Courses & Requirements
Students are responsible for fulfilling the degree requirements of their respective departments, in addition to the requirements of HCC.
HCC Requirements*
10 Credits total consisting of the following:
*Pass/fail option is fine. No audit option.
- 2.5 credits for the required foundational course, SBS 509: Health Communication in the 21 st Century, offered in Spring 1 2025.
- 7.5 credits from among the courses listed below (courses not on the list will not meet the requirements). The selected courses should be linked to one another to form a thematic grouping – by type of media, by population of interest, or by skills sets. Suggested, but not exhaustive examples of thematic groupings are listed below the course options.
Elective Courses that meet HCC Requirements
The following courses meet the 7.5 credit Health Communication Concentration (HCC) requirement. Please note that credits listed on this page reflect the credit system of the school offering the course; be sure to use the credit conversion resource in my.Harvard to ensure that your chosen electives are equivalent to at least 7.5 HSPH credits.
Harvard School of Public Health
- SBS 205: Interpersonal Communication in Public Health Settings [2.5] – Fall 1 2024
- SBS 285: Practical Communications Strategies and Tactics for Influencing a Healthier World [2.5] – Fall 1 2024
- SBS 515: Health Literacy: Measuring Accessibility of Health Information [2.5] – Fall 1 2024
- EH 286: Environmental Health Literacy and Science Communication [2.5] – Fall 1 2024
- SBS 225: Engaging with the Press: A Practical Look at Effective Health Communications [2.5] – Fall 2 2024
- SBS 516: Organizational Health Literacy: Issues and Assessment [2.5] – Fall 2 2024
- HPM 223: Public Speaking for Managers [1.25] – Fall 2 2024
- HPM 562: Narrative Leadership – Using Storytelling to Mobilize Collective Action in Public Health [2.5] – Fall 2 2024
- MPH 103: Leadership and Communication [1.25] – Fall 2 2024
- SBS 522: Multi-Level Theoretical Approaches to Health Behavior [2.5] – Spring 1 2025
- HPM 247: Political Analysis and Strategy for U.S. Health Policy [2.5] – Spring 1 2025
- HPM 513: Writing Persuasively about Public Health [2.5] – Spring 1 2025
- SBS 210: Introduction to Dissemination and Implementation Science [2.5] – Spring 2 2025
- SBS 211: Public Health in Action: Strategies for Policy, Advocacy, and Communication [2.5] – Spring 2 2025
- SBS 503: Explaining Health Behavior: Insights from Behavioral Economics [2.5] – Spring 2 2025
- HPM 223: Public Speaking for Managers [1.25] – Spring 2 2025
- ID 562: Narrative Leadership – Using Storytelling to Mobilize Collective Action in Public Health [2.5] – Spring 2 2025
- GHP 237: Behavioral Economics and Global Health [2.5] – Spring 2 2025
- DRPH 260: Effective Writing for Policy Leadership [1.25] – Summer 2 2024
- DRPH 261: Art of Communication – Public Speaking [1.25] – Summer 2 2024
- MPH 103: Leadership and Communication [1.25] – Summer 2024
Harvard School of Education
- EDU A143 (cross-listed as MLD 355): Public Narrative [4] – Fall 2024
- EDU T522: Impact by Design: Projects in Educational Technology [4] – Fall 2024
- EDU HT123: Informal Learning for Children [4] – January 2025
- EDU T530: Designing and Producing Media for Learning [4] – Spring 2025
- EDU T581: Ed Tech Advanced Design Studio [4] – Spring 2025
Harvard Kennedy School
- MLD 355: (cross-listed as EDU A143): Public Narrative [4] – Fall 2024
- DPI 802M: The Arts of Communication [2] – Fall 1 2024, Fall 2 2024, Spring 1 2025 or Spring 2 2 2025
- DPI 810M: Writing for Policy and Politics [2] – Spring 1 or 2 2025
- MLD 377: Organizing: People, Power, Change [2] – Spring 1 2025
- DPI 828M: Persuasive Policy Communication [2] – Spring 2 2025
- DPI 891M: Engaging the Media [2] – Spring 2 2025
- DPI 896M: Crisis Communications [2] – Spring 2 2025
Recommended Methods Courses
HCC students are strongly recommended to take one of the following recommended courses as they will provide complementary skills. They do not count towards the HCC 10-credit requirement.
- SBS 288: Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health (*number of qualitative research methods courses offered each term at the Kennedy School, and sometimes at the Education School) [2.5] – Fall 1 2022
- SBS 521: Qualitative Data Analysis for Public Health [2.5]
- SBS 203: Program Planning [2.5]
- SBS 204: Program Implementation and Evaluation [2.5]
- BST 212: Survey Research Methods in Community Health [2.5]
- GSE T-523: Formative Evaluation for Educational Product Development [5]
Examples of Thematic Grouping of Health Communication Courses
The following examples show how the required courses in HCC may form a coherent theme. This is meant to serve as an illustration of how students could select courses to form a theme based on content, focus, skill sets, and/or communication media. You will notice repetition in the list as many courses address different themes.
Communications for Behavior Change
- SBS 503: Explaining Health Behavior: Insights from Behavioral Economics
- SBS 522: Multi-Level Theoretical Approaches to Health Behavior
- SBS 515: Health Literacy: Measuring Accessibility of Health Information
Communications for Health Policy
- DPI 810: Writing for Policy and Politics
- HPM 247: Political Analysis and Strategy for U.S. Health Policy
- DPI 828M: Persuasive Policy Communication
- SBS 285: Practical Communications Strategies and Tactics for Influencing a Healthier World
Communications for Health Management
- HPM 223: Public Speaking for Managers
- HPM 233: Strategic Marketing Management in Health Systems
- SBS 516: Organizational Health Literacy: Issues and Assessment
Communications for Community Organizing
- MLD 377: Organizing: People, Power, Change
- SBS 210: Introduction to Dissemination and Implementation Science
- HPM 562/ID 562: Narrative Leadership – Using Storytelling to Mobilize Collective Action in Public Health
Public Health and the Press
- MLD 355: Public Narrative
- SBS 225: Engaging with the Press: A Practical Look at Effective Health Communications
- DPI 891M: Engaging the Media
What recognition does the student receive upon completion of the concentration?
Upon graduation, the degree will be issued from the home department and the student receives a letter from the HCC Steering Committee attesting to completion of the HCC concentration requirements.
Please contact the HCC Coordinator if you have questions.
