With a Changing Field, MET Prescribes All-New Visual & Digital Health Communication Certificate
Storytelling and service delivery in the health care field are changing, and so is the Health Communication program at Metropolitan College. A new online, four-course, 16-credit Graduate Certificate in Visual & Digital Health Communication program has been announced for this fall, designed to prepare students for the evolving health communication landscape, which has been beset by changes that are “fueled largely by technology and our consumer-driven health economy,” according to program director Leigh Curtin-Wilding. Read more about the Visual & Digital Health Communication graduate certificate here.
Press Release
Boston University’s Metropolitan College Announces New Online Graduate Certificate in Visual & Digital Health Communication
June 2016, Boston—The Health Communication program at Boston University’s College of Communication (COM) and Metropolitan College (MET) expands its program offerings this fall to include a first-of-its-kind, fully online Graduate Certificate in Visual & Digital Health Communication.
The four-course, 16-credit certificate is offered through the Health Communication program and includes two new classes that examine the impact of the communication technology revolution. Developed and taught by adjunct faculty who are professionals in the fields of visual design and digital health communication, the new courses are designed to equip students with storytelling tools and tactics vital to modern messaging.
The certificate program can be completed in less than a year. All successfully completed certificate program (non-degree) courses can be transferred to the program’s cornerstone Master of Science in Health Communication (MSHC) degree at any time.
The MSHC comprises 10 online courses (including five core, required classes) and can be completed in 18–24 months. No GRE/GMAT or capstone is required for the certificate or MSHC program.
“Health communication had its roots in public health, but has rapidly evolved to a discipline of its own, fueled largely by technology and our consumer-driven health economy,” says program director Leigh Curtin-Wilding, MSc. “The new visual and digital certificate program is designed to help health communicators think creatively and keep pace with forces that are revolutionizing how content is shaped and shared.”
“Today, consumers are making their own decisions about health care, wellness, and treatments,” says Steve Quigley, program co-founder and associate professor. “Content—especially visual content—shared through social channels can potentially inform those decisions, but it must be guided by best practices in areas of patient privacy, licensing, and ethics. Our new courses provide knowledge and skills in all of these critical areas.”
Students can customize their certificate learning by choosing any two of the 10 extant graduate classes from the online Health Communication program and pairing them with two new courses that emphasize Visual & Digital Health Communication:
- Visual Communication in the Digital Health Age (MET HC 762), starting Fall 2, 2016
- Social Media Strategies and Tactics for Health Communicators (MET HC 763), starting Spring 2, 2017
The online classroom environment blends anytime–anywhere asynchronous learning that is flexible for working professionals. Each course integrates communication and health care content. Small student peer groups in each class allow for an intimate and intergenerational learning experience, supported by dedicated staff, technical help, and academic resources available to students 24/7.
Developed by Boston University’s Metropolitan Collage (MET) in collaboration with BU’s College of Communication, the MSHC was the first such degree to be offered fully online. It was co-founded and developed by Dr. Domenic Screnci and Associate Professor Steve Quigley, and launched in 2008. Since that time, more than 280 students have graduated from the program, which was recognized with the Silver Award for Distance Learning Programming in 2010 by the U.S. Distance Learning Association.
About Boston University
Founded in 1839, Boston University today is internationally recognized as a top institution of higher learning and research. With more than 32,500 students from all 50 states and 140 countries, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, offering more than 250 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and special degree programs. Collectively, the BU network has more than 340,000 alumni, worldwide.
About Metropolitan College & the College of Communication
As one of Boston University’s 17-granting degree bodies, Metropolitan College (MET) has helped broaden the reach of BU for more than half a century, with part-time study during the evening and through innovative online and blended programs. Today, the College hosts more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, along with hundreds of individual courses, that support the academic, professional and intellectual needs of working adults. For more information visit bu.edu/met.
BU’s College of Communication is dedicated to the proposition that the free flow of ideas and accurate information is vital to the development and improvement of democratic societies. Recently recognized as a destination for “new influencers” in media by PR Week, the College has long been committed to educating professional communicators, offering the world’s first degree in public relations in 1947 and the first master’s and PhD degrees in emerging media studies in 2015. The College mission is to provide an educational center of excellence focused on teaching, research, and service in the study and professional practice of communication. The College includes three departments: Film & Television; Journalism; and Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations. Each department offers professionally oriented undergraduate and graduate programs. Learn more at bu.edu/com.
About Boston University’s Distance Education Programs
The Distance Education office works with Boston University schools and colleges to develop rigorous, industry-relevant graduate programs that are fully online. Flexible and affordable, BU’s acclaimed online degree and certificate programs are team-developed by full-time faculty, instructional designers, and expert multimedia professionals, providing a state-of-the-art, accessible learning environment distinguished by individualized support for each student.
This May, the U.S. Distance Learning Association (USDLA) presented Boston University with a 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning. The USDLA is the nation’s leading distance-learning organization, and each year acknowledges instructors, programs and professionals who have achieved and demonstrated extraordinary results through the use of online, videoconferencing, satellite and blended learning delivery technologies.
In 2016, TheBestSchools.org ranked Boston University #4 among the 50 best online colleges. Metropolitan College’s online degree programs are ranked among the top 6 by U.S. News & World Report. For information about online programs at Boston University, visit bu.edu/online.