Program Description

For many years, the Department of Communication at Purdue offered various classes in health communication through the department's five traditional areas of study: rhetoric, mass communication, public affairs and issue management (PR), interpersonal communication, and organizational communication. There was no official area or "instructional unit" responsible for offering or coordinating these classes. This changed dramatically in fall, 2002, when we officially formed a health communication instructional unit to coordinate, staff, and develop curriculum. Since then, Purdue graduate students have been able to officially designate their major area as "health communication." Moreover, we are in the process of gaining approval for two specially designated health communication classes. COM 576, an introductory survey of the field offered each fall, has been approved, and COM 676, a variable topics seminar offered 2-4 times each year, is in the last phases of the university approval process.

Our curriculum has been building over recent years as we have attracted more students and faculty with an interest in the area. We have offered a wide range of health communication classes. These classes will now be offered as sections of COM 676. We are able to offer a very wide variety of health communication classes because we now have nine faculty who teach and conduct research in the area. Not surprisingly, we also have developed an important presence in the field. For example, two of our faculty have served as chair of the Health Communication Division of the National Communication Association, we publish regularly in and serve on the editorial boards of nearly every major journal in the field, and we publish regularly in and review for allied health journals (e.g., Social Science and Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, Preventative Medicine, Health Education Quarterly).

Questions about the Program

Are there any required courses or is the curriculum completely determined by the student and the advisor?

There is not any officially required curriculum, but faculty in the area have the strong expectation that all health communication students take the recently formalized introductory survey of health communication theory and research (COM 576). More generally, one of our strong points is that we combine an exceptionally broad and distinguished faculty (several of our department's areas of study are consistently ranked among the best programs in the field) with a tradition in which the student-advisor relationship is quite significant. The student and advisor, in consultation with the advising committee (composed by the student and advisor), put together the student's tailored plan of study. The Graduate Committee has oversight--it reviews all plans of study--but mostly this step is to make sure that the student is meeting all formal requirements for the degree as stipulated by the university and general guidelines of the department. For details, visit the Degree Requirements page of our department's website. In sum, at Purdue, no two students' plans of study are exactly alike. Every plan reflects the individual's unique education and career goals and needs.

How long does a Master's degree in health communication take to complete at Purdue? How long does a Ph.D. degree take to complete in this area?

The MA typically takes two years, whether you do a thesis or opt for comprehensive exams. The Ph.D. typically takes around four years.

How many students choose the Master's thesis option? How many take the exam?

About 40% of our 24 current MA students are planning on writing comprehensive exams, and 60% plan to write a thesis. These numbers are somewhat variable however, as the MA population changes substantially over time (e.g., 15 new MA students have yet to file plans of study specifying whether they will take exams or write a thesis).

I understand there is a "Health Communication" track in the MPH program. Can you tell me more about this degree and can I count MPH classes toward a Ph.D. at the same time?

The Masters of Public Health(MPH) degree is relatively new at Purdue and has two tracks, one in "Community Health" and one in "Health Communication". The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is the most recognized professional credential in public health practice. It is a practice-based degree where students fulfill core requirements in areas of knowledge basic to public health. The Purdue MPH program like others,responds to the needs of health professionals who wish to expand their career options in public health and it makes a great compliment to a PhD in Health Communication.

Yes, it is possible to pursue an MPH and a PhD in Communication simultaneously and courses taken for the MPH can count toward the PhD. Specifics plans of study must be approved by the student's committee. For more details contact the Director of Graduate Studies in Communication.

Do students pursue practicums and/or internships during the academic year? Does Purdue aid students in finding these practical learning experiences?

We have been developing practical learning experiences for students enrolled in the health communication program. The best developed of these to date is a 1-2 semester practicum offered in conjunction with the Indiana University Medical School in Indianapolis (60 miles by highway from West Lafayette). Practicum participants attend a regular mini-seminar taught by medical school faculty member, Kathy Zoppi, Ph.D. and various guest speakers from around the hospital. In addition, students observe Kathy teaching (and have been asked to co-teach) communication processes and skills to residents, follow residents on patient rounds, etc. Students also can get involved in collaborative research projects during their second semester of the practicum. Students can earn up to 6 hours of credit by completing two semesters of the practicum.

We are also in the process of developing internships as we grow the program. Several of our faculty have very strong contacts at the CDC, National Cancer Institute, and other agencies that routinely look for interns. We are also developing prospects for internships at local health organizations (e.g., we are in conversation with Eli Lily Corp., which is headquartered in Indianapolis; we are also studying internship opportunities at the Center for Bioethics at the Indiana University Medical School), and we have plans to seek internships at various non-profit or contractual organizations who do health communication research and training for governmental and other health agencies. This element of the program will grow with student interest.

Where do some of the recent health communication graduates work?

Although we've only recently included health communication as a formal category of specialization in the graduate program, we have had lots of students in past years who thought of themselves as health communication students and whose emphasis in this area was nicely reflected in their classes, composition of their advising committee, conference papers and publications, and in the topics of their exams, thesis, and/or dissertation. The majority of MA students have gone on to do Ph.D.s, ultimately taking jobs in academia (e.g., Oklahoma U, U of Maryland, Penn State U, U of Kansas, West Virginia U, U New Mexico, U of San Francisco), but some went into health communication nonprofit organizations (e.g., Delmarva Foundation, Weststat), the CDC, and local health departments (e.g., Department of Health in Albequerque).

How many students enroll each year in this degree program? How many graduate students are enrolled in the Communications Department overall? What are the class sizes?

Last fall, when our program in health communication was officially recognized, we enrolled 2 new students whose primary interest is in health communication. Another health communication student commenced studies this spring. We also enrolled several students who designated other areas, such as interpersonal, organizational, mass communication, and public affairs and issue management as their main area, and health communication as their secondary area. We have every expectation that the numbers will increase in coming years as word of our newly formalized program disseminates. Overall, the department has approximately 80 graduate students in residence in its 6 areas of study (plus another 20 students in absentia). Although our graduate program is large, class sizes are almost always between 5-15 students because the department's students are spread out across 6 different areas and because some are done taking classes. For more information, contact Steve Wilson, Director of Graduate Studies.

Where are the students from (geographically)?

Our current graduate students are from 15 countries plus the U.S. This number reflects the ongoing "internationalization" of the Purdue University community, which is a campus-wide major initiative.

Aside from the website, where can I go for more information about the health communication program at Purdue University?

You can learn more about the health communication program by contacting its current coordinator, Professor Mohan Dutta, Director of Graduate Studiesor any other faculty memberin the unit. For more general information about graduate studies in the Department of Communication at Purdue you may wish to contact, Vicki Biggs, Graduate Secretary.