Healthcare issues affect people worldwide and can range from health system reform to environmental crises, to public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publication The Economics Daily<\/em> noted that healthcare industries will be among those projected to grow the fastest through 2029. United States Census Bureau data shows that one in five Americans will be 65 or older by 2034, while 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. 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. Healthcare organizations\u2014and the many health and wellness businesses affiliated with them\u2014will all need professional health communicators who excel at developing effective and responsible communication strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Success in this endeavor requires an understanding of biosystems and disease, the social and cultural determinants of public health, the American healthcare system, and epidemiology\u2014and the critical ability to communicate information in a way both the media and the public can understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To prepare students for emerging roles in healthcare marketing, public and media relations, digital and integrated health communication, education, promotion, and advocacy, Boston University\u2019s College of Communication and Metropolitan College collaborate to offer the Master of Science in Health Communication (MSHC)\u2014the first degree of its type to be offered online. The multidisciplinary program 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\u2014from medical breakthroughs and the development of new products to government policies and public health challenges, and many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The online master\u2019s program in Health Communication now offers optional concentrations in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Master of Science in Health Communication is also available on campus in Boston. Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Boston University\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n (Four courses\/16 units)<\/p>\n\n\nCurriculum<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Core Courses<\/h3>