Emerson College

Overview

Emerson’s MA program in Health Communication, offered in collaboration with Tufts University School of Medicine, is a unique program emphasizing application firmly grounded in theory and research. It will provide you the knowledge and skills necessary to plan, deliver, and evaluate health information and disease prevention campaigns; advocate for health policy initiatives; manage healthcare delivery systems; and inform, influence, and motivate private and public audiences about health concerns.
 
Unlike graduate programs in public health, Emerson’s Health Communication program affords you the opportunity to 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 general degree in communication.

Faculty

Courses

Unlike graduate programs in public health, Emerson’s Health Communication program affords you the opportunity to 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 general degree in communication. The Health Communication program requires a fewer number of courses than most MPH programs, but allows you the option to take a variety of elective courses, including those relating to public health or policy at Tufts.
 
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, advocacy, or research. This degree grounds you in strategic thinking, behavioral theory, marketing, and the appropriate use of different media.
 
Candidates must complete 40 credits of graduate coursework, including 16 credits of the Emerson-Tufts core. All of the courses at Emerson are 4 credits each, but some Tufts courses are 2 credits. The degree offers 8 credits of required courses focusing on research and the Applied Learning Experience capstone course and 16 credits of electives (A maximum of 8 credits of elective courses may be taken at Tufts).
 
Classes generally meet in the evenings.
 
Emerson College-Tufts University School of Medicine Core, 16 credits (required):
Applications of Communication Theory to Health Communication (4 credits) (Emerson)
Media Strategies for the Health Professional (4 credits) (Emerson)
Introduction to Medicine (4 credits) (Tufts)
Epidemiology and Biostatistics (4 credits) (Tufts)
 
Research & Capstone Core, 8 credits (required):
Introduction to Research Methods in Health Communication (4 credits) (Emerson)
Applied Learning Experience for Health Communication (4 credits) (Emerson)
 
The Applied Learning Experience is the capstone course of the program, providing students with an opportunity to practice and display the knowledge and skills acquired throughout their studies in the completion of a real-world health communication project.
 
Electives, 16 credits (to be split between Emerson and Tufts electives):
Students may choose elective courses in order to specialize in areas that fit their career goals. Course options listed below are not exhaustive. A student should consult with the Graduate Program Director to choose electives that are consistent with the student's career goals.

Emerson College Electives (all 4 credits)

• Social Marketing
• Internship in Health Communication
• Marketing Management
• Consumer Behavior
• Interactive and e-Communication
• Advertising, Sales Promotion, and Publicity Management
• Strategic Planning and the Managerial Process
• Strategic Communication and Leadership Development
• Crisis Communication
• Entrepreneurship and Creative Problem Solving
• Leadership and Social Corporate Responsibility
• Negotiation and Group Process
• Web-based Communication Strategies
• Public Relations Management
• PR Management
• Writing for Marketing Communication
• Interactive and e-Communication
• Advertising, Sales Promotion, and Publicity Management
• Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
• Strategic Brand Management

Tufts University Electives
The following Health Communication courses are offered through Tufts University. This is an abridged list. Not all courses are offered each year, and for some courses there is limited enrollment. A maximum of 8 elective credits may be taken at Tufts.

• Provider-Patient Interaction (4 credits)
• Occupational and Environmental Health (4 credits)
• Public Health and Health Care: Politics, Policies, and Programs (4 credits)
• Health Care Organization: Budgeting and Management Section (4 credits)
• Seminar in Global Health and Development (4 credits)
• Ethical Issues in Health Communication (2 credits)
• Survey Research Methods & Data Management (4 credits)
• Qualitative Tools for Research and Programs (2 credits)
• Introduction to Public Health (4 credits)
• Communicating Risk (4 credits)
• Online Consumer Health (2 credits)
• Health Behavior and Health Communication (4 credits)
• Public Health and Health Care Delivery Systems (4 credits)
• Technology in Health Communication (2 credits)
• Adult Learning Theory for Public Health Practice (2 credits)
• Maternal & Child Health Policy in the US (2 credits)
• Public Relations—Framing the Dialogue for Public Health (2 credits)
• Professional Communication (2 credits)
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (2 credits)

Research

Books (Emerson Faculty)

• Edgar, T., Noar, S. M., & Freimuth, V.S. (Eds.). (2008). Communication perspectives on HIV/AIDS for the 21^st century. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

 Journal Articles (Emerson Faculty)

• Edgar, T., & Volkman, J. E. (in press). Using communication theory for health promotion: Practical guidance on message design strategy.  Health Promotion Practice.

• Edgar, T. (in press). Communication and behavior change challenges to limiting the development of antibiotic reistance. Journal of General Internal Medicine.

• Parott, R., Volkman, J. E., Lengerich, E. J., Ghetian, C. B., Chadwick, A. E., & Hopfer, S. (2010). Community involvement: Use of geographic information systems for Comprehensive Cancer Control. Health Communication, 25, 276-285.

• Volkman, J. E., Parrott, R. L., Hopfer, S., & Lengerich, E. J. (2010). A national survey of state Comprehensive Cancer Control managers: Implications of geographic information systems. Journal of Cancer Education, 25, 55-60.

• Parrott, R, Volkman, J. E., Hillemeier, M. M., Weisman, C. S., Chase, G. A., & Dyer, A. M. (2009). Pregnancy intentions and folic acid supplementation exemplars: Findings from the Central Pennsylvania Women’s Health Study. Journal of Health Communication, 14, 366-383.

• Brugge, D., Edgar, T., George, K., Heung, J., & Laws, M.B. (2009). Beyond literacy and numeracy in patient provider communication: Focus groups suggest roles for empowerment, provider attitude, and language. BMC Public Health, 9.

• Edgar, T., Boyd, S., & Palamé, M. (2009). Sustainability for behaviour change in the fight against antibiotic resistance: A social marketing framework. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 63, 230-237.

• Greenberg, B., Rosaen, S. F., Worrell, T. R., Salmon, C., & Volkman, J. E. (2009). The portrait of food and drink in commercial TV series. Health Communication, 24, 295-303.

• Volkman, J. E. & Silk, K. J. (2008). Adolescent females and their mothers: Examining perceptions of the environment and breast cancer. Journal of Health Psychology, 13(8), 1180-1189.

• Edgar, T., & Freimuth, V.S. (2006). 10 years of health communication research. Journal of Health Communication, 11, 7-9.

• Edgar, T., & Hyde, J. N. (2005). An alumni-based evaluation of graduate training in health communication: Results of a survey on careers, salaries, competencies, and emerging trends. Journal of Health Communication, 10, 5-25.

 Journal Articles (Tufts Faculty)

• Koch-Weser, S., Bradshaw, Y.S., Gualtieri, L.N., & Gallagher, S.S. (2010). The internet as a health information source: Findings from the 2007 Health Information Trends Survey and implications for health communication. Journal of Health Communication, 15(3), 279-293.

• Duggan, A.P., Bradshaw, Y.S., & Altman, W. (2010). How do I ask about your disability? An examination of interpersonal communication processes between medical students and patients with disabilities. Journal of Health Communication, 15(3), 334-350.

• Duggan, A.P., & Bradshaw, Y.S., Carroll, S.E., Rattigan, S.H., & Altman, W. (2009). What can I learn from this interaction? A qualitative analysis of medical student self reflection and learning in a standardized patient exercise about disability. Journal of Health Communication, 14(8), 797-811.

• Gallagher, S. S., Peek-Asa, C., & Branas, C.C. (2008, August). Injury research advocacy a high priority. Injury Prevention, 14(4), 278.

• Edgar, T., Volkman, J. E., & Logan, A. (2011). Social marketing: Its meaning, use, and application for health communication. In T. Thompson, R. Parrott, & J. Nussbaum (Eds.), Handbook of health communication (2^nd ed.) (pp. 235-251). New York: Routledge.

• Edgar, T., & Palamé, M. J. (2009). Social marketing campaigns. In W. Eadie (Ed.), 21^st century communication: A reference handbook (pp. 822-829). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

• Noar, S. M., & Edgar, T. (2008). HIV/AIDS communication research: Past, present, and future. In M. U. D'Silva, K. L. Walker, & J. L. Hart (Eds.), HIV/AIDS: Communication and prevention (pp. 213-229). London: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

• Edgar, T. (2008). Social marketing. In W. Donsbach (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of communication (pp. 3686-3689). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Contact

Timothy Edgar, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and
Director of the Graduate Program in Health Communication
Emerson College
Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders
120 Boylston Street
Boston, MA  02116
Office  (617) 824-8743 
Fax  (617) 824-8735
E-mail:  timothy_edgar@emerson.edu

Websites
Emerson College: http://www.emerson.edu/

Health Communication Program: http://www.emerson.edu/academics/departments/communication-sciences-disorders/graduate-degrees/health-communication
 
Tufts University School of Medicine Health Communication Program: http://www.tufts.edu/med/education/phpd/mshealthcomm/index.html