Master of Health Communication and Information

The 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 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. 

Work with expert faculty who integrate theory and practice to keep you abreast of current healthcare practices and trends. Gain a multidisciplinary perspective on how communication and information can affect outcomes for illness and disease. Acquire the skills needed to contribute to the evolution and development of healthcare campaigns and interventions. 

The program includes instruction in the development and use of health-related and care-related messages and media, communication, information, and interaction in provider-patient contexts. We cover:

• the goals and strategies of healthcare promotion;
• relationships, roles, situations, and social structures in the context of health maintenance;
• designing organizational and informational structures to manage health provision;
• applications that address disease prevention and crisis communication preparedness;
• health advocacy and communications concerning treatments;
• creation, storage, retrieval, and management of information resources in the service of the health professions.

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 in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 15% from 2019 to 2029, much 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 the 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 optional for fall 2023
• 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.