Graduate certificate targets effective health communication

The College of Mass Communications and Information Studies is extending its reach into the health field by introducing a new graduate certificate program in health communication.

The Health Communication Certificate program was two years in the making and is a collaborative effort with the School of Journalism and Mass Communications; the School of Library and Information Science; and the Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior (HPEB) of the Arnold School of Public Health.

Dr. Feili Tu, an assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Science, is excited about three schools coming together to offer one program.

“The whole program is a pioneering concept,” said Dr. Tu. “We want to make sure that the graduates of the program are well-grounded, well-rounded professionals in three areas: health, communication and information science.”

The certificate is designed to enhance the professional or clinical skills of practitioners working in the field of public health and the media. Health journalists, health educators, health promotion specialists and consumer health librarians are among the types of working professionals for which the new certificate was created.

Dr. John Besley, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, is thrilled about the opportunity to collaborate on research and teach with other departments. As someone whose main area of research is science and risk communication, Dr. Besley sees great value in offering the program.

“Communication is a part of everything,” said Dr. Besley. “Communication in health and risk are essential to making a difference in public health. Health education is a national trend, and health communication lets us focus on communication but apply it in a real-world way.”

The School of Library and Information Science plays an instrumental role in the program. Through its aspect of the certificate program, students will develop sufficient skills to access information more quickly and easily, gain confidence to access evidence-based health information, and learn how health information technology can support their work. Lauren Vincent is the first student in the program and expects to finish her work in Fall 2009. She noticed some similarities between public health and communication during her years as an undergraduate at the J-school, volunteering at Palmetto Health and working for the Department of Health and Environmental Control. Vincent likes the opportunity to interact with multiple academic programs.

“Interdisciplinary is a perfect term for this program,” said Vincent. “You are going to get so many perspectives about the growing field of health communication. It has been encouraging to network and work with professors I wouldn’t have otherwise met.”

Dr. Andrea Tanner, an assistant professor in the J-school, helped develop the certificate program and thinks the collaboration across disciplines makes the program unique.

“Ineffective public health communication can lead to serious societal health problems. Because our program takes an interdisciplinary approach, not only do students learn important public health practices, but they also gain an understanding about the impact of media and media use on health,” said Dr. Tanner. Both Dr. Besley and Vincent think the program can open doors to different career paths as well.

“There are more and more jobs relating to organizations communicating about health and environmental risk,” said Dr. Besley. “It is an area people are interested in studying and an area employers are interested in having employees know. This program gives students an extra level of expertise and specialized knowledge that is important for people moving forward in their careers.”

The certificate is awarded after an 18-credit program of post-bachelor’s study, including a research project or practicum. A core of three classes, one from each school involved in the program, combined with six elective hours and three hours in a practicum or project in the student’s home department comprise the requirements.

Vincent said, “This certificate can assist so many types of health professionals. You can be an advocate for a particular health care policy, a medical writer for a news organization, a media consultant or a hospital spokesperson. Even healthcare organizations recognize how crucial communication skills are in strengthening the patient-provider relationship.”

Please visit their Web site for more information on the Science and Health Communication Research Initiative.