MA in Communication - Health Communication in Norman United States | University of Oklahoma

The OU Department of Communication's Health Communication program focuses on three key research domains: (1) interpersonal health communication, (2) health promotion initiatives and campaigns, and (3) organizational health communication. Interpersonal health communication investigates how people navigate illness through social relationships, with faculty studying how health literacy, communication skills, and support systems impact patient care among healthcare providers, family, and social networks. Health promotion research adopts public health approaches to improve health behaviors (such as risk reduction and smoking cessation) through education and strategic campaigns, analyzing message effectiveness, psychological influences on reception, and campaign results. Organizational health communication examines topics including community health programs, healthcare worker emotional wellbeing, medical ethics (including confidentiality and consent), care team dynamics, healthcare systems, doctor integration, and stress management for medical professionals.