Undergraduate Certificate in Health Communication
Shape the future of health communication and improve lives with CU Denver’s online Health Communication certificate.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Health Communication at CU Denver equips students to influence individual and community health decisions through effective communication strategies.
- Analyze and design impactful health messages and campaigns.
- Develop skills in storytelling, digital media, and culturally sensitive communication.
- Fully online program tailored for undergraduates and adult learners seeking career advancement.
This program prepares students for roles in healthcare, public health, and related fields where clear, accurate, and ethical communication is critical.
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Degree LevelUndergraduate Certificate -
School & CollegeCollege of Liberal Arts and Sciences -
Total Credit Hours12 -
Class Type100% Online -
Time CommitmentFull-Time or Part-Time -
Start Term(s)Fall, Spring, Summer
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Program Overview
Health communication is a dynamic, growing field that is dedicated to the study and use of communication methods that positively influence individual and community decisions about health.
Effective health communication has the power to move communities to adopt healthier lifestyles, motivate individuals to take steps to improve their health, change public opinion about health issues, and encourage behavioral changes that promote health. Through this fully online certificate program, you will learn the major theoretical and methodological approaches to healthcare communication, how to create and assess health messages, and how to use storytelling to design health messages and campaigns that make an impact.
Create, analyze, and assess health communications in a diverse and global world, where health is an increasingly important aspect of our lives.
Tuition Breakdown
| Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|
| $506* per credit | $607** per credit |
*See Undergraduate Student Tuition and Fees page for undergraduate tuition disclaimer.
** Out-of-state students may qualify for discounted tuition through the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.
Core Courses
Students in the health communication certificate program are required to take the following three core courses:
Health Communication (COMM 3500)
This class explores health as a system of language and power, helping students think about personal, community, and national health within the growing health industries sector.
Advanced Health Communication (COMM 4500)
This class examines communication in health contexts, including cultural views on health, public health campaigns, client-provider interactions, telemedicine, and medical journalism.
Designing Health Messages (COMM 4575)
This course focuses on designing and assessing health communication messages and campaigns using various tools in a participatory, process-oriented approach.
Courses and Timeline
Our 12-credit undergraduate certificate provides a theoretically rich and practically relevant education in how health messages are generated, negotiated, and understood across a wide range of communication contexts, spanning interpersonal communication to the mass media. Our hands-on coursework offers you the opportunity to learn essential skills in writing, marketing, technology, media relations, and patient communication. The certificate program concludes with an experiential capstone that allows you to put the knowledge and skills you’ve gained throughout the program into practice.
Timeline
The online Health Communication Certificate is a four-course, 12 credit-hour program that allows you to specialize in the growing field of health communication.
Elective Courses
Certificate seeking students will then broaden their perspective on health communication by taking an interdisciplinary health elective. Students must complete at least one interdisciplinary health elective from the following courses:
| Course Number | Course Name |
|---|---|
| Medical Anthropology | |
| Social Media for Social Change | |
| Internship | |
| Advanced Strategic Communication | |
| Organizational Communication | |
| Environmental Communication | |
| Health Communication and Community | |
| Rhetorics of Medicine & Health | |
| Digital Health Narratives | |
| You Are What You Eat: Food as Communication | |
| Rhetoric of Global Food Policy | |
| Health Risk Communication | |
| Rhetoric and the Body | |
| Humanistic Writing About Medicine and Biology | |
| Ethnicity, Health and Social Justice | |
| Geography of Health | |
| Health Policy | |
| Health, Culture and Society | |
| Perspectives in Global Health | |
| Social Determinants of Health | |
| Capstone Experience in Public Health | |
| Medicine, Health Care, and Justice: Bioethics | |
| U.S. Health Policy | |
| Health Psychology | |
| Medical Sociology | |
| Death & Dying: Social & Medical Perspectives | |
| Health Disparities | |
| Sociology of Health Care | |
| Population Change and Analysis | |
| Social Meanings of Reproduction | |
| Medical Anthropology | |
| Social Media for Social Change | |
| Internship | |
| Advanced Strategic Communication | |
| Organizational Communication | |
| Environmental Communication | |
| Health Communication and Community | |
| Rhetorics of Medicine & Health | |
| Digital Health Narratives | |
| You Are What You Eat: Food as Communication | |
| Rhetoric of Global Food Policy | |
| Health Risk Communication | |
| Rhetoric and the Body |
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, students will:
1. Articulate the key assumptions and purposes of major theoretical models of health communication
2. Explain key methods of conducting health communication research
3. Locate and assess current research related to health communication
4. Analyze culturally diverse stakeholder needs for and interests in health messaging
5. Develop a plan for community participation in health message design
6. Employ digital, visual, oral, and textual information to influence audiences about health and wellness
7. Use storytelling to convey health messages across platforms
8. Design, critique, and assess health communication messages and campaigns utilizing a variety of communication tools
9. Create participatory, process-oriented, systemic health campaigns designed to change health behaviors
Career Outlook
Our program serves as a gateway to healthcare-related careers and opportunities by honing in on the communication aspects of health through theoretical and real-world applications. This online certificate benefits undergraduates and adult learners looking to build a career as a health communicator or improve their role within the healthcare industry through the use of clear, accurate, culturally sensitive, and ethical health communication.
Admissions
Admission requirements and deadlines vary based on the program. In addition, you will have different requirements depending on if you are a first-time student, a transfer student or an international student.
As you consider an online education, we understand that it’s important for you to know that you’re getting a high-quality, affordable, and flexible online education that helps you reach your goals. That’s why the CU Denver Enrollment Team is available to offer guidance and answer any questions that you may have.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Investing in your future is a big decision. However, becoming a fully online student at CU Denver is a high-quality and affordable option for learners of all types. Tuition and fees are based largely on the degree program you enroll in.
Tuition is determined based on which CU Denver program is chosen, undergraduate or graduate level, and your resident status. Financial aid and scholarships are available for those who qualify.
Experience flexible, career-focused programs with CU Denver’s renowned quality—100% online—taught by expert faculty in engaging courses within a supportive community, all at an affordable tuition with financial aid and scholarships available.
Flexible, career-focused programs with the same CU Denver quality—100% online.
Expert faculty, engaging courses, and a supportive online community.
Affordable tuition with financial aid and scholarships for online students.
Take the Next Step
Ready to make a difference in health communication? Take the first step toward earning your online certificate by filling out the form above for more information or calling us at 303-860-5604.