TISM is excited to introduce our revised MA program, which will go into effect beginning Fall Semester2012.  The MA program now consists of two new concentrations with multiple courses of study and cognate options.

The growing areas of social media, games, and online technology applications is creating exciting new careers in the information age. The Master of Arts programs in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media at Michigan State University prepares you to manage information technology, to create original interactive content, and to contribute to the ongoing debate about the roles communication media can play in society.

Students pursuing a MA degree in Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media select one of two following concentrations:

Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

• This transcriptable concentration is designed to prepare students and industry professionals for careers in interaction design, usability, information architecture, and human computer interaction. Classes emphasize project experience as they cover human centered design methods, theory, and practice.
   
• Within the HCI concentration there are two options available for students who wish to focus their studies in games and meaningful play.  Neither of these options is required.  They are meant to define a clear pathway of elective courses for students interested in this field.
  • Graduate Certificate in Serious Game Design & Research
    This 3 course graduate certificate is intended for game industry professionals, educators, and media specialists who want to better understand serious game design, theory, and player research. This certificate is open to both degree granting and non-degree granting students and is transcriptable.
     
  • Games and Meaningful Play Course of Study
    This is a series of courses designed to prepare students for careers in game design and serious game design.  Classes include the serious games graduate certificate and most emphasize project experience as they cover interaction design, game design and development, serious game design, serious game theory, and player research. This course of study is not transcriptable.

Please visit http://seriousgames.msu.edu/ for more details on Serious Games.  Specific details on the courses used for these two options will be found in the Fall 2012 MA in Telecommunication, Media and Information Studies Handbook.

 

Media and Information Management (MIM)

• This transcriptable concentration is designed for students and industry professionals who wish to gain skills in managing new information and communication technologies. Classes cover network management and media project management.
   
• Students in the MIM concentration have two additional options for completing elective course work.  They are:
  • Information, Policy & Society (IPS) Cognate
    The IPS cognate is designed for MA students interested in pursuing a PhD in the areas of technology policy or social impacts of new technologies.   MIM students with an interest in IPS can take this cognate as an option to complete their elective credits in the MIM concentration.
     
  • Specialization in Management of Information Technologies
    This specialization is designed for MIM students with an interest in management of information systems in organizational environments.   This specialization is transcriptable.  More information on how to apply to the specialization can be found in the Fall 2012 MA in Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media Handbook.

The HCI concentration and courses of study replace our former areas of study in Digital Media Arts and Technology (DMAT) and Serious Game Design (SGD).  The MIM concentration replaces our former areas of study in Information and Telecommunication Management (ITM) and Information, Policy, and Society (IPS).

 

Visit Our Facilities

• Quello Center for Telecommunication Management and Law conducts interdisciplinary research and organizes conferences to facilitate dialogue among policy-makers, scholars, industry executives, consumer interest groups, and students.
• Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab designs innovative prototypes, techniques, and complete games for entertainment and learning and to advance state-of-the-art knowledge about social and individual effects of digital games.

Experience Our Special Programs

• Specialization in Management of Information Technology offers graduate students the opportunity to take a series of information system management courses.
• New Media in Europe is a summer program for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. Enrollees are based in Paris at the Telecom & Management SudParis and also visit telecommunication sites in Brussels, and Geneva.
• Technology and Culture: Communication and Games in Japan is a summer program for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students. Hosted in Japan, this program offers students a unique opportunity to examine the relationship between culture and technology use in the context of Japanese communication and gaming.
• Mass Media in the United Kingdom is a summer program based in London, but with trips to Wales and Scotland. Students interact with media professionals in classroom and media settings.

Apply Online

To apply, just fill out the online application form. Then send us a statement of your goals, your Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, three personal references, your college transcripts, $50 application fee and, for international students, your scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). As soon as we receive your on-line application form, we will e-mail you your student number so that you can check the status of your file online. For more information please view our admissions page.

You can enter the program in either the fall semester, with classes starting in late August, or the spring term, starting in early January. The final deadline for all application materials is April 1 for fall semester and October 1 for spring semester.

Contact Us

Rachel Iseler
Academic Programs Coordinator
425 Comm Arts Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1212
Tel: 517.432.3676
Fax: 517.355.1292
E-mail: tcma@msu.edu