Health Communication
A major or minor in Health Communication is an applied program of study aimed at providing both practitioners and future civic leaders with the knowledge they need to improve health services and public health.
The curricular structure of the Health Communication program is listed below for students entering the program. Students must complete an applied capstone course.
Major Requirements
Major: Health Communication
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A dynamic list of approved general education courses offered by term is available on the NDSU General Education Requirements website.
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, if applicable.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience (F) | 1 | |
| Skills For Academic Success (Also offered with the following prefixes: ABEN, AGRI, BUSN, HD&E, ME, NURS, PHRM) | ||
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of a minor program of study, a second major, or a second degree is required.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency at college level required.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences College Requirements
An additional 9 credits are required by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for all Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree programs of study, except the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the Bachelor of Music degree, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree, and the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AH&SS College Requirements | ||
Courses used to satisfy any general education requirement cannot be used to also count toward the AH&SS College Requirements. A minimum of three credits is required in each of the 3 following areas for a total of 9 credits. Choose only those courses with the prefixes listed for each area. A course with the WGS prefix can only be used in one area. | ||
| Area One: Humanities | 3 | |
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, or WGS | ||
| Area Two: Social Sciences | 3 | |
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS | ||
| Area Three: Fine Arts | 3 | |
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Communication Requirements | ||
Students must complete the following 21 credits of selected courses with a grade of 'B' or better to be a communication major. These courses may be repeated only once for grade improvement. | ||
| ENGL 120 | College Composition II (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 |
| COMM 110 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 |
| or COMM 111 | Honors Public Speaking | |
| COMM 112 | Understanding Media and Social Change (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| COMM 114 | Human Communication (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| COMM 212 | Interpersonal Communication (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| COMM 216 | Intercultural Communication (May satisfy a general education category B and D) | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Sociology (May satisfy general education category B) | ||
| Introduction to Political Science (May satisfy general education category B) | ||
| Introduction to Psychology (May satisfy general education category B) | ||
| Introduction to Criminal Justice | ||
| Professional Health Communication Major | ||
| COMM 320 | Communication Analysis | 3 |
| COMM 301 | Rhetorical Traditions | 3 |
| or COMM 321 | Introduction to Communication Theory | |
| COMM 380 | Health Communication I | 3 |
| COMM 431 | Communication Ethics and Law | 3 |
| COMM 480 | Health Communication II (Capstone) | 3 |
| Applied Health Core: | 12 | |
| Students are required to take 12 credits in Applied Health areas: Nursing (NURS); Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science (HNES); Pharmacy Practice (PHRM); or Psychology (PSYC). Consult your advisor on elective options. | ||
| Professional Specialization | 9 | |
| Select three of the following: | ||
| Introduction to Media Writing | ||
| Introduction to Web Design | ||
| Principles of Strategic Communication | ||
| Patient-Provider Communication | ||
| Organizational Communication I | ||
| Issues in Communication | ||
| Risk and Crisis Communication | ||
| Principles of Risk Communication | ||
| Total Credits | 57 | |
Degree Notes:
- Students majoring in Health Communication can apply up to 9 credits in applied health areas toward major electives - Nursing (NURS); Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science (HNES); Pharmacy Practice (PHRM); Psychology (PSYC). These credits must be unique from those being applied to the student's minor requirements.
- Students are limited to declaring only one degree program (major and minor) offered by the Department of Communication.
Minor Requirements
Health Communication Minor
Minor Requirements
Required Credits: 21
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| COMM 112 | Understanding Media and Social Change | 3 |
| COMM 114 | Human Communication | 3 |
| COMM 212 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| COMM 216 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| COMM 380 | Health Communication I | 3 |
| COMM 381 | Patient-Provider Communication | 3 |
| Professional Specialization: Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Principles of Strategic Communication | ||
| Health Communication II | ||
| Risk and Crisis Communication | ||
| Principles of Risk Communication | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |
Minor Requirements and Notes
- A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
- Students are limited to declaring only one degree program (major and minor) offered by the Department of Communication.
