The Bilingual Health Communication degree is a 30-hour hybrid program that blends in-person and online classes. Students beginning the degree will have advanced proficiency in Spanish as evidenced by either placement test scores, credit-by-exam (AP/IB/CLEP) or prior coursework.

All students interested in this degree, but who have not yet reached the advanced level, are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor or the Chair of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures to create a plan for reaching advanced proficiency. This could require anywhere from 3 to 18 hours of additional coursework, depending on the student’s level of proficiency.

Flexibility for Nontraditional and Transfer Students
Some communication courses are offered in online classes and have equivalencies with ACC and other community colleges, and many courses in the major do not have prerequisites. Check with your academic advisor for details. 

View details on each course in the Undergraduate Bulletin (PDF).

Required Core Courses (21 hours)

• Spanish for the Health and Helping Professions – SPAN 3355 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisites: A score of 550+ on the placement test or equivalent credit-by-exam (AP/CLEP/IB) or completion of SPAN 3330 or SPAN 3341. Students who meet the prerequisites may begin the program.
• Spanish for Healthcare Professionals and Latino Health in the U.S. – SPAN 3357 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisite: A score of 550+ on the placement test or equivalent credit-by-exam (AP/CLEP/IB) or completion of SPAN 3330 or SPAN 3341.
• Introduction to Translation and Interpretation – SPAN 4305 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisite: A score of 700+ on the placement test or equivalent credit-by-exam (AP/CLEP/IB) or completion of SPAN 3330 or 3341 or 3355 or 3357.
  • General Education Span 4305 is currently designated as a writing-rich course.
• Introduction to Communication – COMM 1306 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisite: Freshman or sophomore standing only, or permission of instructor
• Health Communication – COMM 3308 (3 hours) (Fall and Spring)
• Applied Health Communication – COMM 4383 (3 hours)
• Internship in Communication – COMM 4350 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisites: Communication Core, sophomore, junior or senior standing, and permission of instructor. (Fall and Spring)
  • General Education: Culminating Experience

Required Electives (9 hours)

Choose at least one from Communication and one from Spanish/Comparative Language, Literature and Culture, and Chicanx-Latinx Studies.

• Interpersonal Communication – COMM 2312 (3 hours)
  • General Education: Social Identities
• Organizational Communication – COMM 2327 (3 hours)
  • General Education: Social Identities
• Active Listening – COMM 2357 (3 hours)
  • General Education: Social Identities
• Intercultural Communication – COMM 3344 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of instructor
  • General Education: Global Perspectives and Social Identities
• Leadership – COMM 4316 (3 hours)
• Spanish Grammar in Context – SPAN 3330 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisite: Placement score of 700 and above or completion of a course at 3000 level with grade of C or better. (Fall)
  • General Education: Social Identities
• Effective Written Communication – SPAN 3341 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisite: Placement score of 700 and above or completion of a course at 3000 level with a grade of C or better.
  • General Education: Writing Rich
• Internship in Advanced Spanish for the Health and Helping Professions – Span 4363 (3 hours)
  • Prerequisite: SPAN 3355 or SPAN 3357
• Introduction to Language and Culture – CLLC 1310 (3 hours)
  • General Education: Global Perspectives
• Introduction to Chicanx and Latinx Studies – CHLX 1302 (3 hours)
  • General Education: Diverse American Perspectives and Social Identities

The Bilingual Health Communication program prepares you to become a leader in providing and advancing healthcare literacy and culturally competent care. You’ll engage in dynamic coursework and practical assignments such as these that strengthen your bilingual proficiency and communication skills:

• Reflect critically on the role of communication in molding healthcare messages and the public’s reception of these messages.
• Analyze the health messaging requirements and interests of culturally diverse stakeholders.
• Design, critique and assess health communication messages and campaigns utilizing a variety of communication tools.
• Produce a translation in Spanish that demonstrates knowledge of structural, lexical and cultural differences between English and Spanish and demonstrates mostly consistent control of Spanish grammar and syntax.
• Produce a health communication message or campaign in the target language via an oral presentation that conveys sensitivity to the sociocultural context of diverse populations in Texas and the U.S.
• Write an informative essay in Spanish, sustained by research, that reflects the health messaging requirements and interests of culturally diverse stakeholders.

The ability to communicate in more than one language enhances career prospects for graduates of our Bilingual Health Communication program and, more importantly, improves the quality of patient care. Career paths include a range of professional settings such as these: 

• Public Relations
• Advertising
• Patient Education
• Health Administration
• Social Media
• Healthcare Policy and Advocacy
• Community Health
• Medical Interpretation and Translation

Questions?

For additional information about the BA in Bilingual Health Communication, please contact us. We welcome hearing from you and telling you more about our program!

Stephen King, PhD
Professor of Communication
512-428-1090
sking1@stedwards.edu

Georgia Seminet, PhD
Associate Professor of Spanish
512-448-8565
georgias@stedwards.edu

To complete the 12-hour Certificate in Leadership and Ethics, students must complete two required courses and two elective courses.

Required Courses:

•  Leadership – COMM 4316 
• One (1) upper division course in Ethics taught by the Philosophy Department, not including the ethics course the student uses to satisfy the General Education Curriculum requirement. (Any 3000 or 4000 level course taught by the Philosophy Department with “Ethics” in the title or otherwise approved by the Philosophy Department Chair will fulfill this requirement.)

Elective Courses:

Select two courses from the following list:

• Organizational Communication – COMM 2327  
• Teams, Collaboration and Community – COMM 3339 
• Directed Readings – PHIL 4341 
• Senior Seminar – PHIL 4342 
•  Organizational Behavior – MGMT 3334
• The Art and Science of Negotiation – BUSI 3324 

For more details and course descriptions, view and download the Undergraduate Course Bulletin (PDF).

For information about the Certificate in Leadership and Ethics, contact Mark Cherry, PhD, chair of Philosophy, or Stephen King, PhD, chair of Communication.