专业描述

The challenge for health communicators is to keep the public informed amid the rapid, often monumental, evolution of both health care and media. Health care issues affect billions worldwide, and can range from health care reform to public health crises. An effective and responsible communication strategy requires professionals with an understanding of biosystems and disease, nutrition and public health, the American health care system, epidemiology, and—critically—the changing media habits of consumers. Students in the Health Communication master’s program learn how to strategize and execute effective communication campaigns that provide valuable (and complex) information in a clear manner to the media, the public, and other critical stakeholders. Graduates are prepared for careers in health care marketing, advertising, and PR; hospitals and rehabilitation centers; the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and health insurance industries; and public health, government, and nonprofits, among others. Taught by full-time university professors and leading professionals practicing in the field, coursework is practical and immediately applicable on the job. The program faculty create a dynamic learning environment by blending theory, practice, and scholarship in every course. The program curriculum, offered fully online, is designed to broaden and deepen students’ understanding of communications, PR, advertising, marketing, health sciences, public health, and law.