A Great WayTo Tap Into A Hot Job Sector (NAPSA)—If you or someone you knowis exploringcareers that makea difference, considerthe fast-growing field ofprofessionalhealth communication. Asthe health care industry continues to dominate the U.S. economy, the market demand for health communicators has grown quickly. Those with master’s degrees constitute the core of this increasingly popular profession. As the World Health Organization (WHO) put it, “Health communicators have a unique opportunity to provide mean- You may be able to earn a Master of Science in Health Communication degree,online, 18 months. lives? multimedia communication, includ- get a degreein professionalhealth com- waywith skills in these areas, as well as it, care policy, biology of disease, epidemiology, marketing, public and media relations,writing andhealth literacy” ingful input in improving and saving The Problem: Not manypeople knowthat they can munication studies or how to go about An Answer: To make it easier for working profes- sionals to earn advancedcredentials in the health communicationfield, Boston University Metropolitan College offers a fully online Master ofScience in Health ingdigital tools and social marketing. Ourgraduates are prepared to lead the up-to-the-minute knowledge in health The Boston University MSHC was the first program of its kind taught entirely online. It offers rolling, year- round enrollment for the 10-course master’s program, which can be com‘Admission to the program, which pleted in 18 months,on average. hasreceived global and national recogIn 2016, BU introduced a new gradCommunication (MSHC)program. nition for outstanding work, is handled. ona rolling basis throughoutthe year. uate certificate in Visual and Digital “Health careis personal andit touches certificate program featuresonline stud- ‘Expert’s Opinion everyone” said Leigh Curtin-Wilding, Health Communication. Usually com- pleted in less thana year, the four-course ies in Social Media Strategies & Tactics Program Directorfor Boston University’s Online Health Communication Graduate that includes membership in the Mayo technological advances,scientific breakthroughs, the needs of an aging population and other trends up ahead, how can consumers andpatients be assured the Digital Health Age,an online course Clinic Social Media Network. Students Program. “Considering today’s pace of also study Visual Communication in they're making the best choicesfortheir health? Whowill advocate for the unmet needs ofat-risk populations? The chances are high that a professionalhealth communicatorwill be involvedin this work” Health Care Is Big According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for all health care occupations is expected to grow 18 percent through 2026 and add more jobs than any other occupational group.Professional health communica- tion opportunities are foundatfederal, state andlocal agencies, public relations and marketing agencies, hospitals and commercial organizations, consulting firms,health insurance companies and manyother areas. Added Curtin-Wilding: “There was a time whena public health degree was the gold standard for this discipline. But welive in a connected world now. The scope of modern health commu- nication spans research, community engagement, advocacy and the use of blending design theory with hands-on know-how needed to produce visual assets such as logos, infographics and health care-specific explainer videos. Purposeful Career with ManyDifferent Paths Joseph Krause, of Summit, NJ., earned his MasterofScience in Health Communication from Boston Universi- ty’s online program in 2012. His degree helped him co-found Achievelt, a business specializing in strategy execution for organizations primarily focused in health care. “WhenI attended my Boston graduation, I met manyofthe classmates Id. previously formed relationships with during my online studies. We talked abouthow weplannedto use our new- found degrees—I had noidea how many different directionsthis program could take youin, professionally” said Krause. Learn More For furtherfacts, visit www.bu.edu/ online/programs/graduate-programs/ health-communication/. Find BUon Facebook @BUHealthCommunication
