This four-course (12 credit) certificate will train individuals in the necessary tools and knowledge to persuade others to pursue healthier, less risky lives. The program prepares students to craft the most appropriate health and risk communication strategies for convincing target audiences to improve their life chances through coursework in issue research, program design, and program testing. Students gain skills in taking a three-pronged approach to health and risk communication: Issue Research, Program Design, and Program Testing. The certificate courses can be applied toward the MPH at TCNJ.
The certificate is designed for individuals who want to gain skills as Health Communication Specialists to design messages, distribute them, and evaluate their effectiveness in promoting healthy behavior and reducing health disparities. This program will assist working professionals who want to gain a background in health and wellness communication in order to pursue employment with biotechnology firms, social advocacy organizations, non-profits, hospitals and health departments, state and federal health agencies, health foundations, community health centers, pharmaceutical companies, medical research facilities, and health and wellness-related businesses.
You can complete this certificate entirely online. Some courses also can be taken in person on the TCNJ campus. To accommodate working professionals, classes are scheduled in two and half (2 ½) hour-blocks during the evening (5:30 pm and after).
Questions? Contact the Graduate Director, Dr. Sylvia Twersky
The 12-credit certificate consists of:
Required Courses (9 credits)
- PBHG 603: Health and Risk Communication Theory
- PBHG 615: International Communication
- PBHG 660: Global Health and Risk Communication Campaigns: A Social Marketing Approach
Select One Additional Course (3 credits)
- PBHG 545: New Media and Health Communication
- PBHG 650: Health Education in Practice
- PBHG 677: Disclosure, Stigma, Privacy, and Health
Check out the Graduate Bulletin for descriptions of the public health courses. Scroll down and click on the School of Nursing and Health Sciences.