Applying to Our Program

All students start their application in the MSU graduate student portal. All documents should be submitted directly through the portal except for bachelor’s degree transcripts. Please go over the rest of the information on this page to make sure you have everything ready before you start.

Being a top program, we have a number of great students applying for a position in our cohort. Successful applicants usually have a 3.0 or higher GPA in a program that prepares them for our research intensive program. We look holistically at applications, so research statements and personal statements are carefully reviewed by the committee for clear connections to our areas of focus. Our program is a STEM program. Our CIPP code is “Digital Communication and Multi-Media 0.90702” so international students who graduate from our program qualify for OPT status. March 1st is the deadline for fall semester. October 1st the deadline for spring semester applications. See the MSU Academic Calendar for exact start dates. We do process complete applications on a rolling basis starting a few weeks before the semester deadlines. If you want preferred consideration, please have your application completed early.

For MSU undergraduates who are interested in sharing up to 9 credits between their bachelor’s and the master’s program, the Linked program is available. Linked program deadlines vary so please email the director for more details.

What you Need to Apply:

1. To apply for any master’s program at MSU, students need to have the equivalent of a 4-year bachelor’s degree. Our applicants who have a 3-year applied sciences degrees often have another 1-year master’s degree before applying to our program. Per MSU requirements an official copy sent directly from your institution to:  Director of MA Studies, Department of Media and Information, 404 Wilson Road, Room 409, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. 

2. Each applicant will submit a personal statement. This is your opportunity to tell the M.A. Committee about yourself, your background, your passion and professional interests and aspirations. In addition, this is the opportunity to communicate to the M.A. Committee any factors that may have contributed to any prior academic performance and anything you would wish for the M.A. Committee to take into consideration during the review of your application.

3. Applicants also submit an academic statement. This should reflect what the applicant hopes to do with their training and what they want to study in their master’s program. It helps to look carefully at our research focus areas and faculty expertise.

4. A resume or CV

5. An example of your skills. To get a better assessments of student potential each student must submit at least one of the following: a portfolio showing the student’s work, a research paper clearly showing the student’s work, or a GRE. See below for more details on what to submit.

6. Three recommendations. We need the email contacts for three people who agree to write a letter of recommendation for you. The university will contact them directly to submit the letters of recommendation. The letters can be from professors, employers, or those who know your work.

The master’s experience includes working closely with faculty and engaging in classes and projects that teach research both qualitative and quantitative research skills. We are committed to being an inclusive and supportive learning community. So we look for students who have a passion to learn. We encourage applicants who come from diverse backgrounds, but have a strong interest in game studies, UX design, usability, media policy & society, or information management to apply. If you have questions about your eligibility please contact us

Click here to go to the MSU graduate student application portal

Costs

Graduate school is an investment of your time and money. We work hard to make sure you get the best value for your tuition fees. The tuition is at the MSU rate based on residency. Tuition calculator. The degree is 30 credits. Most students finish in about 1 1/2 to 2 years, depending any internships they do or the complexity of their capstone project or thesis research. Housing options abound in the area. Students can live on or off campus. There are a wide range of housing options from luxury apartments in downtown East Lansing, to those farther away from campus. Our building is conveniently located next to a main bus station.

Scholarships, Assistantships, and Hourly Employment

We do give our scholarships to our outstanding students, applications are accepted in January-February and the money is distributed the following fall. We frequently hire our students to help as graduate learning assistants to help in undergraduate classes, or as part of research teams. We usually offer a few research assistantships each year to students with skills or experience needed for research teams, such as data analysis or programming. MSU frequently offers assistantships or employment to graduate students. We support our students’ research expenses. In the past few years we have been able to fully fund requests to cover costs for participant incentives and travel to present our students’ work at major conferences.

Click here to go to the MSU graduate student application portal