Program Overview

Health Communication Certificate

The Health Communication Certificate is designed to teach students how to effectively share important health-related information and ideas. This certificate program will provide students with valuable skills related to communication in the healthcare industry.

Program Details

• Program type: Certificates/Programs - Undergraduate
• Format: On Campus or Online
• Estimated time to complete: 1-2 semesters
• Credit hours: 12

Why Earn a Certificate in Health Communication?

The Health Communication Certificate will teach students skills related to:

• Health communication
• Social media strategies
• Risk and crisis communication management A certificate in Health Communication demonstrates a student's ability to:
• Enhance interpersonal communication in healthcare settings
• Leverage digital and social media
• Disseminate health and scientific information to a broader audience

Health Communication Certificate Courses

The following courses are part of the Health Communication Certificate program:

• Health Communication (COMM 380): Introduces theories and practices of health communication, exploring health communication with interpersonal sources, groups, and effective communication through mass media and digital/social media channels.
• Communicating Science (COMM 360): Designed for upper-division students in the physical, biological, social, health, and engineering sciences, this course combines findings from research into information processing with best practices in media production to build student competency in communicating about science to general audiences.
• Risk & Crisis Communication (COMM 451): Explores identifying risks to organizational goals and key stakeholders, and communicating effectively during crisis events to maintain organizational legitimacy.
• Principles of Strategic Communication (COMM 374): Introduces the fundamental theories, concepts, and applications of strategic communication to critically analyze its social influence and meet organizational goals.
• Organizational Communication (COMM 401): Analysis of communication behavior in formally structured relationships as it relates to the organization and to individuals.
• Social Media Strategy (COMM 345): Focuses on scholarly and commercial aspects of social media strategy as a communicative practice, including social activism, constituent engagement, outreach and advocacy, reputation management, analytics, and optimization.

Online Health Communication Certificate

The University of North Dakota offers a flexible online Health Communication Certificate program with asynchronous classes, allowing students to learn anywhere at any time. The program includes:

• Lesson modules
• Streaming video content
• Virtual libraries
• Posted lectures
• Online simulations Students will interact with instructors and classmates through online discussion boards, polls, and chat rooms, with structure and deadlines to ensure a successful learning experience.

Benefits of the Online Program

The online Health Communication Certificate program offers:

• Same degree as on-campus students, fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Same classes as on-campus students, with start and end dates aligned with the semester schedule
• Real interaction with professors, peers, and professionals in the field
• Personalized academic advising
• Free online tutoring and access to self-help online study resources
• Unlimited academic coaching
• Full online access to virtual research libraries, writing centers, career services, and more
• 24/7 technical support

Why Choose the University of North Dakota?

The University of North Dakota is a best-value university for online education, offering:

• Affordable online tuition rates
• High alumni salaries and job placement rates
• A wide range of online programs, rivaling other nonprofit universities in the Upper Midwest
• Recognition as one of the best online colleges in the nation for affordability, student satisfaction, academic quality, and student outcomes.