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Health Communication

Health communication is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as the “study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual decisions that enhance health.” Our graduate program equips health communication students with practical and theoretical know-how to examine the ways individuals and groups understand, shape, and accommodate to health and illness.

Our curriculum features a comprehensive approach to health delivery and promotion. Students who chose to pursue a graduate degree with our program gain knowledge in various subjects, including:

  • Provider-patient communication
  • Social marketing and communication campaigns on health-related behavioral change
  • Cultural influences on health meanings and treatment preferences
  • Health citizenry and health literacy
  • Communication within healthcare organizations
  • Risk and crisis management
  • The influence of narrative and interactive media -- including e-health and telemedicine -- on public understanding and health promotion

Featured Courses

For a full list of graduate-level courses at the Valenti School of Communication, view the UH Graduate Catalog.

Faculty

Jill Yamasaki

Jill Yamasaki

Professor & Director of Graduate Studies

Zhiwen Xiao

Zhiwen Xiao

Professor