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April 5, 2024
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University will offer a new, one-year professional master of science degree program in health communication unlike any offered in the Chicago area. The program, which will be taught on Northwestern’s Chicago campus, will begin in fall 2014.
The 10-course program takes an innovative approach to health communication by bringing together the science of social influence with the science of human centered-design. Taught by faculty from Northwestern’s School of Communication and Feinberg School of Medicine, it will prepare students to solve important problems in healthcare by applying theories, concepts and methods from the communication arts and sciences.
With courses taught on Saturdays to accommodate working professionals, the master’s degree can be completed in one year of full-time study or at a slower pace. The first quarter will offer core courses, providing a broad overview of the U.S. health system; other courses will focus on technology and advocacy.
Open house information sessions for individuals interested in learning more about the program will take place Feb. 22 and March 29 in Room 362 of Wieboldt Hall, 339 E. Chicago Ave., on the University’s Chicago campus.
Graduates will acquire the ability to design, produce, analyze and evaluate messages, interfaces, interactions, media, networks and audience within the context of health and healthcare. These skills -- combined with a knowledge of health outcomes and healthcare systems -- will make them valuable to any healthcare organization they join.
The program is designed not only for mid-career professionals working in healthcare settings but also for students with undergraduate degrees in communication or related disciplines who seek careers in health communication.
Bruce Lambert, professor of communications and director of the Center for Communication and Health in Northwestern’s School of Communication, will direct the new master’s degree program. As principal investigator of a five-year center grant from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, he is studying techniques to optimize medication safety.
For further information, including a schedule of classes, visit the Master of Science in Health Communication site at the Center for Communication and Health.
