Master of Health Communication and Information

Rutgers' new Master of Health Communication and Information (MHCI) program focuses on the communication, information, and media aspects of health-related policies and practices. Classes will explore the critical systems and interactions that support wellness in interpersonal, community, organizational, and public settings. Our new program is designed to enable you to navigate and leverage the intersections of communication, information, and media in an environment of information overload. Our MHCI degree focuses on the various communication modalities as well as the strategic and managerial aspects of information systems in healthcare. 

No matter your role in the healthcare professional you will benefit from strong analytical and communication skills whether it is determining the appropriate communications for a medical procedure, presenting the outcomes of a program, or the best way to share patient data with another healthcare provider. Students will need strong interpersonal skills to ensure that patients understand medical procedures and associated care and that the appropriate contacts have access to a patient’s medical history and information.

You will likely work closely with the health information systems used in the organization. Being information literate from a strategic and program standpoint is important for succeeding and excelling in this information-intensive profession. As best practices in the effective utilization of information are constantly evolving, this area is something that even seasoned professionals are engaging with to advance their organization’s goals and status in the marketplace. The combination of effective communication skills and the utilization of information systems will be a clear differentiator for the healthcare professional.

As you advance to a management level, the need to be able to evaluate current systems and processes and decide where improvements or changes need to be made will be critical. In this role, you also need to be able to convey your work to other people within or outside your organization. Oftentimes, these professionals may not have the intimate knowledge of data analysis that is involved in your reports. As such, the ability to break down and explain this information from various disciplines in a way they all can understand is critical.

With our new MHCI degree, you will work with expert faculty who integrate theory and practice to keep you abreast of current healthcare practices and trends. You will acquire the skills needed to contribute to the evolution and development of healthcare campaigns and interventions. And finally, you will learn how to develop, organize, coordinate, manage, and deliver high-quality healthcare communication programs and events.

Now is the right time—and the right place. Housed at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, the MHCI program is nested within an exceptionally rich environment for health professions and health scholarship. Additionally, New Jersey is a global leader in pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that employment of health information technicians is projected to grow 13% from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. With a Rutgers’ MHCI, you can apply your skills for work in these settings: 

• Educational institutions
• Federal, state, and local governments
• Health-related advertising, public relations, marketing, and consulting agencies
• Hospitals, medical practices, and senior living organizations
• Nonprofit advocacy, voluntary, and community organizations
• Pharmaceutical companies

We offer on campus and hybrid courses between 6:20–9 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and hybrid weekend courses during fall and spring semesters. We offer fully online courses each semester including winter and summer semesters. Earn your MHCI degree in 18–24 months or as little as 15 months, even while working full-time.

• 36 credit, self-paced program
• GRE waiver available
• Complete your degree while working

You may transfer up to six credits of graduate coursework toward your degree if you meet the transfer requirements. There are no language or mathematics requirements.

Learn how Rutgers’ MHCI program can prepare you to thrive in the vast and dynamic healthcare industry and assume leadership roles.