Certificate in Health Communication in Missoula United States | University of Montana

The U.S. Bureau of Labor projects that healthcare professions will expand significantly faster than other occupations over the next ten years. Regionally, Montana anticipates a 40% increase in health-related jobs by 2025, driven by the state's expanding and aging population. Within Communication Studies, health communication has emerged as a rapidly developing academic focus, with communication competencies being tied to critical healthcare outcomes like reducing medical mistakes, enhancing clinician-patient interactions, leveraging social connections for wellness, promoting community health initiatives, and optimizing healthcare operations.

Our Communication Studies Department's Health Communication certificate program trains students in understanding, disseminating, and enhancing health-related messaging across diverse settings. For Communication Studies majors, this certification offers specialized training for growing healthcare careers including patient advocates, health messaging experts, community health promoters, wellness campaign managers, and healthcare organization communications directors. Students from other disciplines can use this certificate to strengthen communication abilities that support medical professions. Pharmacy students, for example, might pursue this certificate to develop leadership communication skills for managerial positions.