you may recognize
Who is the Health Science Foundations Certificate designed for?
The recent high school graduate
Explore healthcare through foundational coursework before committing to a specific path or degree.
The working adult
Build a healthcare-focused credential that may help prepare you to pursue entry-level medical office or administrative roles.
The career changer
Complete a short online certificate while continuing to work.
The student choosing a new direction
Stay engaged in healthcare and keep a pathway open if a specific program you started is no longer the right fit.
Explore healthcare without implying a clinical credential
This certificate builds broad health science knowledge. It is not medical-assistant training, nursing preparation, or a substitute for another clinical program.
Foundational knowledge
What will you learn in the Health Science Foundations Certificate?
- Written communication
- Foundational math and algebra
- Anatomy and physiology, including lab coursework
- Cellular biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology
- Personal and consumer health
- Medical terminology
- Healthcare management fundamentals
- Communication of health information using appropriate terminology
What you will study
Which courses are featured in the Health Science Foundations Certificate?
The 8-course certificate includes foundational general education and health science study. Featured courses include:
- Anatomy and Physiology with lab
- General Biology
- Medical Terminology
- Introduction to Healthcare Management
Continue your education
How can the certificate apply toward Salem’s AAS in Health Science?
The certificate is a standalone academic credential. If you decide to continue, all 24 Health Science Foundations Certificate credits are designed to apply toward Salem’s AAS in Health Science.
Complete the certificate
Earn the 24-credit certificate as a standalone academic credential.
Choose whether to continue
Continuing into the AAS in Health Science is entirely optional.
Confirm your degree plan
An individual degree audit confirms exactly how your credits apply.
Important: Completing this certificate does not guarantee admission, progression, or clinical placement in Salem’s ASN/RN program or any other licensed clinical program. Clinical programs have separate requirements that are evaluated independently.
How to get started
How do you apply to Salem’s online Health Science Foundations Certificate?
Start your application
Complete Salem’s online application. There is no application fee, no entrance test, and no minimum GPA requirement.
Send your documents
Provide a high school diploma or GED, an official high school or GED transcript, and a photo ID.
Review your next step
Talk with Admissions about program fit, tuition, financial aid, and your preferred monthly start.
No prior healthcare experience is required.
Online Health Science Foundations Certificate frequently asked questions
Is this a clinical program?
No. The certificate includes health science coursework, including anatomy and physiology, but there is no clinical, practicum, or capstone requirement. It is not medical-assistant training, nursing preparation, or any other clinical credential.
What can this certificate help me pursue?
The certificate may help prepare you to pursue entry-level, non-clinical healthcare and administrative contexts, such as medical administrative assistant or medical secretary. These are examples, not guarantees; specific employer requirements vary by role, location, and organization.
Does this certificate stack into a degree?
Yes. Under Salem’s current curriculum, all 24 credits are designed to apply toward the AAS in Health Science, leaving 36 credits remaining. An individual degree audit determines exactly how your credits apply.
Does completing this certificate guarantee admission into nursing or another clinical program?
No. This certificate does not guarantee admission, progression, or clinical placement in Salem’s ASN/RN program or any other licensed clinical program. Nursing and other clinical programs have separate academic and clinical requirements that are evaluated independently.
Is this program financial aid eligible?
Yes. This is a financial aid-eligible program. Individual eligibility and award amounts vary by student. Salem’s Financial Aid office can walk you through what applies to your situation.
What are the admissions requirements?
A high school diploma or GED, an official high school or GED transcript, and a photo ID. There is no minimum GPA, no entrance testing, and no prior healthcare experience required.
How does this compare with the Healthcare Management Certificate?
Health Science Foundations is built for broad healthcare exploration through anatomy, biology, and medical terminology, and it stacks into the AAS in Health Science. Healthcare Management focuses on the non-clinical business and administrative side of healthcare and stacks into the BSBA Healthcare Management specialization. If you are still deciding where you fit in healthcare broadly, Health Science Foundations is usually the better starting point. If you already know you want the office, operations, or management side, Healthcare Management may be the better fit.
Already know you want the business side of healthcare?
Focus on healthcare operations, records, compliance, people, and information technology. Choose this certificate if you already know you want the office, operations, or management side of healthcare.
Ready to find your way into healthcare?
Start your application or contact Salem University Admissions at (844) 462-9128 or admissions@salemu.edu to talk through the certificate, tuition, and your next step.
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