PhD in Media & Information Studies
“I chose Michigan State because of the people. The faculty, former and current students in the TISM department are not only at the top of their fields with regard to research, but also are excited to work with and teach new graduate students. The opportunities for research and collaboration are limited only by your energy and imagination.”
Julia Crouse
TISM PhD Student
The interdepartmental Media and Information Studies Ph.D. Program is offered jointly by the Department of Advertising, the School of Journalism, and the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media.The program prepares students to become active scholars, teachers and leaders in the fields of media and information.
Rankings and Reputation
According to data released by the National Research Council (NRC) on Sept. 28, 2010, the MIS doctoral program ranked 10th overall and third among the subcategory of media PhD programs in the United States.
Eighty-three communication doctoral programs participated in the study that collected data in 2005-2006. These results are based on averaging data across the two overall indices employed by the NRC.
The National Communication Association (NCA), in their November 2004 doctoral program reputation study, ranked MSU’s Ph.D. programs as No. 1 in educating researchers in communication technology, and in the top four in mass communication.
Research Areas
This program can be tailored to meet your research interests. Particular areas of research strength in the MIS program are:
- Social Media
- Media Economics
- Governance of Information & Communication Technology
- Games & Meaningful Play
- Health Communication
- Information & Communication Technology for Development
- New Media Uses & Effects
Courses
Students take core classes in methods and theory supplemented by topic-focused courses outside the
department and college. Classes include:
- Theories of Media and Information
- The Online Experience
- Computer Mediated Communication
- Health 2.0
- Understanding Social Media
- Media & Technology
- Transactional Perspectives of Information Technology
- Economic Structure of Telecommunication Industries
- Telecommunication and Information Policy
- Serious Game Theories
- Online Behavior
- Survey Design
- Interviewing Methods
- Advanced Quantitative Analysis for Media
- Models of Media Choice
- Large Scale Data Analysis
- Social Network Analysis
TISM PhD Spartan Saga Videos
Curious about the "typical" PhD student? Watch these videos to learn a little more about our students.
For More Information
The Media and Information Studies Ph.D. Program is administered by the College of Communication Arts & Sciences. For additional information, please see the College Media and Information Studies Ph.D page or contact:
Nancy Ashley
340 Comm Arts Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1212
Tel: 517.432.1526
E-Mail: ashleyn@msu.edu
