Faculty & Staff
Research Initiatives
Research Initiatives
The Ph.D. Program in Communication Studies at the University of Michigan is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the structure, processes and impact of the mass media and of new communication technologies. The program provides a solid foundation in communication studies while also permitting a highly individualized program of study tailored to fit the student’s needs and interests. Students are introduced to a variety of research methods that draw from the social sciences and the humanities. The program provides advanced knowledge of the latest research and theory in the field, a solid understanding of the major analytical approaches to communication studies, and opportunities to do original and collaborative research beginning in the very first year of the program.
The graduate courses in Media, Culture and Society represent the primary and overall teaching and research interests of the faculty in Communication Studies who have been trained in the humanities tradition of the field. The following areas represent our particular strengths: media, power and politics; gender and the media; analyzing media texts; race, ethnicity and the media; understanding media audiences; international and comparative media; analyzing media industries; and historical approaches to media and technology.
The graduate courses in Social Scientific Analysis of the Mass Media represent the primary teaching and research interests of the faculty in Communication Studies who have been trained in the social science tradition of the field. The following areas represent our particular strengths: new electronic media; technology and policy; political communication; public opinion; news media; media psychology; media effects on behavior; media effects and sexuality; stereotyping; and education and learning.
