Graduate Program
Prospective Students
Greetings from the Department of Communication Studies' Graduate Program!
Our Graduate Program constitutes a vibrant, diverse, and internationalized academic community. Our Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Michigan offers a unique approach to doctoral study. We are a small program that concentrates on mass media processes and effects and the role and impact of media systems on individuals and society. We also attend to the variety of policy issues raised by the growing, global role of the media. Media technologies have changed how we related with each other and the world, and there are a variety of approaches to answer the question: 'what is going on in our mediated culture?' Our graduate students benefit from an individualized, interdisciplinary program of study to pursue their unique perspective on this important question.
Our Graduate Program is highly selective. We invite applications from students representing diversity in academic training and personal and cultural experiences. We are particularly interested in those students whose interests will be supported by the great expertise of the faculty.
The Department of Communication Studies provides unmatched opportunities for you to develop academically. From the moment you arrive, you will benefit from mentoring offered by our dedicated faculty. You will be encouraged to develop independent research, and we will help you to hone your scholarly research and writing skills. It is not unusual for graduate students to develop conference papers and to publish with faculty and with other graduate students. The Department regularly presents colloquia, conferences, and workshops, while bringing in a great variety of visiting scholars and guests. Our Graduate Program prides itself on contributing to the intellectual community of the University as a whole. Still, our primary mission is to help you to become an accomplished scholar.
The University of Michigan is a dynamic, bustling place. As Director, I work hard on community building within our Graduate Program. We welcome our graduate students' input in planning scholarly events and social activities. Our graduate students are a lively bunch away from campus as well developing long-lasting friendships while unwinding at the local watering hole.
I invite you to follow the associated links to learn more about what our world-class department and graduate program can offer you. Click on the links to learn more about: our outstanding faculty and staff, our exceptional graduate students, information on how to apply, our generous funding packages, and about how enriching and stimulating life in Ann Arbor is.
In sum, The University of Michigan boasts robust intellectual resources and an extraordinary range of cultural and scholarly opportunities. We hope that you will come to understand what the 'Go Blue' tradition is truly about. Should you have any questions, contact me (rrmc@umich.edu) and Cornelius Wright (lsa-commphd@umich.edu), Graduate Program Coordinator.
On behalf of the Department of Communication Studies at The University of Michigan, we look forward to working with you.
Best wishes,
Robin R. Means Coleman
Associate Professor and Director of the Ph.D. Program
