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Undergraduate Career Path: Health Communication

Students focused on health communication are concerned with people’s communication and knowledge needs in such areas as the relationships between patients and their healthcare providers, family dynamics, dissemination of health information, and the use of emerging technology to improve health and healthcare. Learning about health communication is inspired by questions including:

How are healthcare relationships created, maintained, and shifted through communication? How do families communicate about health? How do cultural differences shape health communication? How do environmental, economic, and political forces impact health communication? How do emerging technologies shape health communication practices? How are health campaigns designed, implemented, and evaluated?

Recent graduates are employed in healthcare organizations as patient advocates or in human resources, in non-profit health agencies, and as pharmaceutical sales representatives.

CAREER PATHWAYS:

Health & Social Services

You might consider a career in Health and Social Services if you find these questions compelling:

What communication skills do patients need to be active participants in therapeutic relationships? Why is communication training necessary for healthcare providers? What is the role of communication practitioners in coordinating health-related programming (e.g., workplace health initiatives) and managing healthcare organizations (e.g., hospitals, long-term care facilities)? What communication challenges do managers face in healthcare settings?  

COMS Curriculum (Suggested COMS Theory and Elective Courses)

Courses listed are only suggestions. Students should consult the COMS Major Checklist for an exhaustive overview of major requirements and to identify requisite requirements.

COMS 3060 Interpersonal Conflict Management

COMS 3400 Health Communication

COMS 3410 Women & Health

COMS 3500 Organizational Communication

COMS 4050 Meeting & Conference Planning

COMS 4060 Advanced Interpersonal Communication

COMS 4110 Communicating with People with Disabilities

COMS 4410 Communication in the Family

COMS 4510 Training & Development

COMS 4911 Internship in Health Communication

Related Area/Certificates/Minors

Courses, Minors, and Certificates listed are only suggestions. Students should consult the Ohio University Undergraduate Catalog to identify pre-requisite requirements for courses and to identify requirements and application processes for Minors and Certificates.

CFS 3800 Death Dying and Bereavement

HLTH 2020 Intro to Health and Lifestyle Choices

HLTH 2120 Controlling Stress and Tension

HLTH 2170 Health System Organization

CFS 3600 Human Sexualities

CFS 2700 Intimate and Family Relationships

HLTH 2901 Health Aspects of Aging

Applied Nutrition Minor

Diabetes Certificate

Diversity Studies Certificate

Environmental Health Sciences Minor

Environmental Studies Certificate

Gerontology Certificate

Social Service Minor

Public Health

You might consider a career in Public Health if you find these questions compelling:

What is the role of communication specialists in organizing community health initiatives (e.g., foodbanks, community gardens)? What communication challenges do practitioners face when developing health literacy and managing health crises and risks? What communication skills are needed to design, implement, and evaluate health campaigns?

COMS Curriculum (Suggested COMS Theory and Elective Courses)

Courses listed are only suggestions. Students should consult the COMS Major Checklist for an exhaustive overview of major requirements and to identify prequisite requirements.

COMS 2020 Communication & Persuasion

COMS 3400 Health Communication

COMS 3600 Communication & Public Advocacy

COMS 2400 Information Diffusion

COMS 3200 Communication & New Technology

COMS 3410 Women & Health

COMS 3602 Political Rhetoric

COMS 4530 Communication & the Campaign

COMS 4911 Internship in Health Communication

Related Area/Certificates/Minors (Suggested coursework outside of COMS)

Courses, Minors, and Certificates listed are only suggestions. Students should consult the Ohio University Undergraduate Catalog to identify requisite requirements for courses and to identify requirements and application processes for Minors and Certificates.

HLTH 2000 Introduction to Public Health

HLTH 3300 Community Health

HLTH 2030 Foundations in Health Education

HLTH 2150 Violence in America

HSP 2210 Introduction to Global Health

NUTR 1100 Intro to Food Systems

MDIA 1091 Introduction to Mass Media

Applied Nutrition Minor

Diabetes Certificate

Environmental Health Sciences Minor

Gerontology Certificate

Global Health Certificate

Journalism Minor

Environmental Studies Certificate

Diversity Studies Certificate

Social Media Certificate

E- Health

You might consider a career in E-health if you find these questions compelling:

How are mobile technologies shaping health care?  What communication skills are needed to manage telemedicine programs? How do we communicate about health in a digital age? How is health information shaped, stored, and shared online (e.g., social networking sites)? What is the role of communication specialists in maintaining web databases and electronic medical records?

COMS Curriculum (Suggested COMS Theory and Elective Courses)

Courses listed are only suggestions. Students should consult the COMS Major Checklist for an exhaustive overview of major requirements and to identify requisite requirements.

COMS 3400 Health Communication

COMS 3500 Organizational Communication

COMS 4060 Advanced Interpersonal Communication

COMS 3200 Communication and Technology

COMS 3410 Women and Health

COMS 4050 Meeting and Conference Planning

COMS 4110 Communicating with People with Disabilities

COMS 4410 Communication in the Family

COMS 4510 Training & Development

COMS 4630 Rhetoric & Electronic Media

COMS 4911 Internship in Health Communication

Related Area/Certificates/Minors (Suggested coursework outside of COMS)

Courses, Minors, and Certificates listed are only suggestions. Students should consult the Ohio University Undergraduate Catalog to identify pre-requisite requirements for courses and to identify requirements and application processes for Minors and Certificates.

HLTH 2000 Intro to Public Health

HLTH 2170 Health System Organization

ITS 1010 Consumer Issues in Telecommunication

ITS 2010 Understanding Internet Technology

ITS 2140 Intro to Information and Telecommunication Systems

VICO 1000 Introduction to Studies in Visual Communication

MDIA 1091 Introduction to Mass Media

Business Administration Minor

Diabetes Certificate

Diversity Studies Certificate

Environmental Health Sciences Minor

Environmental Studies Certificate

Gerontology Certificate

Social Service Minor

Social Media Certificate