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Health communication specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a health communication specialist. Health communication specialists usually study public health, psychology, or communication. 64% of health communication specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 551 real health communication specialist resumes to see exactly what health communication specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for health communication specialists are the North Carolina Central University and the North Carolina Central University.
There are also many online health communication specialist courses to help get the education required to be a health communication specialist.
There are certain health communication specialist certifications that you should consider. These health communication specialist certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified in Public Health (CPH).
What education do you need to become a health communication specialist?
What degree do you need to be a health communication specialist?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 24%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a health communication specialist?
- Public Health, 11%
- Psychology, 10%
- Communication, 8%
- Health Education, 8%
- Other Majors, 63%
Most common colleges for health communication specialists
| Health communication specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| North Carolina Central University | 8.89% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.89% |
| Boston University | 7.78% |
| Georgia State University | 7.78% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 6.67% |
Best majors for health communication specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Health | 11.3% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.2% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.2% |
| 4 | Health Education | 7.8% |
| 5 | Public Relations | 7.2% |
Best colleges for health communication specialists
The best colleges for health communication specialists are Georgetown University, Northeastern University, and Stanford University.
A health communication specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for health communication specialists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become health communication specialists.
1. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
8. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for health communication specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health
Effective communication is a core skill that nearly every health professional will need and use during their careers. Yet, few health professionals receive even basic training in how to design communications to be clear and successful. As “foundational skills,” the content in this course can be applied to both oral and written communication, within and beyond health. Learners will develop the skills to: analyze and tailor a communication effort for different audiences, develop clear messages,...
2. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives
Engaging in this course will provide you with the opportunity to think about breastfeeding and its public health implications. The Socio-Ecological Model will be the framework of the course as we think about how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding practices in the United States, and globally. Through short video lectures you will be introduced to relevant topics related to the public health perspectives of...
3. Mental Health Ambassador Certificate
Be a leader in improving society's mental health and learn to provide mental health first aid...
4. Managing mental health issues in the workplace
Learn how to support your own mental health and wellbeing and that of your staff...
5. Data and Health Indicators in Public Health Practice
Epidemiology is often described as the cornerstone science in public health. Epidemiology in public health practice uses study design and analyses to identify causes in an outbreak situation, guides interventions to improve population health, and evaluates programs and policies. In this course, we'll define the role of the professional epidemiologist as it relates to public health services, functions, and competencies. With that foundation in mind, we'll introduce you to the problem solving...
6. The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health
The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through...
7. Health Coaching Certification Holistic Wellness Health Coach
Health Coaching Practitioner Course Graduates Prepared Health Coaching Specialists in Holistic Wellness Health Coaching...
8. Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...
9. Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
The Center for Humanitarian Emergencies is a partnership between CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch and the Rollins School of Public Health that drives global collaboration, research and evidence based training to improve the lives and well-being of populations impacted by humanitarian emergencies. - Center for Humanitarian Emergencies: http://www.che.emory.edu/ - CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch: http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/errb/index.html This course...
10. Systems Thinking In Public Health
This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...
11. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Health & Wellness
Learn about holistic health, wellness, key biomarkers, good sleep and ways to optimize your health...
12. Mental Health and Wellness Professional (MHW) Diploma Course
Discover a flexible and comprehensive way of understanding mental health as a Certified Mental Health Professional (MHP)...
13. Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2
This course, Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2, addresses public health issues of people affected by disasters, both natural or conflict-related. It discusses the many changes that occur in people’s lives when they are uprooted by a disaster, including many important topics related to humanitarian crises, such as when there is an epidemic a public health emergency; what do we mean with the humanitarian development nexus; what are the basics of disaster epidemiology and surveillance;...
14. Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach
Public Mental Health is the application of the principles of medicine and social science to prevent the occurrence of mental and behavioral disorders and to promote mental health of the population. This course illustrates the principles of public health applied to depressive disorder, including principles of epidemiology, transcultural psychiatry, health services research, and prevention. It is predicted that by 2020 depressive disorder will be the most important cause of disease burden in the...
15. Leadership for Public Health Crises
Leadership for Public Health Crises will enable current and prospective managers, directors, unit heads, and elected officials to effectively lead their organizational response to profound health-related emergencies and to build leadership capacity across multiple sectors, agencies, organizations, and divisions. This series of courses prepares graduate students (in, e.g., public administration, public health, social work, business, homeland security, education, and related fields) and...
16. Foundations of Public Health Practice
This specialisation will enable you to reflect on and cultivate the behaviours you require to become an effective public health professional –whether as an academic, practitioner, clinician, manager or leader.The specialisation is shaped into four courses covering the origins of public health, health improvement, behaviour change, and health protection. The specialisation will draw upon learning from the Statistics for Public Health and Epidemiology for Public Health specialisations, and builds...
17. Introduction to Digital health
This course introduces the field of digital health and the key concepts and definitions in this emerging field. The key topics include Learning Health Systems and Electronic Health Records and various types of digital health technologies to include mobile applications, wearable technologies, health information systems, telehealth, telemedicine, machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data. These technologies are assessed in terms of the key opportunities and challenges to their use...
18. Cannabis, Mental Health, and Brain Disorders
This Cannabis, Mental Health, and Brain Disorders course is designed to have you think critically about the health effects of cannabis (i.e., marijuana) in the context of several mental health and neurocognitive disorders. You'll be able to identify key features of several anxiety disorders (e.g., panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, PTSD), major depression, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's...
19. Social Determinants of Health
This is an introductory course on social determinants of population health with a focus on the United States. The course will introduce you to, or reinforce your knowledge of, issues related to health that consider behavioral, psychological and structural factors in population health beyond the healthcare system. We will examine social, economic, and political factors that contribute to health inequalities and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health when the goal is to achieve...
20. Epidemiology in Public Health Practice
This specialization is intended for people working or aspiring to work in the field of public health at the local, regional, and national level. Over five courses taught by faculty from the preeminent school of public health, you'll learn to use the core epidemiologic toolset to measure the health of populations, assess interventions, collect and analyze data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics...
Top 10 most affordable universities for health communication specialists
The most affordable schools for health communication specialists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for health communication specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for health communication specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for health communication specialists
The hardest universities for health communication specialists to get into are Georgetown University, Northeastern University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for health communication specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for health communication specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for health communication specialists
The easiest schools for health communication specialists to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a health communication specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for health communication specialists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average health communication specialist salary by education level
| Health communication specialist education level | Health communication specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,957 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,914 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,401 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,383 |
Health communication specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025