Create Persuasive & Strategic Healthcare Messages

The Master of Science in Health Communication concentration in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing will help you develop or refresh skills vital for today’s professional health communicator. Using influence and media effects theory, communication planning, and other fundamental behavioral and management concepts, you will learn to design integrated public relations, media, and marketing plans that help achieve the goals of health-related organizations and clients.

This is particularly vital as healthcare enters a transformative period. Healthcare industries are predicted to be among those growing the fastest through 2029 (The Economics Daily, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2020). Additionally, by 2030 aging baby boomers will outnumber children for the first time, according to the Census Bureau. Meanwhile, 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.

As we enter this fertile period for the healthcare industry, it is essential to be able to frame points of view and craft powerful messages using print, broadcast, social, community, and organizational media in creative ways to influence and educate diverse audiences. With a focus on workplace-ready skills, you will develop campaigns, search-optimized content, and materials—while understanding the importance of ethics, privacy, and regulatory considerations. You will also gain essential knowledge in brand, reputation, and crisis management.

Program at a Glance

  • Online
  • 32 Credits
  • 16–18 Months to Completion
  • 13 Faculty
  • No Capstone Required
  • Tuition & Fees—Part-Time Study*: $24,080

*Based on 2023–2024 Boston University tuition and fees. Merit scholarship may reduce cost.

Enhance Your Career in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing

The Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing concentration of BU MET’s MS in Health Communication prepares you for professional communication roles within consumer- and business-facing corporations, government agencies, healthcare organizations and hospitals, PR and marketing agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other employers seeking to advocate for, educate, and influence audiences about health and wellness.

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. The concentration in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing focuses on developing your understanding of the differences, similarities, and tensions among these communication functions within organizations, and how to effectively implement and align contemporary strategies and measurable tactics as part of a unified effort.

BU’s Health Communication program is unique, offered 100% online with asynchronous learning, while integrating communication and healthcare content in each course.

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.

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Why Earn Your Master’s in Health Communication at Boston University?

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Healthcare Communication

The Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing concentration is part of BU MET’s Master of Science in Health Communication (MSHC). Developed in 2008 by Boston University’s Metropolitan College and College of Communication, the MSHC was the first degree of its type to be offered fully online. The MSHC is part of BU’s Health Communication program, which also includes the Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Health Communication, the Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing, and the 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 offers a multidisciplinary curriculum that focuses on the intersection of healthcare, marketing, health literacy, public relations, and digital media in order to prepare students for the breadth of issues they will encounter as health communicators—from medical breakthroughs and the development of new products to government policies and public health challenges, and many others.

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 Health Communication master’s degree concentration in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing 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 also earn the master’s in Health Communication with a concentration in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing by completing the Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Health Communication and the Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing. Students currently enrolled in a graduate certificate who are interested in transitioning into a master’s degree should contact their academic advisor to declare their interest in this pathway. A new master’s degree application is not required. Connect with a graduate admissions advisor at metmshc@bu.edu to learn more about this option.


Boston University’s online Master of Science in Health Communication consists of eight required online courses (32 credits).

Core Courses

(Four courses/16 credits)

Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing Concentration Requirements

(Four courses/16 credits)

Plus one of the following:


Health Communication Faculty

  • Justin Joseph
    Justin Joseph

    Program Director, Health Communication

    Associate Professor of the Practice, Public Relations, Boston University College of Communication

    MS, Boston University; MA, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; BS, Boston University

  • Felipe Agudelo Acevedo
    Felipe Agudelo Acevedo

    Lecturer

    Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

    PhD, DePaul University; MPH, National School of Public Health, Universidad de Antioquía, Colombia; BEng, Universidad de Antioquía, Colombia

 

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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Tuition, fees, and total program cost are determined by enrollment status. Course enrollment in this program is 1–2 courses (4–8 credits) in a semester, and tuition is charged as a part-time per-credit rate.

MS in Health Communication, Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing Concentration (Online)

Enrollment Status Part Time
Courses per Semester 2 courses
(8 credits)
Time to Degree 4 semesters
(16 months)
Tuition* $535-$955
per credit**
Fees per Semester* $60
Total Degree Cost* $24,080

*Based on 2023–2024 Boston University tuition & fee rates.
**Cost per credit is determined by course number (100–599 = $535/credit, 600–999 = $955/credit).

Questions? Please contact us to hear from an Admissions Advisor who can help you determine the best enrollment pathway. For information regarding financial aid, visit BU MET’s Financial Aid page.

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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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