The Health Communication minor offers students an interdisciplinary approach to the study of health communication as well as a hands-on opportunity to engage in the creation and implementation of health-related campaigns.
The primary goal of the Health Communication minor is to provide students with the tools necessary to understand health information and apply that knowledge to specific audiences in ways that inform and persuade. All minors complete 18 credits in the core curriculum.
The multidimensional roles of those in the Health Professions (as individuals, health care providers, health industry employees, public health practitioners, and citizens of our carefully balanced ecosystem) create a need for constant meaningful health communication. Courses in this minor view communication not as the mere transfer of information, but as the way in which we shape, interact with, and derive meaning from the world around us. The complex communication environments of healthcare demand greater attention to the content, context, audience, and processes of communication. The health communication minor will explore many facets of communication as it relates to personal and public health.
Learn More About This Program
Shenandoah University’s College of Arts & Sciences is your direct connection to a classic, broad-based education to satisfy both your intellectual curiosity and career goals. With a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, small classes and individualized learning opportunities, we put students at the center of all our decisions and events.
We blend the liberal arts with pre-professional courses and hands-on learning to prepare you for careers in the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. You’ll learn through small, engaging classes and relationships with faculty mentors; hone your skills to solve problems; and learn to use creativity and critical thinking to make informed decisions.
Minor in This Program
Declaring A Minor
Shenandoah students work with their Academic Advisor to declare a minor. Academic Advisors will continue to work with students to ensure that they fulfill all of the requirements to complete the minor.
Incoming students should not indicate their intended minor on their Shenandoah application. Applications are for intended majors only.
Career Possibilities
Career Examples For Health Communication Minors
- Community Health Educator: $42,614
- Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
- Public Health Nurse: $56,064
- Health Program Administrator/Hospital Administrator
- Health Economist
- Health Communications
- Nutritionist
- Workplace Health Promotion Director
- International Health Specialist
- Diabetes Educator
Career & Professional Development provides a comprehensive range of services and resources to assist Shenandoah students in their career search. Services offered include resume and cover letter building, mock interviews, and professional dining etiquette workshops.
Classes
Our program’s small classes and interactive learning environment mean you’ll receive individualized attention from experienced and caring faculty mentors. The flexible, interdisciplinary curriculum is tailored to your interests, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to gain hands-on experience through internships, medical mission trips and faculty research projects.
Courses required for the Health Communication minor
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| MCOM 218 | Introduction to Health Communication | 3 |
| MCOM 208 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| MCOM 318 | Environmental Communication | 3 |
| MCOM 227 | Media Literacy | 3 |
| PH 101 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| ENG 302 | Writing for the Health Profession | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 |
I enjoy the smaller classes because I feel heard and my professors always ensure that I am on track and feel supported. There are so many options and paths to take with choosing classes that the opportunities are endless!”
Isabella Morello ’21 | Public Health major with Health Communications and Gender & Women’s Studies minors
The Shenandoah University community is full of people who genuinely care about you and want you to do well– they want you to go out and use your talents and contribute to the world in whatever way that you can. They are not worried about you pushing you towards a certain major or to join a specific club. Rather, they want you to grow as a person and find your place here at SU and in the world- and they are more that willing to help you.
Osinachi Ibe | Public Health, ‘17
Learning support services are available to all students in every course at Shenandoah. Free peer tutoring with a student who has previously succeeded in the course is available for any course across the university. The Writing Center is available for every stage of the writing process from thesis development to proofreading and bibliography assistance. The Math Enrichment Center is available for math and science assistance. Professors and Academic Advisors across the university also have office hours and open door policies to ensure Shenandoah students succeed academically.
Public Health Fast-Track to the MPH Program (3 + 2)
The Public Health Program offers an accelerated (3 + 2) Bachelor’s + Master’s Degree program to eligible undergraduates.
Students in the 3 +2 program are required to complete coursework toward a graduate degree during their last year of undergraduate studies and complete the remaining requirements during their + 1 year. The program is rigorous and demanding, and is designed to offer high-achieving undergraduate students a quick path to a graduate degree. The MPH program seeks students who demonstrate the potential to be successful in graduate school and who are committed to the public health profession.
Study Abroad
Make studying abroad the highlight of your college experience! Whether you go for a year, a semester, or just a few weeks. You will never forget learning in another culture! The Center for International Programs is here to help you plan your study abroad experience. Start your planning early to ensure the courses you complete abroad count toward your degree and you graduate on time.
Global Experiential Learning (GEL) Program
The Global Experiential Learning (GEL) Program offers Shenandoah students a short-term, faculty-led, study-abroad experience for academic credit. These short-term, credit-bearing, faculty-led programs are offered winter break, spring break, and during the summer. If a course is not within your major, it might be used as an elective.
Study Abroad
Shenandoah University is a member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), a global network of 300 universities. This partnership allows students to study for a full semester or year at other member campuses abroad. By working closely with their academic advisors and the study abroad advisor, students can take classes taught in English abroad while receiving Shenandoah credit.
Shenandoah University also maintains direct partnerships with several universities around the world. These relationships allow students from SU to study abroad as exchange students and students from these universities to study at SU. All partner universities offer courses taught in English.