Health Communication Graduate Certificate Programs

Updated: Sep 18, 2024

When most people think of healthcare careers, they understandably draw up visions of doctors, nurses, and other hands-on practitioners. However, the industry is full of behind-the-scenes professionals working to make healthcare organizations run. In fact, communications departments in hospitals and other medical organizations are huge parts of the business.

If you have a communications background and wish to focus your knowledge on the health and medical realm, an online Health Communication Graduate Certificate can help you expand your skills into this niche area.

What Are the Online Health Communication Graduate Certificate Requirements?

Prospective students must be well qualified to be admitted into a health communication graduate certificate program. Each school will have their own requirements, but many adhere to similar criteria. Common requirements include:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a health/communications area from an accredited institution (note: some programs only require a bachelor’s degree)
Transcripts from all colleges attended
International students are often required to submit TOEFL (or similar) score
Professional resume or CV
2 or more professional letters of recommendation
Personal goal statement and/or essay answering a question regarding health communications

What Type of Classes Are Included in the Online Health Communication Graduate Certificate Curriculum?

Health communication graduate certificates can often be completed in a little over one year of study. The curriculum will include several core courses, and schools often require that the student maintains a 3.0 GPA in all classes as they move through the program. Washington State University’s graduate certificate in Health Communication & Promotion includes the following courses:

Students select two courses from the following:

Professional Multimedia Content Creation
Crisis Communication in Global Contexts
Ethics for Professionals
Research Methods for Professionals

Required courses:

Communicating Health in Practice
Communicating Health in a Digital Landscape

What Type of Career Can I Pursue with an Online Health Communication Graduate Certificate?

With this specialized graduate certificate, you can find a rewarding career in the communications department of hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, or any other healthcare-related organization. Popular career titles include:

Health Communication Specialist: These professionals are the liaison to the public regarding health risks, public health policy, wellness initiatives, and more.
PR Manager: Working within a health or medical organization, these professionals are the public face of the facility, writing press releases, giving interviews, and communicating with the general public.
Healthcare Social Media Strategist: If you have a keen eye for marketing, you can manage the social media for a healthcare company or organization, increasing outreach and managing content creation across such platforms.