Health Communication Certificate

What is a Health Communication Certificate?

Since being defined as a discipline by the International Communication Association in 1975, the field of health communication has experienced numerous milestones including being named as a core objective of the Healthy People initiative. Health communication can improve health for individuals, groups, organizations, communities, and society by addressing problems identified in services, technologies, regulations, and policies. To that end, the Department of Communication has developed a Certificate in Health Communication to provide you the necessary preparation for working in and with health-related fields. If interested in the program, contact Dr. Jessica Ford.

Requirements

This certificate requires 12 credit hours in the following courses. You must earn a grade of C or better in each course. All courses must be completed in-residence and fulfilled prior to graduation. Starting Fall 2026, admission is open to all students enrolled at Baylor.

CSS 3310: Communication Theory

CSS 4515: Health Communication

CSS 4317: Narrating Health Across Culture

CSS 4319: Cultural Approaches to Health Communication

CSS 4320: Health Campaigns

Why Health Communication?

Health communication is increasingly relevant in all facets of health care. Moreover, there is a steadily widening gap between the development of medical science and knowledge and the medical information understood by patients and citizens. By working to address this gap, a health communication certificate positions you as more marketable for careers in health care and health-related fields. This widespread marketability is paired with well with a growing demand for health care jobs. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2020-2030 health care jobs are expected to grow an average of 16%, creating about 2.6 million new jobs, representing a much quicker growth as compared to the average for all occupations.

Distinct from graduate certificate programs in public health, health care administration, and health informatics, a health communication certificate focuses on the verbal and nonverbal communicative aspects of health care delivery, programming, and advocacy. Public health and health care administration are far more centered in health program development and management, and health informatics specifically focuses on using new technologies to streamline health care services and information flow in health care organizations.

With experience in health communication, you will be adept at identifying and implementing methods and tactics for communicating about illness and wellness; analyzing the effect of culture on health beliefs, practices, and communication; applying theory to explain health information and change health behavior; designing and evaluating health promotion materials for campaigns and programs; explaining how health narratives are contested discourse; generating solutions to miscommunication that lead to medical errors; improving health news disclosures; and leading health care organizations.

For more information on the academic field of health communication, visit the National Communication Association’s Health Communication Division website. For a real-world glimpse into a health communication career, see the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research careers page and their health communication specialist job posting as well as the CDC's health communication specialist career page.