Health Communication: Sample Courses

MH604: Introduction to Research Methods

4 Credits
Before creating an effective health campaign, you must know and comprehend audience needs, desires, and behaviors. Research Methods gives students the tools needed to achieve this understanding. The course is designed to introduce students to the qualitative and quantitative processes of market research in the health communication field. Students will gain an understanding of the importance of research in the development of communication strategies. Students will get hands-on experience developing research questions, conducting literature reviews, determining appropriate research methods, and developing a research design. Students will have the opportunity to create and participate in focus group research in the state-of-the-art focus group facilities in the Levy Marketing Suite. (Fall, Spring).

MH652: Social Marketing

4 Credits
Students will learn the key concepts and conceptual frameworks in social marketing and their implications on health intervention campaigns. Social Marketing is a course that focuses on changing the voluntary behaviors of a society (e.g. smoking cessation, diet, exercise habits, cancer screenings). Students learn the real-life skills needed to apply marketing techniques to social contexts like preventative health, education, and politics. As part of course requirements, case studies, in class exercises, and a health social marketing campaign group project provide students the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge in effective social marketing campaigns. (Fall)

MH655: Applied Learning Experience for Health Communication

4 Credits
This is the capstone experience for students completing the Health Communication program. The ALE offers an opportunity to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom to a real-world health communication problem. It also is an opportunity for students to provide service to the community by working with an actual agency. Students conduct research and develop and implement a communication plan to address the needs of a health-related organization in the Boston area. Projects may include the creation of training modules for health professionals, patient education, health information dissemination, or policy advocacy. Students produce a final report that may include a problem statement, literature review, results of needs assessment or other research, the communication plan, and examples of the plan's media/creative execution. (Spring)

MHTU1: Intro to Clinical Medicine

4 Credits
Emerson College-Tufts University Core Course
Introduction to Medicine is a survey of clinical medicine as physicians and other health care providers in Western countries practice it. During the first half of the course, students are introduced to basic human physiology, pathophysiology, and the fundamentals of clinical medicine including history taking, the physical examination, diagnostic testing, and modern therapeutics. The second half of the course is designed to apply this information to the most prevalent diseases that plague the developed world. Issues pertaining to population medicine and public health, health promotion and disease prevention, behavioral influences on health, and alternative medicine are also covered in the context of applicable disease states. (Fall, Spring)

MHTU2: Epidemiology-Biostatistics

4 Credits
Emerson College-Tufts University Core Course
This course provides students with the skills and resources necessary to understand and critique published medical studies. Lectures and small group exercises introduce students to the concepts and methods of epidemiology and biostatistics. The course is divided into two components. The initial component presents basic methods for measuring disease frequency and for quantifying relationships between determinants of health, medical, and/or public health outcomes. Students are also provided with fundamental skills for the critical evaluation of biomedical and epidemiological literature. The second part of the course explores in detail the principles of epidemiological research design and their application to a critical evaluation of the literature. (Spring)

Complete Course List...