Founded in 1987, the master of communication and information studies (M.C.I.S.) degree program prepares students for the interrelated demands and responsibilities of the new and dramatic transformations of the information age, providing the knowledge and skills necessary to balance and understand the complex relationships among communication and information processes, technology, and human behavior. The program particularly stresses development of the ability to critically evaluate results and anticipate unforeseen by-products of communication and information processes and technologies.

The M.C.I.S. degree requires 36 credits of coursework, and includes an 18-credit core, a 3-credit capstone seminar that requires the completion of an organizational case study and 15 elective credits. The first M.C.I.S. degree was granted May 1989. As of January 2003, 316 students have graduated from the program since the first degree was granted. The program admits roughly 30 full- and part-time students each year. Nonmatriculated study is only offered during Summer Session, and is not available during the academic year.

The M.C.I.S. program is offered by the Department of Communication, one of three departments within the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies (SCILS) in collaboration with the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, and the Department of Library and Information Science.

The program`s defining focus is concern with communication theory and practice in organizations. Coursework prepares students for a wide range of professional career paths across multiple industries and economic sectors. Applicants who wish to pursue doctoral study following completion of the M.C.I.S. program also are encouraged to apply.

The office of the M.C.I.S. program is located in the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Room 302, 4 Huntington Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1071.