MPH Functional Certificate: Health Communication and Promotion

This 16-credit certificate provides multidisciplinary knowledge and practical skills for developing and implementing communications-based strategies to motivate healthy behaviors, change social norms, and promote public health programs and policies. Students will gain knowledge and skills, including qualitative research, intervention and campaign development, risk communication, media advocacy, and the use of social media, websites, print and broadcast media, and other communications channels to advance public health.

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

• Design a strategic plan for an intervention and communications strategy that is theory-driven, science-based, audience-centered, practicable, and evaluable.
• Apply a range of appropriate communication venues to support public health goals based on analysis and evaluation of alternative venues.
• Create effective materials and messages using strategies and tools tailored to diverse audiences, including those with lower health literacy.
• Develop an evaluation plan for a communication strategy.
• Demonstrate professional oral presentation skills to inform and persuade diverse audiences.

Course Requirements

• SPH SB 733 Mass Communication and Public Health (4 cr)
• SPH SB 806 Communication Strategies for Public Health (4 cr)
• Choose 8 credits from the following:
  • SPH GH 701 Global Health Storytelling (4 cr)
  • SPH GH 806 mHealth (4 cr)
  • SPH MC 730 Leading to Face Challenges and Receive Results in Public Health (2 cr)
  • SPH MC 785 Reproductive Health Advocacy: From Rights to Justice (2 cr)
  • SPH MC 802 Implementing Community Health Initiatives: A Field-Based Course in Leadership and Consultation (4 cr)
  • SPH PH 712 Public Health Responses to Emergencies in the United States (2 cr)
  • SPH PM 785 Mental Health Advocacy (2 cr)
  • SPH SB 818 Qualitative Research Methods (4 cr)
  • SPH SB 822 Quantitative Methods for Program Evaluation (4 cr)
  • SPH SB 860 Strategies for Public Health Advocacy (4 cr)

Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)

In the HCP ILE assignment, students will apply the variety of skills and competencies achieved throughout their training in the HCP Certificate to a thorough assessment of a public health communication need/objective identified within an organization (or a project within an organization), and subsequent strategic development of an approach to support this need/objective. Students will be asked to identify an existing or emerging public health organization or project of interest and pinpoint at least one communication objective they seek to address with media executions that support the communication objective.