Program at a Glance

  • Online
  • Part-Time Study
  • 16 Credits
  • 8–12 Months to Completion
  • 13 Faculty
  • No GRE/GMAT
  • Tuition & Fees Range—Part-Time Study*: $13,660-$15,400

*Based on 2022–2023 Boston University tuition and fees. Merit scholarship may reduce cost.

Boost Your Communication Career with Skills in Healthcare Promotion

Boston University’s online Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing allows students to develop or refresh skills vital for today’s professional health communicator. Using persuasion theory, media effects theory, communication planning, and other fundamental behavioral and management concepts, students learn to design integrated public relations, media, and marketing plans that help achieve the goals of health-related organizations and clients.

In today’s climate of greater integration among public relations, media, and marketing disciplines, even recently educated communication professionals are challenged by the pace of change in their professions and across the media landscape. Moreover, the needs of the healthcare industry are rapidly evolving. An increase in chronic lifestyle diseases—diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, cancer, dementia, and other stress-related disorders—is helping drive expansion of the wellness industry, the value of which is poised to grow by $1,299.8 billion through 2024, according to a report by Technavio. Alongside this, United States Census Bureau data shows that one in five Americans will be 65 or older by 2034, with aging baby boomers outnumbering children for the first time in 2030. Professional health communicators are key stewards of a changing industry, who are able to frame points of view and create powerful messages using print, broadcast, social, community, and organizational media in creative ways to influence and educate diverse audiences.

The Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing focuses on building workplace-ready skills for professional communication roles within consumer- and business-facing corporations, government agencies, healthcare organizations and hospitals, PR and marketing agencies, non-profit organizations, and other employers seeking to advocate for, educate, and influence audiences about health and wellness. You will learn the differences, similarities, and tensions among promotion, media, and marketing functions within organizations, and how to effectively implement and align contemporary strategies and measurable tactics as part of a unified effort. And you will become adept in developing campaigns, search-optimized content, and materials for the healthcare marketing environment—while gaining an understanding of the importance of ethics, privacy, and regulatory considerations. You also gain essential knowledge in brand, reputation, and crisis management.

Awards & Accreditations

The elective course Visual Communication in the Digital Health Age (MET HC 762) received the 2017 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Teaching & Learning—a global honor recognizing excellence in delivering students a flexible, innovative online learning experience.

Charles River Campus

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Why Earn a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing at BU?

Advance Your Skills in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing

The Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing is part of BU’s Health Communication program, which also includes the Master of Science in Health Communication (MSHC) degree program—developed in collaboration with BU’s College of Communication—and the Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Health Communication and Graduate Certificate in Visual & Digital Health Communication.

Designed for professional health communicators and those looking to transition into the field, BU’s Health Communication program provides a comprehensive education in the areas of healthcare marketing and professional communication, interactive marketing, social media management, and public and media relations.

Taught by full-time university professors and leading professionals practicing in the field, coursework is practical and immediately applicable on the job. The program faculty create a dynamic learning environment by blending theory, practice, and scholarship in every course. The program curriculum, offered fully online, is designed to broaden and deepen students’ understanding of communications, PR, marketing, health sciences, and public health, as well as issues of privacy, regulation, ethics, health equity, and cultural humility.

Graduate with Expertise in Healthcare Communication

Metropolitan College’s Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing graduate certificate will equip you to:

  • Create channel-specific health communication plans and search-optimized content designed to support, influence, and engage with diverse stakeholder audiences.
  • Understand and demonstrate socially responsible health communication principles and practices as they apply to public relations, digital marketing, and media relations, including privacy, copyright and regulatory considerations, and knowledge of the Code of Ethics as defined by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
  • Understand the expanding 24/7 role of media relations professionals within healthcare organizations, including dos and don’ts for developing successful relationships with reporters, message framing and delivery methods, and crisis management strategies.
  • Identify the differences, similarities, and tensions among public relations, media, and marketing functions within healthcare organizations, and the importance of unified strategies that align and measure organizational efforts.

Certificate-to-Degree Pathway

You can earn the master’s in Health Communication with a concentration in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing by completing the Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing and the Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Health Communication. To be eligible for the degree, you must apply for admission and be accepted into the degree program. Consult with a graduate admissions advisor to learn more about these options.

Courses

(Four courses/16 credits)

Plus one of the following:



Health Communication Faculty

 

Tuition & Financial Assistance

Competitive Tuition

Our part-time rates are substantially lower than those of the traditional, full-time residential programs yet provide access to the same high-quality BU education.

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Comprehensive Financial Assistance

Our services include scholarships, graduate loans, and payment plans.

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Get Started - Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing Graduate Certificate

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Please visit the BU MET admissions page for details on how to apply, financial assistance, tuition and fees, requirements for international students, and more.

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News & Events

Events

April 18th, 2023 at: 2:30pm - 3:15pm

Financing your BU MET Graduate Education (for DOMESTIC students)

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April 21st, 2023 at: 10:00am

Computer Science Research Seminar Series: Multimodal Machine Learning and Human-Centered Computing for Health and Wellbeing

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April 21st, 2023 at: 3:00pm

Celebrating with the ABA Community the 5th Anniversary of MS in ABA

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