The health care industry is the second largest employer in the St. Louis area – and one of the fastest growing nationwide – making health communication professionals in heavy demand.
UMSL's new undergraduate certificate in Health Communication gives you the credentials needed to take advantage of this growing career field. Courses are offered 100% online, or you can mix and match to take courses on campus. Better yet, some courses you may take as a part of your major may be eligible to apply as an elective for the certificate. Reach out to our advisor to learn more.
What does a health communication professional do?
This is a field that’s broad and still developing. That’s great news because it means opportunities are vast. What you do with your health communications experience will largely be up to you.
Some of the job titles that a graduate might have in health communication include Communication Consultant, Communication Director, Social Media Officer, Research Associate, Program Coordinator, Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing, Healthcare Human Resource Manager, Patient and Family Advocate, Patient Educator, Public Health Campaign Designer, and Healthcare Training Specialist.
The certificate program will prepare students for many careers in health communication. You may work in a hospital, government agency or nonprofit organization. You could work with doctors, nurses or patients. You could help share and shape health care information, enhance the public’s understanding of health care policy or help promote an individual company’s mission.
Who should pursue a health communication certificate?
Because the health care industry is growing at such a fast pace and new health care information is always changing, a health communication certificate can complement almost any major. It could be particularly useful for majors that play a role in patient advocacy such as nursing, social work or psychology. It's also a great choice for public policy or political science majors interested in communication roles.
And, of course, it is an in-demand program for communication majors who are interested in working in marketing or public relations for hospital systems and other health care organizations.
The possibilities are endless. And depending on what courses you’ve completed, you may find you’ve already met some of the requirements for the certificate.
