Health Communication
The Health Communication Certificate offers students marketable skills in becoming better producers and consumers of messages related to health and wellness. By evaluating and producing health messages in interpersonal, organizational, community, intercultural, and mass/social media contexts, this certificate will help prepare students for various careers in health communication, medicine, and other health- and public health-related fields. It will also help you become a more effective patient and caregiver!
This certificate is open to all majors across campus.
Program Goals
Students who successfully complete this Certificate program will be able to:
- Explain how the exchange of health-related messages can affect health attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors; prevent disease; and promote wellness in multiple contexts and among diverse audiences.
- Critically evaluate the quality of communication in health and illness contexts and apply this knowledge to become more effective participants in and providers of healthcare.
- Demonstrate the ability to create effective oral, written, and digital health messages that target healthcare consumers, healthcare providers, and policymakers.
NOTES:
Non degree seeking students can enroll in the program if they have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college/university. There are no admission requirements for GPA or earned hours completed at UM-Dearborn for these students.
Non degree seeking students who do not have a bachelor's degree will not be admitted into the certificate program.
Certificate Requirements
This certificate requires 16 credit hours.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required core course: | ||
| COMM 365 | Health Communication | 4 |
| Select three or four courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Anth of Health and Environment | ||
| Nutrition and Health | ||
| Communication Research Methods | ||
| Independent Studies-Comm | ||
| Narrative and Identity | ||
| Risk and Crisis Communication | ||
| Death, Dying, and Bereavement | ||
| Comm Organizing for Health | ||
| Religion, Medicine, and Health | ||
| Healthcare Administration | ||
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Science and Environmental Journalism | ||
| Psychology of Aging | ||
| Media Psychology | ||
| Introductory and Survival Spanish for Healthcare Professionals | ||
Notes:
- A maximum of nine credit hours can simultaneously count toward the Health Communication Certificate and the student’s major.
- A maximum of one transfer course (three credit hours) can count for the Health Communication certificate by petition submitted to certificate faculty advisor.
- Pass/Fail is not allowed
- A minimum 2.0 GPA in the courses counting toward the Health Communication Certificate and minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA are required at the time of graduation and/or posting of the certificate.