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 health care providers, family dynamics, dissemination of health information, and the use of emerging technology to improve health and health care. Learning about health communication is inspired by questions including:
- How are health care 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 health care 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 health care providers?
- What is the role of communication practitioners in coordinating health-related programming (e.g., workplace health initiatives) and managing health care organizations (e.g., hospitals, long-term care facilities)?
- What communication challenges do managers face in health care 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