The Health Communication concentration allows public health professionals, nonprofit leaders, and researchers to gain advanced knowledge of communication models, processes, strategic communication, and health campaigns. Students gain advanced knowledge of theories, research, and practice to examine current problems in health care. This degree program allows professionals and nonprofessionals an opportunity to study how information is generated and shared among health professionals, communities, individuals and public advocates. Students in this concentration develop new understandings of channels, messages, and cultural and other contexts that influence individuals and groups to seek health information. The concentration is also designed to equip professionals with the skills to analyze, design, and evaluate polices, campaigns and structures in health communication environments. Students acquire the knowledge and skills they use to plan campaigns, cultivate initiatives for specific groups, analyze program objectives, develop public speaking skills they apply in addressing various audiences, and assess communication process within different medical environments.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

Unconditional Admission

1. Graduate with a four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university (degrees from institutions outside the U.S. are evaluated for equivalency to U.S. degrees).
2. Possess a grade point average of at least 3.0 in undergraduate studies.
3. Complete satisfactory preparation in the specific discipline or field of study.
4. Attain a score of at least 213 on the TOEFL, if an international student.

Conditional Admission

Students who fail to satisfy the unconditional admission criteria may be admitted on a conditional basis. Under conditional admission, the student must have at least a 2.8 undergraduate grade point average or the undergraduate grade point average within the last thirty-hours (30) of course work must be at least 3.2. Students admitted in this category will be required to meet the unconditional admission criteria by maintaining at least a grade of "B" or better in each course in the first twelve hours of graduate work within the first year of enrollment. Failure to satisfy unconditional admission criteria within the stipulated time will result in the student being dropped from the program. Conditional admits are not eligible for financial aid.

Post- Baccalaureate and Non-Degree Seeking Applicant Policy

1. Applicants are not eligible for financial aid.
2. If admitted as a post- baccalaureate student, the student is required to earn a minimum of 3.5 in those hours they take while in the graduate program in order to be admitted into the program.
3. If admitted with non-degree-seeking status, a student is allowed to take up to six (6) hours only.

Summary

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Foundation Courses (9 hours)
COMM 533	Theory & Process Of Comm	3
COMM 534	Introduction Graduate Research Communication	3
RTF 510	Visual Storytelling	3
Prescribed Courses (9 hours)
COMM 526	Introduction : Graduate Studies in Communication	3
COMM 634	Adv Comm Res Meth	3
COMM 698	Research Project	3
or COMM 665	Graduate Practicum
or COMM 658	Masters Comprehensive Exam
Concentration Courses (12 hours)
COMM 562	Health Communication	3
Select 9 hours from the following:		9
COMM 563	Health Communication Campaigns
COMM 564	E-Health Communication
COMM 565	Health and Mass Media
COMM 570	Communication in the Global Workplace
Elective Courses (3 hours)
Select any School of Communication graduate course		3
Total Hours		33