Health: Where the Jobs Are
Jobs in the health sector are growing at a faster rate than all other occupations.
It’s a rewarding field where your work makes a difference in people’s lives.
The Certificate in Health Communication and Marketing (HCM) prepares students for these growing opportunities. In this three-course certificate program, students will hone the skills needed as a strategic communicator to help patients, consumers, providers and health organizations communicate about critical healthcare challenges.
This certificate is suitable for anyone considering a career in advertising, journalism, public health, business, policy and beyond.
Certificate Overview
HCM students will learn about the health sector from both a U.S. and global perspective. It is a complex space with a diverse set of stakeholders, so a key objective is to understand the broad array of organizations and what drives their behavior. The ultimate goal is to deliver better health outcomes that improve the quality of people’s lives.
UNC Hussman is home to exceptional faculty members, including practitioners with decades of experience in the public and private healthcare sectors and research-oriented professors who explore the impact of healthcare marketing, strategy, communications, data visualization and more.
Many people think of health communications in terms of advertising or public relations, but job opportunities go far beyond those areas. For example, you might become a:
- Public health communications specialist at the World Health Organization or the CDC
- Strategic marketing lead at a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company
- Communications specialist for a startup company in the medical device industry
- Employee of a national hospital system, leading patient engagement efforts
- Social media expert at a major insurance company
- Government contractor specializing in health communications
- Healthcare journalist
There are endless possibilities, and this certificate is a valuable way to learn more about the industry and demonstrate to employers that you are well-qualified for a health-related role.
Certificate in Health Communication and Marketing students work with a healthcare organization to research, develop and implement a plan addressing a healthcare concern (e.g., disease awareness, product promotion, hospital brand/services promotion, patient compliance), providing helpful feedback from the client and a connection for future internships and employment.
Complete the Certificate in Health Communication and Marketing application.
Courses Offered
This three-course sequence introduces students to the healthcare landscape and the science behind patient and provider motivations while providing an experiential learning opportunity to address a real-world concern with a company or organization from the healthcare sector.
There are no prerequisites for MEJO 469, and it is open to students at any level.
With no prerequisites, this course is a great option for anyone considering a career in advertising, journalism, business, public health or policy. If you aren’t certain if healthcare is right for you, this class might help you decide.
The healthcare space is complex, with a multitude of unique stakeholders, laws and competing interests. Demand is high for people who can communicate health information and market healthcare products/services in a strategic and impactful manner. This course introduces you to key stakeholders in the healthcare sector and provides insight into the strategic communications and marketing roles within it.
In this course, students will:
- Learn the science behind patient/consumer and provider motivations to change and to resist change.
- Analyze the difficulties and potential to leverage important differences versus common goals/needs across audience segments.
- Workshop communication strategies and solutions to help patients/consumers and providers overcome resistance, navigate complexities and make better decisions.
This is a capstone course and the final course in the Health Communication and Marketing Certificate program. Students will be placed into teams to work with a client from the health communication and marketing sector to conduct formative research, develop a marketing communication strategy, create and test campaign materials, and present a final plan of action to the client. Restricted to students in the Health Communication and Marketing Certificate program. Honors version available.
Important Program Limits
Students can pursue up to three academic programs at the University, including their major. For example:
- Option 1: Primary major, secondary major and certificate
- Option 2: Primary major, minor and certificate
If a student is already enrolled in three programs, a certificate cannot be added. The only exception is the Honors Program, which doesn’t count toward this limit.
Apply to the Certificate in Health Communication and Marketing
Meet the Faculty
Hear From an Alumna
In Behavioral Science of Health Communication (MEJO 569), Casey Medlin ’25 and her classmates took a deep dive into the psychological processes that affect how people make decisions about their health. Although she’d found the Certificate in Health Communication and Marketing program on a whim scrolling through the Hussman website, Medlin knew then that this program would mean something more for her.
“This program seemed to be the perfect fit for me because healthcare communication lies at the intersection of my passion for writing and my passion for people,” Medlin said.
Aside from just learning about the field within these classes, faculty who teach in the program consistently bring in industry professionals to speak to their experiences working in the field.
For Medlin, connecting with communications leaders like media group Omnicom is inspiring. After graduation, Medlin hopes to work with a public relations agency — ideally, with healthcare companies and initiatives as clients.
“I believe this program is equipping me with the tools and information needed to most effectively put my writing and communications skills to use for the betterment of society,” Medlin said. “What could be more important than people’s health?”
