Health Communication and Promotion MPH Functional Certificate
As part of Boston University’s Master of Public Health degree, the Health Communication and Promotion Certificate provides students with the skills to create real-world public health messaging that is theory-driven, science-based, and audience-centered. Through this MPH certificate program, discover how to create and implement communications-based strategies that motivate healthy behaviors and change social norms for both individual and population health.
The Health Communication and Promotion courses equip students to build strategic public health communications, culminating in an Integrative Learning Experience where MPH students have the opportunity to put their skills into practice.
As part of the Health Communication and Promotion certificate program, MPH students learn to:
Design a strategic plan for an intervention and communications strategy that is theory-driven, science-based, audience-centered, practicable, and evaluable.
Apply a range of appropriate communication venues to support public health goals based on analysis and evaluation of alternative venues.
Create effective materials and messages using strategies and tools tailored to diverse audiences, including those with lower health literacy.
Develop an evaluation plan for a communication strategy.
Demonstrate professional oral presentation skills to inform and persuade diverse audiences.
Sample Course Titles
Mass Communication and Public Health
Communication Strategies for Public Health
Web-based Health Communication Strategies
Designing and Implementing a Public Health Communication Campaign
Strategies for Public Health Advocacy
Implementing Community Initiatives
mHealth
Sample Health Communications and Promotion Practicum
2020 Onsite Optometry (Boston, MA)—Student helped strengthen the partnership with Boston Public Schools (BPS), created consent forms, increased accessibility of the 2020 Onsite website, led the “buy one, give one” campaign, coordinated tabling/marketing for school wellness events, and created a press release for BPS to publicize partnership with 2020 Onsite Optometry.
Brookline Department of Public Health (Boston, MA)—Student developed health communication strategies, including multimedia video, social media posts, flyers, and partnerships with local community organizations, to increase community involvement in department-sponsored events.
Integrative Learning Experience
The Health Communication and Promotion (HCP) Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) assignment is structured to allow MPH students to apply skills and competencies through collaboration with a public health agency in need of communication strategies. Each student will design a health communication strategy for a specific approach that addresses a communication objective outlined by the collaborating agency, which will include a communication strategy narrative, media executions, and an oral presentation.