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Studies & Degrees in Health Occupations

Health occupations is the umbrella term for the studies that lead to work in healthcare: medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, optometry, speech therapy, laboratory and imaging sciences, emergency care and public health, among others. What these fields share is a base in human biology, a long period of supervised clinical practice and, in most countries, a legal requirement to hold a recognised qualification and to register before practising.

Students start with anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and psychology, then move to the techniques of their own profession and to placements in hospitals, clinics and community services. Ethics, communication with patients and teamwork are part of every programme.

Qualifications and levels

  • Vocational training. In Spain, the professional family Sanidad includes intermediate qualifications such as Técnico en Cuidados Auxiliares de Enfermería and Técnico en Emergencias Sanitarias, and higher qualifications such as Técnico Superior en Higiene Bucodental, en Imagen para el Diagnóstico y Medicina Nuclear and en Laboratorio Clínico y Biomédico. In the United States, community and technical colleges teach comparable two-year programmes.
  • Bachelor's degree. An official Spanish bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits, except those that European Union rules or specific legislation set at 300 or 360 credits. At the Universidad de Navarra, the Grado en Enfermería has 240 credits over four years, is taught in Spanish in Pamplona and includes 2,100 hours of clinical practice; the Grado en Medicina has 360 ECTS credits over six years and is taught in Spanish and English.
  • United Kingdom. Nursing courses usually take a minimum of three years, with half of the programme in clinical practice, according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
  • Master's degree and specialisation. Official Spanish master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. OsloMet in Norway, for example, teaches a two-year, 120-credit master's degree in Public Health Nutrition in English.

Regulated professions

Most health occupations are regulated, and this is the first thing to check before choosing a programme abroad. Spanish law on the health professions names medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine, and nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, optics and optometry, speech therapy and human nutrition and dietetics; holders of vocational qualifications in the Sanidad family are also health-area professionals. In the United Kingdom, all nurses must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council after an approved programme, and the titles of the professions regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council are protected by law. A degree from one country therefore does not give the right to practise in another without recognition by the authority of that country.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 341 active schools for health occupations. The United States has 153, Spain 42 and the United Kingdom 30. Australia follows with 15 and Canada with nine; Ireland has five, Denmark and New Zealand four each, and Sweden, Brazil, France and Costa Rica three each.

In Spain the list includes the Universidad de Navarra, the Universidad de Cádiz and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. In the United Kingdom it includes London South Bank University, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Westminster and London Metropolitan University. In the United States it includes San Diego State University, LIU Post and DeSales University, and two-year colleges such as the Community College of Rhode Island. Elsewhere it includes OsloMet in Norway, Ghent University in Belgium, Tel Aviv University and the University of Akureyri in Iceland.

Because students treat patients during placements, programmes are usually taught in the language of the country. OsloMet states that its bachelor's programmes in health sciences are taught in Norwegian, while some master's programmes are offered in English.

Careers

Graduates work in hospitals, primary care, pharmacies, laboratories, rehabilitation centres, care homes, emergency services, public health bodies and research. Demand is strong. The World Health Organization estimates a projected shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low- and lower-middle income countries. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in healthcare occupations to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035, with about 1.9 million openings each year.

Frequently asked questions

How long do health degrees take?

It depends on the profession and the country. At the Universidad de Navarra, nursing takes four years (240 credits) and medicine six years (360 ECTS credits). Nursing courses in the United Kingdom usually take a minimum of three years.

Can I work in another country with my health degree?

Only after the authority of that country recognises the qualification and, where required, registers you. Ask the regulator of the country where you want to work before you enrol.

Can I study a health profession in English outside English-speaking countries?

Sometimes. The Universidad de Navarra teaches medicine in Spanish and English, and OsloMet offers some master's programmes in English, but clinical placements normally require the local language.

Is there a route into healthcare without a university degree?

Yes. In Spain, vocational qualifications of the Sanidad family train, for example, nursing auxiliaries, emergency technicians and dental hygienists.