5 credits
This course prepares students with 21st century health communication skills for addressing present and future public health problems and needs. The course provides foundational learning on the components, principles, and theories of health communication and application to health promotion and behavior change. Students analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of health communication messaging delivered through a variety of media and for sensitivity to cultural, socioeconomic, and educational factors that influence a target audience. Students create health communications for different audiences and platforms using written, oral, and visual communication and emerging technologies, with attention to best practices for ensuring health communications are accessible to the general public. Through written assignments and multimedia projects designed to meet key CEPH Competencies for public health professionals, students select communication strategies for specific audiences; explore the importance of cultural competence in health communication; use simulation technology to gather community perspectives to inform health messaging that supports a target population; and create video health presentations that demonstrate how to educate a target audience on health risk and prevention; as well as apply systems thinking to understanding a public health need. Students also consider their public health role in promoting positive social change.