Health and Strategic Communication is the study and use of communication strategies and messages to inform and influence individual, institutional, community and public audiences about important health-related issues. Our mission is to help improve policy and decision-making through evidence-based research, analysis and application. This program examines health and strategic communication from theoretical and practical perspectives grounded in interpersonal, family, organizational, media, and health behavior theories and related evidence-based messages for decision-making.
Admission deadlines
Early decision application reviews will begin January 15th. Applications received after January 15th will be considered on a space available basis. No applications will be accepted after March 15. Because the number of students admitted is limited, meeting the following minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Admission to the program
Admission to the program may be achieved by the completion of the following requirements:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Official transcripts must be submitted from all degree-granting (bachelor’s or master’s degrees) colleges and universities attended. An official transcript submitted in a sealed envelope which you have received from your college or university is acceptable.
- 3.300 is the minimum recommended undergraduate cumulative grade point average.
- Two letters of recommendation are required, including one which must be from an academic source who describes your professional and academic abilities.
- 500-word statement of intent addressing the communication area in which the applicant is interested.
- Current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores:
- If your cumulative GPA from your Bachelor’s degree transcript is below 3.3, you are asked to submit the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Please submit official GRE scores to the University via ETS code 4047.
- If your cumulative GPA from your Bachelor’s degree transcript is 3.3 or above, the graduate test scores will be waived. Please allow 3-5 days after your transcript and application are submitted for this process to be complete.
- One of the best ways to ensure student success is to use all available information to determine if prospective students are a good fit for our specific graduate programs. However, we do not want GRE scores to serve as a barrier for applicants. The absence of GRE scores, for students whose cumulative GPA from their Bachelor degree transcript is below a 3.3, will not be held against any applicant who can provide all other required materials. Applicants who do not provide GRE scores may consider highlighting in their statement of interest other indicators of quantitative ability (e.g., math/stats courses, research experience with quantitative methods) given the social scientific nature of our training and our required statistics courses. The minimum suggested scores are,
- Verbal: 153
- Quantitative: 146
- Analytical Writing: 4.0
Admitted students must provide evidence of satisfactory coursework in Research Methodology.
Requirements for the Master of Science in Health and Strategic Communication degree
The core courses educate students in human communication theory and methodology as related to applied contexts, whereas advanced specialized content and elective courses provide opportunities for application by putting research into practice.
Students pursuing the Master of Science in Health and Strategic Communication degree are held to the University’s Academic Policies and Procedures . In addition these specific degree standards apply:
- Complete 30 credits as listed below.
- Minimum grade “C+” or above required in all coursework.
- Maintain 3.300 GPA in the degree.
- Complete the capstone course HCOM 598 .
The following courses make up the Master of Science in Health and Strategic Communication curriculum: