Online MS in Health Communication—Visual & Digital

At a Glance

Completion Time

Months

Credits Required

Tuition

$26,140

Part-Time*

*Based on 2026–2027 Boston University tuition and fees. Merit scholarship may reduce cost.

Transform Health Messages into Engaging Visual and Digital Content

The online MS in Health Communication (MSHC) concentration in Visual & Digital Health Communication at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) examines the impact of the communication technology revolution on the field of healthcare marketing and communication.

Wearable technology for fitness, health, and nutrition—and the rise in AI-enabled medical equipment, anti-aging services, and alternative therapies—are changing the face of the healthcare industry. A report by Technavio shows that the value of the global health and wellness market is poised to grow by $1,299.8 billion through 2024, while the impact of digital technology in healthcare will continue to reverberate, with venture funding for health tech innovators at $14 billion in 2020 and expected to increase, according to Deloitte. A report by Hootsuite and We Are Social highlights that the number of active social media users is in the billions—and growing exponentially. With more than half the world’s population using social media, and with such rapid and continued expansion, it is essential to harness the power of this tool in your healthcare marketing and communication efforts.

Savvy communicators, marketers, and healthcare providers recognize that it takes effective storytelling and strategic social media practices to capture the engagement and participation of patients, consumers, or a desired target audience. How users experience social media, websites, mobile apps, videos, and branded content can make—or break—the success of an otherwise well-defined health campaign or project.

The Visual & Digital Health Communication concentration delivers the fundamental principles of design and how to apply them to the creation of powerful health education and delivery application tools, such as infographics, data visualization graphics, videos, websites, mobile apps, and branded content. In addition, you will examine how social media is used in healthcare and why using it effectively and efficiently has become a necessary skill for many healthcare professionals.

The MS in Health Communication, Visual & Digital Health Communication Concentration is also available on campus in Boston. Learn more.

Curriculum

Boston University’s online Master of Science in Health Communication consists of eight required online courses (32 units) and can be completed in as few as 16 months of part-time study.

Core Courses

(Four courses/16 units)

MET HC 550 US Healthcare System

4 credits. Fall and Spring

This course provides students with basic knowledge of how the health care system in the U.S. is structured, and the policies, stakeholders and complexities impacting access to care, costs, quality and equity among various populations. Drawing on multiple views and opinions, students build on their perspectives as they critically analyze pros and cons of health system fundamentals. Students then apply their knowledge to a series of practical written assignments that help build a strategic plan for improving the health outcomes of an underserved population in their home state. An emphasis is placed on written and oral delivery of final project campaigns. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

Section O1, SPRG 2026 Jan 13th to Mar 2nd
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Lane	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET HC 559 Health Communication Principles and Strategies

4 credits. Fall and Spring

This foundational course examines and bridges the theory and practice of interpersonal, organizational, mass communication, and digital media relevant to the professional communicator and health practitioner alike. It reviews strategies of persuasion, the relationship between attitudes and health behavior through the lifespan, and the changing nature of health, illness and health delivery in local and global arenas. Students consider how the Social Determinants of Health (where we live, learn, work and play) impact health behaviors and outcomes for diverse populations. Starting with the history of health communication, students gain insight into the evolution of this emerging discipline, from public health education to its broader place in the marketing mix through recent decades. Guided by case studies, research and analysis, students explore the health communication cycle and strategic planning process using frames, channels and tools best suited for reaching behavioral, social, and organizational objectives. The course shifts from theoretical to practical, giving students hands-on experience developing a strategic health communication campaign that considers culture, age, gender and health literacy, to effectively - and measurably - influence health outcomes for its intended audience. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

MET HC 560 Research Methods for Health Communication

4 credits. Fall and Spring

There is a growing demand for professionals with the skills to collect, analyze and interpret data. This course prepares students with essential knowledge of primary research methods, and how to apply them - accurately and ethically - to the practice of health communication. Beginning with the basics of research design and evaluation, the course progresses through qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods, survey design, descriptive statistics, focus groups and other approaches, with the goal of helping health communication professionals create meaningful, data-driven strategies, stories and content. Students will practice analyzing, interpreting and writing about various health studies presented throughout the course. Also emphasized is the application of research to advertising messaging and public relations strategies. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

Section O2, SPRG 2026 Mar 10th to Apr 27th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Burke	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET HC 561 Writing for Health

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Effectively communicating knowledge, methods, language and terminology from the complex fields of health, science and medicine - and writing about them plainly - requires an advanced command of language, and proficient use of health literacy principles. If writing does not come naturally to you, this course will introduce you to those health literacy principles, as well as formats and processes for developing materials with confidence. If you're a more experienced writer, get ready to hone your skills using best practices for creating various kinds of health content. Throughout the course you'll analyze different audience needs and refine writing strategies, style, voice, and vocabulary to accommodate each audience. You'll also practice essential writing qualities, including clarity and brevity, alongside advanced grammar, sentence structure and writing mechanics. Assignments include writing, revising, and editing clear, accurate, audience-appropriate content for a journalistic news report; a patient education print brochure; narrative feature storytelling; a health-related blog; scriptwriting for a visual public service announcement, and social media writing to promote your content. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

Concentration Requirements

(Four courses/16 units)

MET HC 762 Visual Communication in the Digital Health Age

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Over the past two decades, the power of visuals in learning and retention has been increasingly recognized - attributing as much as 80% of retention to information that is visually communicated. In a recent study, 85% of working professionals agreed that creative thinking is critical for problem solving in their career, and 71% say creative thinking should be taught as a course, like math and science. The efficacy of the use of visual symbols has also been recognized for bridging language barriers in health care settings. This course provides health communication professionals the fundamental principles of design and how these relate to effective communication, particularly in health education and delivery applications. Course lectures and resources will guide students from visual design theory, straight through content creation and measuring effectiveness of visual messaging. Students will explore various media and tools used to create digital images and get hands-on practice in the image editing process. Topics include conceptual design, critical thinking in the creation of practical design, how design relates to industry, human perception and the visual process, and the use of symbols for immediacy and to bridge cultural and literacy divides. In addition to exploring popular digital vehicles for visual storytelling, such as infographics, data visualization, video and mobile, the course will also present real-world challenges, such as ethics and regulations in digital communications, as well as business processes. Course requires access to a smartphone with camera and video capability or a digital camera/video. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

MET HC 763 Social Media Strategies and Tactics for Healthcare

4 credits. Fall and Spring

The course examines how healthcare organizations are tapping the power of social media to listen, learn, engage and act. This course helps students understand the power and importance of this fundamental shift in communication, and how savvy health care organizations are turning this shift into a strategic advantage. Together, we will examine the impact of the communication technology revolution on the field of health marketing and communication. Through extensive readings, case studies, project assignments, hands-on use of social media and weekly discussions, students will explore the extraordinary health communication challenges and opportunities driven by social media - as well as the new and daunting problems and threats social media present to healthcare organizations. Students will learn how social media is used in health care and why using it effectively and efficiently has become a necessary skill for many health care professionals. As part of this course, students have the opportunity to earn the Mayo-Hootsuite Social Media Basics Certification, and participate in the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network community. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

Plus two of the following:

MET HC 651 Epidemiology for Health Communication

4 credits. Fall and Spring

This course is recommended for students who are not Epidemiology concentrators. The purpose of this course is to introduce the basic principles and methods of epidemiology and demonstrate their applicability in the field of public health. A further objective is to provide an introduction to the basic skills needed to critically interpret the epidemiologic literature relevant to public health professionals. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

Section O2, SPRG 2026 Mar 10th to Apr 27th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Friedler	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET HC 652 Biology of Disease

4 credits. Fall and Spring

This course, designed for students who have little or no background in the biological sciences, provides a foundation in the biological mechanisms and principles underlying major health problems. Selected health problems are explored from a biological perspective in order to provide fundamental information about infectious and non-infectious agents of disease, disease transmission, biological defense mechanisms, co-evolution of man and microbes, the effects of nutritional deficiency and excess, effects of respiratory exposures, the biology of cancer, aging, and other topics. Each student completing this course should be able to knowledgeably participate in a discussion of related health problems with a basic understanding of the terminology, and the underlying biological mechanisms. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

MET HC 655 Healthcare Marketing Strategies

4 credits. Fall and Spring

This course provides an in-depth understanding of the essential concepts of marketing and their application to health care. Students gain a working knowledge of marketing tools (such as pricing, promotion, channels, consumer behavior, brand equity, and segmentation) and how to use them. Students build practical applied skills in analyzing marketing problems and developing marketing programs and strategies, with particular attention to health care and its organizational structures, financing, technologies, market demands, laws, and regulations. Students also expand their understanding of the differences and similarities between marketing in for-profit and not-for-profit health care organizations, and they increase their appreciation of the role of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and management in marketing decisions. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

MET HC 656 Healthcare Public Relations

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Provides an overview of the professional principles and practices in public relations for corporate, governmental, agency and nonprofit organizations. Includes history, organization, and scope of the field; its roots in social science; types of campaigns and programs; and professional ethics. Theories, strategies, and tactics in current practice emphasized and applied to health communication. Explores opportunities and requirements for work in the field. Students will learn to apply the basic public relations campaign planning model and examine public relations specialty practice areas including media relations, community relations, government relations, crisis communication, investor relations and employee communication. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

MET HC 657 Digital Marketing for Healthcare

4 credits. Fall and Spring

An overview of the theories, practices, and techniques in the dynamic field of interactive marketing communications (IAMC). Students gain an understanding of the strategy and tactics of IAMC and its place in the more comprehensive field of marketing communications. In addition, students review IAMC's relationship to and its effects on society, culture, and the economic system. The course will explore almost all the ways interactive marketing can be practiced via the Internet: historical introduction, dotcom era, basic principles, database marketing, etail, email, search (SEO & SEM/PPC), display advertising, social networking, gaming, mobile, et al. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

Section O1, SPRG 2026 Jan 13th to Mar 2nd
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Gardner	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET HC 658 Media Relations for Healthcare

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Students learn publicity techniques used in mass media communication, including working with daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, radio, television, film and online media. The course will examine the principles and practices of working with mass media "gatekeepers" to accomplish campaign objectives as well as strategies and tactics for communicating directly with audiences through new media. Students will develop knowledge and skills related to the production and use of media relations tools with a focus on health communication. Case studies will be employed to understand the challenges and opportunities inherent in working with mass media as well as the special demands and practices associated with crisis communication. The course will also explore the roles of interactive and social media. Please note: This 4-credit course meets over a 7-week period. Students should expect about twice the weekly workload of a 14-week course.

Dates & Deadlines

View BU MET’s academic calendar for online programs, including important dates and deadlines.

Application Requirements

Learn about application requirements for BU MET graduate degree and certificate programs.

Two people in a medical setting reviewing medical related flyers

How You Benefit from a
Boston University Education

A BU credential can help lay the foundation for career advancement and personal success.

Benefit from an average 24:1 student-to-instructor ratio.
Work closely with experienced health professionals and faculty experts from across Boston University, including the College of Communication, School of Public Health, and Metropolitan College.
BU MET’s Health Communication program provides practical, hands-on education that you can apply on the job.
Study principles of healthcare and communication alongside peers with industry experience, learn from faculty who have valuable contacts in the field, and benefit from an alumni community with strong professional connections.

All graduate students are automatically considered for merit scholarships during the application process and nominated based on eligibility. Learn more.

Graduate with Health Communication Expertise

Students who complete the master’s degree in Health Communication will be able to:

Employ communication strategy, methods, and technology to communicate information, influence audiences, or affect change on health-related topics and issues.
Evaluate the value and significance of traditional, social, and digital media practice in the health communication field.
Demonstrate competence in communicating about healthcare, including how to develop purpose-driven, audience-specific materials.
Understand and apply ethical and socially responsible health communication practices and strategies that consider privacy, regulatory, and legal issues specific to the healthcare industry.
Interpret and apply basic communication research fundamentals to the field of health communication.
Analyze, synthesize, interpret, and present health and scientific information using clear and concise messaging for public, media, and/or stakeholder consumption.

In addition, those who complete the concentration in Visual & Digital Health Communication will be able to:

Employ design and use social media strategies in health messaging to educate diverse populations, build brand reputation, and manage threats in a crisis—within the bounds of patient privacy, copyright, and regulatory considerations.
Demonstrate proficiency in creating digital images and visual assets—including infographics, branded content, video, data visualization graphics, webpage, and mobile page design—that purposefully and ethically help bridge digital divides in health education and comprehension.

The Healthcare and Social Assistance sector is anticipated to add approximately 2.3 million new jobs between 2023 and 2033, accounting for over one-third of all new jobs across all industries.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

“I use design skills and principles every single day at work. I recently completed a 60-page Health Equity Research Report using Adobe InDesign. The report is a combination of faculty interviews and summaries of publications and grants. Designing the layout of the report required me to apply lessons I learned during the program, such as color theory, accessible font selection, and the use of appropriate white space. The principles and skills from the program make me a better communicator, which, in turn, generates a greater audience reach for my creations.” Read more.

Sara Elizabeth Axelrod (MET’24)
Program Manager, Office of Training and Academic Affairs, Mongan Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital
MS, Health Communication

Advance Your Career

BU MET’s Master of Science in Health Communication Concentration in Healthcare Promotion, Media & Marketing prepares you for a wealth of different roles in public health communications, patient advocacy, health education, community health organizing, healthcare marketing communications, patient experience, social media communications, healthcare administration, and crisis management among others.

Recent graduates have found job opportunities and career paths at companies such as:

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Cigna
Genzyme
Kaiser Permanente
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

UnitedHealth Group
American Red Cross
Aetna
Boston Medical Center
Beth Israel Lahey Health

Take Advantage of Career Resources at BU MET

You will find the support you need in reaching your career goals through MET’s Career Development office, which offers a variety of job-hunting resources, including one-on-one career counseling by appointment for online students. You can also take advantage of tools and resources available online through BU’s Center for Career Development.

Health Communication Faculty

Justin Joseph

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

Felipe Agudelo Acevedo

Lecturer; Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Alane Bearder

Lecturer and Program Facilitator
Digital Marketing Strategist, Strategic Communications Consultant

Stephanie Burke

Lecturer

Associate Professor, Prince George’s Community College

View All Faculty

Interested in Learning More?

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Online Master of Science in Health Communication, Visual & Digital Health Communication Concentration

At a Glance

Transform Health Messages into Engaging Visual and Digital Content