Technical Communication (Medical and Health) ,BS
Communication, Coordinate, Health, Manage, Quality, UX, care, design, medical, writing
Technical communication is a helping profession. Contribute to better health outcomes and well-being by learning to apply your skills as an expert communicator to translate complex health and medical information into clear, useful, actionable knowledge --- for patients, medical practitioners and providers, manufacturers, researchers, policymakers and the public.
Communication skills are essential in the health professions due to the complex information, diverse audiences and regulatory guidelines shaping health and medical communication. Medical and health writers partner with doctors, scientists, engineers, end users and government agencies to produce information products including websites, social media content, mobile applications and educational materials.
The Bachelor of Science program in technical communication with a concentration in medical and health delivers advanced writing and communication strategies for the multifaceted information environments of health-related professions. This program equips students with various applied skill sets, including drafting, adapting and reviewing messages for various audiences and formats; managing multiple projects that require analysis, negotiation, persuasion and collaboration skills; and gathering and using feedback from end users to develop products.
GI Bill® benefits
This new program is not yet approved for use with GI Bill® benefits.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/.
- College/school:
College of Integrative Sciences and Arts
- Location: Polytechnic or Online , ASU Local
- Second language requirement: No
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
- First required math course: MAT 114 - College Mathematics
- Math
intensity: General
This program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. Accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving students who want the opportunity to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree. These programs feature the same high quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
First-year | Transfer | International | Readmission
A current ASU student has no additional requirements for changing majors.
Students should visit the Change of Major form for information about how to change a major to this program.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
It is now possible to earn an ASU degree with ASU Local, an integrated college experience in which students take advantage of in-person success coaching and programming experiences on site while completing one of 130+ undergraduate online degree programs, all of which come with online faculty interaction and tutoring support.
ASU is committed to helping students thrive by offering tools that allow personalization of the transfer path to ASU. Students may use MyPath2ASU® to outline a list of recommended courses to take prior to transfer.
ASU has transfer partnerships in Arizona and across the country to create a simplified transfer experience for students. These pathway programs include exclusive benefits, tools and resources, and they help students save time and money in their college journey.
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:
- Design clear, ethical and persuasive communication products for diverse audiences.
- Develop recommendations to improve the design and impact of technical content using user experience research methods.
- Evaluate emerging technologies to determine appropriate methods for delivering content for different audiences and purposes
- Explain complex health and medical user experiences
- Write medical communications on related health topics addressing clinical and public audiences
Students studying technical communication can become strategic communication specialists in the world. Through unique study abroad experiences across the globe, students gain valuable leadership, communication and design skills. Whether in a foreign country, in the U.S. or online, by participating in one of the over 300 available Global Education programs, students expand their scope of learning beyond the classroom and gain hands-on experience in different and exciting cultures.
Many of the School of Applied Professional Studies programs allow students to earn credit toward their major for their experiences studying abroad.
People trained in medical and health writing fill varied positions such as editor, project manager, media specialist, coordinator, administrator, manager and educator. Graduates of this concentration can enter employment in hospitals, hospice, government, pharmaceuticals, insurance, nonprofit and academic institutions throughout the state, country and world.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that job growth in technical writing and related areas will continue to be significantly higher than average during the next five years. Software and electronics companies, media corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, nonprofits and other areas will see an increased demand for writers.
Graduates are prepared for careers such as:
- communication manager
- content strategist
- information architect
- public relations specialist
- technical writer
- user experience specialist
- web content creator
Example job titles and salaries listed below are not necessarily entry level, and students should take into consideration how years of experience and geographical location may affect pay scales. Some jobs also may require advanced degrees, certifications or state-specific licensure.
| Career | *Growth | *Median salary |
|---|---|---|
|
4.5%
|
$63,000
|
|
|
3.6%
|
$72,270
|
|
|
8.2%
|
$108,970
|
|
|
0.9%
|
$91,670
|
|
|
7.5%
|
$90,930
|
School of Applied Professional Studies
|
SANCA 233
cisa@asu.edu
480-727-1526
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
