B.S. Degree in Applied Arts and Sciences - Health Communication

The School of Communication, an academic unit within the -College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, emphasizes scholarly, creative, and professional aspects of communication studies. The school engages in teaching, research, and development of integrated, interactive, international, and intercultural communication for the twenty- first century. The School of Communication is committed to quality undergraduate and graduate education in the field of communication. We prepare students for civic life, professional careers, and further graduate study. We are committed to cutting edge research and instructional innovation which advances understandings of culture, health, institutions, interaction, politics, relationships, and rhetoric in everyday life. We are dedicated to serving San Diego State University, the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, and the diverse communities in the urban region in which we live and work. Students majoring in health communication learn how people individually and collectively understand and accommodate to health and illness and the role of communication in shaping professional health care messages and public acceptance of these messages. Courses include instruction in the development and analysis of health related messages and media; the goals and strategies of health care promotion; relationships, roles, situations, and social structures in the context of health maintenance and promotion; and applications to disease prevention, health advocacy, and communication concerning treatments. Health communication graduates find positions in both profit and non-profit organizations such as public health agencies, hospitals, educational institutions, health insurance companies, and other corporations.