Courses and Requirements
Students are responsible for fulfilling the degree requirements of their respective departments, in addition to the requirements of HCC.
Requirements
10 Credits total consisting of the following:
- 2.5 credits for required foundation course: SHH 509 Health Communication in the 21st Century ***Students who have previously taken SHH 211: Health Promotion through Mass Media may use this course to fulfill the HCC foundation course requirement.
- 7.5 credits from among the courses listed below. [Courses that are not on the list will not meet the requirements]. The selected courses should be linked to one another to form a thematic grouping – by type of media, by population of interest, by skills sets. Suggested but not exhaustive examples are listed below.
Elective Courses that meet HCC Requirements
The following courses meet the 7.5 credit Health Communication Concentration (HCC) requirement. Please see examples of thematic organization of the courses at the end of this list:
Harvard School of Public Health
- HPM 247 Political Analysis for U.S. Health Policy [5]
- HPM 520: Community Organizing for Health [2.5]
- SHH 275: Health Literacy [2.5]
- SHH 503: Explaining Health Behavior: Insights from Behavioral Economics [2.5]
- ID 284: Media & Health Communication: Practical Skills [2.5]
- HPM 223: Public Speaking for Managers [1.25]
- HPM 233: Strategic Marketing Management [2.5]
Harvard School of Education
- GSE HT-500: Growing Up in a Media World [5]
- GSE HT-123: Informal Learning for Children [5]
- GSE T-522: Educational Software Product Design [5]
- GSE T-561: Emerging Educational Technologies [5]
- GSE T-581: Advanced Design Studio [5]
- GSE T-800: Research and Evidence: Framing Scientific Research for Public Understanding [5]
Harvard Kennedy School
- KSG DPI-600: Press, Politics and Public Policy [5]
- KSG DPI-659: Media, Politics and Power in the Digital Age [5]
- KSG DPI-684: New Media, Surveillance, Access, Propaganda and Democracy [5]
- KSG MLD-221: Introduction to Negotiation Analysis [5]
- KSG MLD-342: Persuasion: The Science and Art of Effective Influence [5]
- KSG MLD 355M: Public Narrative: Self, Us, Now [2.5]
- KSG MLD 356M: Public Narrative: Conflict, Continuity, Change [2.5]
- KSG MLD-377: Organizing: People, Power, Change [5]
- KSG MLD-717: The Arts of Communication [5]
- KSG MLD-717M: The Arts of Communication [2.5]
- KSG MLD-718M: Introduction to Writing for Policy and Politics [2.5]
- KSG MLD 719: Intensive Policy Writing [2.5]
Harvard Business School
- HBS 1990: Digital Marketing Strategy [5]
- HBS 1914: Strategic Marketing in Creative Industries [5]
Recommended Methods Courses
HCC students are strongly recommended to take one of the recommended courses as they will provide complementary skills. They do not count towards HCC 10-credit requirement.
- SHH 288: Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health (*number of qualitative research methods courses offered each term at the Kennedy School, and sometimes at the Education School)
- SHH 265: Program Planning: Design and Evaluation
- BIO 212: Survey Research Methods in Community Health
- GSE T-523: Formative Evaluation for Educational Product Development
Examples of Thematic Grouping of Health Communication Courses
The following examples show how the required courses in HCC may form a coherent theme. This is meant to serve as an illustration of how students could select courses to form a theme based on content, focus, skill sets, and/or communication media. You will notice repetition in the list as many courses address different themes.
- Communication Campaigns
- SHH 211: Health Promotion through Mass Media [undergoing revision as Health Communication & Social Marketing Campaigns]
- ID 284: Media & Health Communication: Practical Skills
- Publicizing/Marketing your Cause
- SHH 211: Health Promotion through Mass Media
- ID 284: Media & Health Communication: Practical Skills
- HBS 1914: Strategic Marketing in Creative Industries
- GSE T-800: Research and Evidence: Framing Scientific Research for Public Understanding
- Health Communications in the Digital Age – Internet and New Technology
- KSG DPI-659: Media, Politics and Power in the Digital Age
- KSG DPI-684: New Media, Surveillance, Access, Propaganda and Democracy
- GSE T-561: Emerging Educational Technologies
- GSE T-581: Advanced Design Studio
- HBS 1990: Digital Marketing Strategy
- SHH 229e. The Future of Health Communication: New Media and Emerging Technologies - [undergoing revision]
- Media for Children/Adolescents
- GSE T-500: Growing Up in a Media World
- GSE T-530: Designing and Producing Media for Education
- GSE HT-123: Informal Learning for Children
- Practice of Health Communication in Health Care Settings
- SHH 275: Health Literacy
- SHH 204b: Communication in Health Care Settings [undergoing revision]
- Communications for Behavior Change
- SHH 211: Health Promotion through Mass Media
- SHH 503: Explaining Health Behavior: The Nuts & Bolts
- SHH 221: Psychosocial Theories of Health Behavior
- SHH 275: Health Literacy
- Communications for Health Policy
- KSG MLD-718M: Introduction to Writing for Policy and Politics
- KSG MLD 719: Intensive Policy Writing
- KSG DPI-600: Press, Politics and Public Policy
- HPM 247 Political Analysis for U.S. Health Policy
- SHH 275: Health Literacy
- Communications for Health Management
- HPM 223: Public Speaking for Managers
- Communications for Community Organizing
- HPM 520: Community Organizing for Health
- KSG MLD-377: Organizing: People, Power, Change
- KSG MLD 355M: Public Narrative: Self, Us, Now
- KSG MLD 356M: Public Narrative: Conflict, Continuity, Change
- SHH 275: Health Literacy
- Interpersonal Communication
- KSG MLD-717: The Arts of Communication
- KSG MLD-221: Introduction to Negotiation Analysis
- KSG MLD-342: Persuasion: The Science and Art of Effective Influence
- KSG MLD 355M: Public Narrative: Self, Us, Now
What recognition does the student receive upon completion of the concentration?
Upon graduation, the degree will be issued from the home department and the student receives a letter from the HCC steering committee attesting to completion of the HCC concentration requirements.
Please contact the HCC Coordinator if you have questions.