Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University

Welcome to the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media. Our mission is threefold:

1. to research, create, and apply information and communication technology and media experiences
2. to educate the next generation of creators, scholars, and managers
3. to apply knowledge of communication technology for the benefit of industry and society

Advances in the design and application of information and communication technologies are occurring at a staggering pace. They are reshaping the way we are informed and entertained, the way we work, and the way individuals and organizations participate in a global social and economic system.

Our department is made up of an interdisciplinary community of faculty and students, all sharing a common desire to understand and apply media and information technologies for the benefit of society.

We offer a range of programs at the undergraduate, masters and Ph.D. level. Some of our courses target students seeking to become tomorrow’s media designers, skilled at working with both traditional and new media to create compelling content. Other courses prepare students to manage information and communication technologies, and to apply them to enhance the competitiveness of their companies and improve the way their companies interact with customers and other stakeholders. A third area of focus explores questions of policy and the potential societal implications that arise from technological developments and innovations in usage. Students often blend these areas, enabling them to contribute as designers and managers, policy makers, researchers, or future educators in our field. All students are equipped to be informed users of the new media technologies for themselves, for their employers, or when engaged in public service.

Among the topics available to prospective students are:

• interactive media design
• serious game design
• media and telecommunications economics
• telemedicine and communication technology in health
• human behavior in online communities and groups
• communication technology, organizations, and e-commerce
• audio and video design in a traditional and new media context
• human computer interaction, usability, and accessibility of new media
• international aspects of media and telecommunications
• social and psychological influences of communications media

A range of study abroad options are available for students interested in telecommunications, information studies, and media. We have also recently launchedu a new program in Media Management and Research at the new MSU Dubai campus, in the Fall of 2008.

Our faculty members are among the most productive researchers in the field, and infuse their courses with the latest findings. A recent ranking of doctoral program reputation lists MSU as number one in the area of communication technology, largely due to the depth of expertise in our faculty.  Our graduates have become leaders in the media and telecommunications industries, as well as faculty members in top communications-oriented programs around the world. Telecommunications, Information Studies, and Media is home to Communication Technology Lab; the Media Interface and Network Design (MIND) Lab; the Quello Center for Telecommunication Management and Law; all places where students and faculty converge to design and study the media and communication applications of the future.

We welcome your interest.

Charles Steinfield
Professor and Chairperson