phd marketing msu

Ph.D. in Information and Media

The interdepartmental Information and Media Ph.D. Program prepares students to become scholars, teachers and leaders. Three highly ranked academic units of MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences participate in the academic training: the Department of Advertising + Public Relations , the School of Journalism and the Department of Media and Information .

Our Program

We invite you to join an exciting interdisciplinary field of study at the intersection of the social sciences, humanities, and technology. We develop and apply transformative knowledge about all media systems, society and evolving information and communication technologies. This STEM designated program (09.0702 Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia) engages students to become leaders in academia, government, and industry in the media and information fields.

Our approach is multidisciplinary, combining faculty members with degrees in communication, advertising, public relations, journalism, economics, information studies, sociology, law, marketing and computer science, all pursuing teaching and research opportunities in three participating departments.

Benefits to an interdisciplinary program vs. a traditional program

• Students are exposed to a wider range of theories and schools of thought which facilitates complex problem solving from multiple perspectives
• Students gain a broader toolkit of research methods and analytical tools, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Enhances communication skills because students learn the “language” of multiple disciplines

Ph.D. Ranking

QS World University rankings place MSU 9th in the world and 6th in the U.S. in communication and media studies. The National Communication Association (NCA), in their most recent doctoral program reputation study, ranked MSU’s Ph.D. programs as No. 1 in educating researchers in communication technology, and in the top four in mass communication. Michigan State University ranked third in frequency of faculty publication in communication in a study reported in The Electronic Journal of Communication in 2012.

Faculty Research Areas

Faculty in the three participating departments have complementary skills and research interests. Students typically participate in one or more research groups and design a dissertation to take advantage of the interdisciplinary environment offered by the program. Research in our departments currently focuses on the following areas:

Advertising + Public Relations

• Media Psychology and Persuasion
• Neuroscience and Social Influence
• International Advertising and Public Relations
• Effects of Media on Child and Family Development
• Political Communication
• Social Media and Advertising
• Media Sociology
• International and Comparative Media systems
• Visual Communication
• Science, Health, Environment, and Crisis Communication
• News Content and Effects

Media and Information

• Social Media and Social Computing
• Human-computer Interaction, Games and Meaningful Play
• Management Info System (policy and economics)
• Health (media, ICT and development)

Learn more about the collaborative labs and learning spaces in our college

We're focused on many different areas of research, doctoral students and their work, gain insight into their studies, see what the students have been up to, here's where our doctoral students are working now.

Additional information about the Information and Media Ph.D. program may be obtained from:

Patricia Huddleston, Ph.D. Information and Media Ph.D. Program Director [email protected] (517) 353-9907 College of Communication Arts and Sciences 404 Wilson Road, Room 304 Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan 48824

Department of Economics

PhD Programs

• Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program in MSU’s Department of Economics is a leader in economic research and training, routinely being ranked between the 25th and 35th best economics departments in the United States according to U.S. News & World Report. According to the current Research Papers in Economics (RePEc) rankings, MSU is 24 th in the United States and is in the top-three in the Big 10 in Econometrics, International, Labor, Micro, and Public. For additional rankings, see the  American Economic Association .

We recognize that the best education comes from building a strong theoretical and econometrics foundation and working closely with faculty members and fellow classmates. As a department, we have taken steps to maximize these opportunities by offering competitive support packages, keeping field class sizes small, and fostering a collaborative environment within and between cohorts.

Our goal is that students will leave MSU with the research tools, experience, and professional network necessary to succeed in their desired careers. Recent graduates have gone on to work in tenure-track positions at top research institutions (Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Arizona, Oregon State, Iowa State, Melbourne, Essex), top government agencies (Census, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Food and Drug Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Government Accountability Office), and top private sector firms (Abt, Amazon, Citi, J.P. Morgan, Mathematica).

• Dual Doctoral Degrees

Course Selection

While our course selection changes from year to year, we have structured the program so that we can offer at least one course in all of our primary fields each year:

• Microeconomic Theory
• Macroeconomics
• Development
• Econometrics
• Environmental and Resource
• Industrial Organization
• International Trade

In addition to working on topics in these primary fields, we frequently have students working in secondary fields, including Aging, Behavioral, Education, and Health. Please see Michigan State University's  schedule of courses for a complete and up-to-date course offering.

Funding Information

All admitted students are automatically considered for funding and fellowships. In recent years, all admitted students received some form of funding, ranging from university-wide fellowships that require no teaching to teaching and research assistantships. We will communicate a student’s funding offer in the official admissions offer letter.

For more information, please contact Scott Imberman , Director of Graduate Studies, or Jay Feight , Graduate Program Coordinator. 

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Curriculum & Coursework

Our programs are full-time degree programs which officially begin in August. Students are expected to complete their program in five years. Typically, the first two years are spent on coursework, at the end of which students take a field exam, and then another three years on dissertation research and writing.

The Marketing program draws on computer science, economics, behavioral science, and psychological methods to focus on marketing problems faced by the firm and its management. Through a combination of discipline- and field-based methods, the curriculum enables students to master concepts and research skills directly relevant to business problems. Candidates must come to understand the point of view of practicing managers and be able to bring theory and careful research to bear in illuminating important business problems.

The program requires a minimum of 13 semester-long doctoral courses. Students in the Marketing program are required to complete a year-long discipline sequence typically in microeconomics or psychology. They also complete courses in the areas of machine learning, computer science, statistics, research methods, academic field seminars, and two MBA elective curriculum courses. In addition to HBS courses, students often take courses at other Harvard Schools and MIT.

Research & Dissertation

Students in Marketing begin research in their first year typically by working with a faculty member. By their third and fourth years, most students are launched on a solid research and publication stream. The dissertation may take the form of three publishable papers or one longer dissertation.

Recent examples of doctoral thesis research include: The effects of brand extensions on the value of parent brands; Multi-method examination of the consumption of “knockoffs” of high status brands, and the counter-intuitive positive outcomes for consumer-brand relationships; Competitive analysis of pricing and quality decisions in industries with strictly complimentary products; The psychological effects of pricing, and how these affect consumers and firms; and "Choice amnesia," the motivated forgetting of difficult decisions.

Mengjie "Magie" Cheng

Ta-Wei "David" Huang

“ Finding an advisor who you really click with and who is willing to support your research interests is absolutely key. ”

Current HBS Faculty

• Tomomichi Amano
• Eva Ascarza
• Max H. Bazerman
• David E. Bell
• Alison Wood Brooks
• Julian De Freitas
• Rohit Deshpande
• Anita Elberse
• Sunil Gupta
• Ayelet Israeli
• Leslie K. John
• Elizabeth A. Keenan
• Edward McFowland III
• Navid Mojir
• Das Narayandas
• Michael I. Norton
• V. Kasturi Rangan
• Isamar Troncoso
• Jeremy Yang
• Shunyuan Zhang

Current Marketing Students

• Stuti Agarwal
• Mengjie (Magie) Cheng
• Jingpeng Hong
• Ta-Wei (David) Huang
• Sihan Zhai

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, jimin nam, 2024, byungyeon kim, 2022, emily prinsloo, 2023, ximena garcia-rada, 2021, serena hagerty, 2022, dafna goor, 2020.

Office of Admissions

  Interested in a marketing degree?    The marketing major curriculum emphasizes the understanding of marketing concepts and tools to achieve business objectives using analysis, planning, implementation and control techniques, and integration of marketing with other business functions and societal processes. Career opportunities include marketing management, market research, industrial sales, sales management, business development, retail management and many other areas.    MSU’s undergraduate program in marketing is ranked as a top 15 U.S. public program by U.S. News & World Report. MSU graduates with a marketing degree go on to do amazing things!

College of Business Admission Process First-year business applicants are first reviewed by the Office of Admissions for admissibility to the university. Then they are reviewed by the Broad College of Business for direct admission to the College of Business. During this time, the student's major will appear as business preference in their account (no additional action is required). The Broad College of Business has a competitive admission program with limited space for direct admission. There are two pathways for admission:

• Direct admission  from high school
• Secondary admission  for current MSU students

ALUMNI PURSUITS

Graduates with a marketing degree pursue careers in marketing management, market research, industrial sales, retail and sales management, and more.

Alumni work at: 

• Doner Company
• General Motors
• Ford Motor Company
• FCA-North America
• Whirlpool Corporation
• Kellogg Company

Alumni work as: 

• Marketing directors
• Marketing managers
• Digital marketing managers 
• Consultants
• Communication specialists

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Visit Broad College of Business More information on Marketing View courses

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• PhD in Marketing

The PhD Program in Marketing prepares students for an intellectually challenging career in academia.

The PhD Program in Marketing prepares students for an intellectually challenging career in academia. Our program has a strong emphasis on conducting original research along with preparing students to publish in academic journals at the highest level. Over the course of the program, students will be exposed to a broad range of topics in the field of marketing, and we encourage students to find a research area that best fits their interests.

Our program is purposely small and very selective, so we are able to have a one-on-one relationship with our doctoral students, thus providing a richer academic experience. MSU's PhD program is built around a mentor/apprentice relationship where students have ample opportunity to be involved in research projects with faculty. Along with our research focus, MSU is committed to educating doctoral students to excel in teaching and instruction. Our objective is for students to be fully prepared to handle the research and teaching requirements in a university setting.

Program Overview

The minimum course requirements for completing the Marketing PhD program consist of the following:

• 24 semester hours of marketing course work
• 18 semester hours of quantitative analysis
• Nine semester hours in a minor area 

Up to six graduate credit hours of prior coursework can be applied to your program of study with the consent of the PhD program coordinator. Typically, students should expect to spend the first two years completing academic coursework and developing a required, independent research paper. At the beginning of the third year, students must pass a written comprehensive exam covering the content of their coursework. The student will then be responsible for developing a research idea for a dissertation. The proposal of the dissertation idea will need the approval of a student's dissertation committee. Finally, the student will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data to satisfy the requirements for the final dissertation defense. The length of a student's program is usually four years.

We typically admit two highly qualified students a year. Admission to the PhD program takes place only in the fall semester. The deadline to submit an application is January 15th each year. Criteria for admission is based on the applicant's previous GPA, GMAT (or GRE) score, previous work history, letters of recommendation, and the number of qualified applicants received. We prefer students to have a 3.2 GPA in their last 60 hours of coursework completed. International applicants that do not hold a degree from an English-speaking country must also submit a TOEFL score.

For specific information about the Marketing PhD program at Mississippi State University, please contact the coordinator,  Dr. Mike Breazeale .

Visit MSU's Office of the Graduate School website for information on admission requirements for US students and International students . 

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Ph.D. in Marketing

Program information.

The University of Kansas doctoral program in marketing aims to prepare students for academic careers at tier 1 research universities. Faculty members closely supervise doctoral students pursuing their doctorate in one of the two tracks offered: consumer behavior or quantitative.

Each student is assigned an academic advisor, who guides the student in course selection and other general academic requirements. Students will begin to collaborate with faculty members on research projects early in the doctoral program, enabling them to have more than one paper under advanced review at premier marketing journals as they begin the job search in their penultimate year in the program.

Application deadlines

Priority: December 15

Final: January 10

• Application requirements

The marketing department has young and dynamic faculty, dedicated to producing high-quality research that is published in top-tier marketing and interdisciplinary journals. Students will begin to collaborate with faculty members on research projects early in the doctoral program.

Part of our mission is to develop effective teachers. To that end, all doctoral students are required to teach at least two sections as independent instructors. The school and university prepare and reward doctoral students for excellence in teaching through various programs and awards.

Program details

Major courses.

MKTG 901: Research Methods in Marketing

MKTG 951: Consumer Behavior

MKTG 952: Introduction to Marketing Models

MKTG 957: Managerial Issues in Marketing

Consumer Behavior tool courses

BE 917: Advanced Managerial Econ OR ECON 700: Survey of Microeconomics

BSAN 920: Probability for Business Research OR MATH 727: Probability Theory

BSAN 921: Statistics for Business Research

PSYC 791: Statistical Methods in Psychology II

PSYC 818: Experimental Research Methods in Social Psychology

PSYC 894: Multilevel Modeling

Consumer Behavior supporting courses

Choose at least five of the following courses, with advisor's approval.

PSYC 723: Advanced Cognitive Psychology

PSYC 725: Cognitive Neuroscience

PSYC 735: Psycholinguistics I

PSYC 774: Advanced Social Psychology I

PSYC 775: Advanced Social Psychology II

PSYC 787: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Gerontology and Aging

PSYC 896: Structural Equation Modeling I

PSYC 933: Seminar: The Measurement of Attitudes

PSYC 991: Longitudinal Data Analysis

Courses outside the list below may also be considered, with advisor's approval.

Quantitative tool courses

BSAN 921: Statistics for Bus. Res. OR MATH 728: Statistical Theory

BSAN 922: Advanced Regression

ECON 817: Econometrics I

ECON 818: Econometrics II

Quantitative supporting courses

BE 917: Advanced Managerial Econ OR ECON 730: Topics in Industrial Org

ECON 800: Optimization Techniques I

ECON 801: Microeconomics I

ECON 809: Optimization Techniques II

EECS 836: Machine Learning OR  EECS 837: Data Mining

EECS 839: Mining Special Data

BIOS 902: Bayesian Statistics

Other substitional courses for the above supporting courses may be from the list below with advisor's approval:

ECON 916: Advanced Econometrics II (Time Series, VAR models)

EECS 649: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

More information:

View a detailed list of courses in the Academic Catalog .

Requirements

Area of concentration.

Each aspirant, with the assistance of his or her faculty advisor and the area faculty, selects an area of concentration.

The area of concentration is selected from the traditional business disciplines of accounting, analytics, information, and operations, finance, human resource management, marketing, organizational behavior, and strategic management. An aspirant may also propose an interdisciplinary area of concentration that is a combination of these disciplines or include emphasis such as international business, law, and economics.

The aspirant must take at least five advanced courses in the area of concentration. These courses may include those offered outside the School of Business.

Supporting areas

Coursework in the area of concentration is supplemented and strengthened by study in one or two supporting areas. A supporting area is one that supplements and complements the area of concentration.

The aspirant will satisfy the supporting area requirement by taking at least four advanced courses in the supporting areas (at least two courses in each of two supporting areas, or at least four courses in one supporting area). Courses recommended for preparation for the qualifiers may not be included in satisfying the supporting area requirement.

Research methodology

For successful qualifier assessment, the student’s program of study should include adequate preparation in research methodology.

Sound research is always grounded on sound methodology. A doctoral student in marketing has the opportunity to develop methodological skill in probability and statistics, optimization, uncertain reasoning, game theory, and econometrics. A typical doctoral dissertation often utilizes one or more of the following research methodology: empirical, analytical, behavioral, and computational.

• Comprehensive exams
• Dissertation proposal
• Dissertation defense

Some students can complete the program in four years.

Program faculty

• Assistant Professor
• Marketing and Business Law academic area

• Area Director, Marketing and Business Law
• Crown/Sherr Professor

• Dean's/Frank S. Pinet Professor

• Associate Professor

• Ned N. Fleming Professor

• AT&T Foundation Professor

Marketing doctoral students

• Ph.D. Student

• Ph.D. Candidate

College of Business News

"Think Bigger and Bolder"

COB graduate and roller-coaster enthusiast helps families make lifelong memories

Alumnus Dalton Fischer finds success in the themed entertainment industry.

June 27, 2024 by Shania Dedigama

Dalton Fischer’s fascination with theme parks began when he was a child, fueled by an early encounter with the simulation game, RollerCoaster Tycoon.  

Thanks to a quality undergraduate education in the College of Business at Missouri State University — and his persistent attitude — Fischer found a fulfilling job in his dream industry.  

He serves as communications manager for the Silver Dollar City (SDC) Company, which includes an internationally awarded 1880s-style theme park, Showboat Branson Belle dinner cruise, White Water outdoor water park and SDC Campground in Branson.  

An MSU education  

Hailing from Butler, Missouri, Fischer came to Missouri State in 2014 to study marketing. He graduated in 2017 with a BS in Marketing , specializing in sales .    

While at MSU, Fischer took advantage of many opportunities the university offered.  

“I became a member of Theta Chi Fraternity (MSU’s Iota Beta chapter) and started MSU’s Themed Entertainment Association . This association aimed at building awareness  of the themed entertainment industry and providing interested students a forum to share ideas and build their understanding of the industry from a global perspective,” Fischer said.  

 His educational journey at MSU continues as he pursues a graduate degree.  

“ I’m currently finishing my online MBA . If all goes according to plan, I’ll graduate in spring 2025,” Fischer said.   

The path to SDC   

During hi s interview, the hiring manager strongly encouraged him to instead consider a publicity internship and that day phoned the senior publicist to get the ball rolling.  

“I got the position, and the rest is history at the park!” Fischer said.  

An expert in marketing and communications   

As SDC’s communications manager since 2023, Fischer plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s narrative and engaging with diverse audiences.   

From orchestrating press conferences for new attractions to cultivating media relationships, Fischer’s responsibilities encompass a variety of tasks aimed at enhancing SDC’ s brand visibility and  reputation.  

These include pitching newsworthy content to the media, hosting media visits and interviews, assisting with crisis communications, producing content for the content team, writing and distributing press releases and maintaining the company’s online press releases.  

“One of my favorite aspects of my position is crafting our capital and product announcements for the park. I’ve been fortunate to work on our press conferences and communications strategies for various rides and attractions,” Fischer said.   

Words of wisdom    

 Based on his experience, Fischer believes “ the only thing you can control is yourself.”  

“Know what the important things are in your studies, career and life. Worry about those things but stop worrying about things out of your control and things that don’t matter in the long-term,” he said.      

Learn more about the undergraduate marketing program