Master of Arts in Health Communication

Making the World a Better Place

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Health communicators are society’s indispensable bridges between science and medicine and the world-at-large. Schooled in both the languages of medicine and communication, you have abilities that are much needed by government agencies, non-profit groups, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and other organizations. By devising public awareness campaigns, developing patient and consumer materials, and advocating for health initiatives you can affect and enhance the quality of life for individuals and for entire populations. Health communication allows you to bring your passion, intelligence, and talents to bear on real social problems. Your solutions truly can help make the world a better place.

A collaboration with the Tufts University School of Medicine.

The Health Communication program at Emerson is like no other in the country. Offered in collaboration with the Tufts University School of Medicine, the program gives you a firm foundation in planning and delivering messages and understanding health sciences. Emerson offers communication expertise ranging from media strategies to consumer behavior, as well as the personal attention of a small college. The collaboration with Tufts provides the opportunity to learn the language and culture of medicine and medical research—from its source. Courses such as Epidemiology & Biostatistics and introduction to Medicine ground you with the medical knowledge to communicate effectively with doctors, healthcare leaders, and other medical professionals.

The opportunities of being in the medical epicenter of Boston.

The fields of medicine and healthcare make up Boston’s second largest industry. Emerson is only blocks away from world-renowned medical centers, research institutions, and biotechnology companies. Our collaboration with Tufts opens up your world as you are able to work with institutions that are researching the most innovative and ground-breaking scientific discoveries. In addition to its many medical centers and research facilities, Boston is home to the flagship New England Journal of Medicine. These extensive connections in the Emerson and Tufts network of Boston’s health sciences allow you many opportunities to gain real-world and practical hands-on experience.

More focused than an MPH and more specialized than a communication degree.

Unlike graduate programs in public health, Emerson’s Health Communication program lets you focus on communication issues in a variety of health-related contexts, not just public health or policy. You will concentrate on the creation, implementation, and evaluation of health messages in a program that is more focused than an MPH and more specialized than a degree in communication.

You can construct a curriculum that emphasizes areas such as social marketing, public health advocacy, or health media. Your coursework will give you a broad set of skills that can lead you virtually anywhere in the ever-expanding world of health communication from systems to delivery, to advocacy, to research.