New Master’s Degree in Health Care Communication Offered by University of St. Thomas

Professionals who want to work at the intersection of health care and communications can gain the education, experience and credentials they need through a new advanced-degree program at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.

The Master of Science in Health Care Communication Program, launching this fall, will combine on-campus experiences with online learning to help busy part-time students earn a graduate business degree in one year.

Developed in close collaboration with health care and communication experts – from providers and insurers, to marketing and advertising specialists – as well as leaders in health care education within the college, the program will merge health care knowledge with audience-engagement expertise.

“Health care is one of the nation’s fastest-growing industries, and also one of the most complex and heavily regulated,” said Dr. Michael Porter, director of the new program, as well as the Master of Business Communication Program in the Opus College of Business. “Professionals who become the public voice of health care organizations need a specialized educational background to credibly and convincingly represent their companies and themselves.”

Students also will gain valuable experience in the field though the program’s “real world” applied practicum. Based on their targeted career goals, participants will use their skills as communicators within a health care organization while finishing their coursework.

Courses in the 30-credit program will focus on a range of health care topics, including: the operational and cultural environments within organizations; the policies, laws and trends affecting health care management and delivery; and health care language and writing. Students will learn best practices in business management and strategic planning, as well as communication approaches for effective crisis communication and the best use of emerging digital-media channels.

Transformation is more than just an ideal at the Opus College of Business. It's a call to action. Transformative learning, transformative teaching, transformative leadership and a transformative experience are all hallmarks of this Minnesota business school. Through its range of graduate, undergraduate and continuing education business programs, the Opus College of Business seeks to transform its students’ lives and careers while transforming the landscape of the business community.