Employment Opportunities

Health Communication is an attractive degree option for health professionals seeking advanced credentials, or people wanting to enter a health-related profession, such as human relations and communication skills training in health care organizations, patient education, pharmaceutical sales, or public health. The program can also serve as background for students who are considering applying to doctoral programs in communication or related areas.

Although health communication is a relatively new job area, several positions are likely for our graduates based on recent employment of our undergraduate and graduate students in health communication. These include positions in health care organizations and public health arenas:

  • Communication consultant for health care providers
  • Director of operations
  • Health care public relations and marketing
  • Health internet website designer
  • Human resource manager in a health care organization
  • Nonprofit organization and social services management
  • Patient and family advocate
  • Patient educator
  • Pharmaceutical salesperson
  • Public health campaign designer and evaluator
  • Public relations and marketing for health care organizations
  • Training specialist in health care organizations

The following is a sample of companies that recently have employed Department of Communication undergraduate and graduate alumni in health communication or health-related positions:

  • BearingPoint Management and Technology Consultants
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield
  • Cardinal Health
  • Carle Physician Group
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Covidien
  • CVS Pharmacy
  • Eli Lilly and Company
  • GE Healthcare
  • Johnson & Johnson Co
  • Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
  • Maxim Healthcare
  • MedImpact
  • Merck Pharmaceuticals
  • National Children's Study
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • New York Presbyterian Hospital
  • Northwestern University Medical Center
  • Procter & Gamble
  • Provena Covenant Medical Center
  • St. Jude Midwest Affiliate - Illinois Children's Hospital
  • State Farm Insurance
  • University of Chicago Medical Center
  • US Bioscience
  • US Surgical
  • Walgreen's
  • Wilmington Health
  • Graduate programs in health fields (e.g., optometry, nursing, chiropractic medicine, physician's assistant)