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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Select Global Infrastructure Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Select Global Infrastructure Portfolio seeks to provide both capital appreciation and income.

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio. For shareholders of Class P and Class H shares, you may qualify for sales charge discounts if the cumulative net asset value ("NAV") of Class P or Class H shares of the Portfolio purchased in a single transaction, together with the NAV of all Class P or Class H shares of portfolios of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") or portfolios of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust held in related accounts, amounts to $25,000 or more with respect to Class P and $50,000 or more with respect to Class H. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial adviser and in the "Shareholder Information—How To Purchase Class P and Class H Shares" section on page 62 of this Prospectus.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 33% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 33.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.


The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Portfolio normally invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities issued by companies located throughout the world that are engaged in the infrastructure business. A company is considered to be in the infrastructure business if it derives at least 50% of its revenues or earnings from, or devotes at least 50% of its assets to, infrastructure-related activities. Infrastructure refers to the systems and networks of energy, transportation, communication and other services required for the normal function of society. The Portfolio's equity investments may include convertible securities. The Portfolio's investments may include securities of small and medium capitalization companies. The Portfolio may invest up to 100% of its net assets in foreign securities, which may include emerging market securities. Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests at least 40% of its assets in the securities of issuers located outside of the United States.


The Portfolio's Adviser and/or "Sub-Advisers," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited ("MSIM Limited") and Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company ("MSIM Company"), shift the Portfolio's assets between the different types of companies in the infrastructure business described above based on relative valuation, underlying company fundamentals, and demographic and macroeconomic considerations. Utility companies represent a significant component of the universe of companies engaged in the infrastructure business. These companies may include traditionally regulated public utilities or fully or partially deregulated utility companies as well as unregulated utility companies and energy-related and telecommunications-related companies. The Portfolio has a fundamental policy (i.e., one that cannot be changed without shareholder approval) of investing 25% or more of its assets in the utilities industry.


In selecting securities to buy, hold or sell for the Portfolio, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers actively manage the Portfolio using a combination of bottom-up and top-down methodologies. The value-driven approach to bottom-up security selection utilizes proprietary research models to identify infrastructure companies that offer the best value relative to their underlying assets and growth prospects. The top-down allocation provides exposure to major economic infrastructure sectors and countries, with an overweighting to those sectors/countries that offer the best relative valuation. The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers generally consider selling a portfolio holding when it determines that the holding no longer satisfies its investment criteria.

Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:


•  Infrastructure-Related Companies. Because the Portfolio focuses its investments in infrastructure-related companies, the Portfolio has greater exposure to the potential adverse economic, regulatory, political and other changes affecting such entities. Infrastructure-related companies are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, costs associated with compliance with and changes in environmental and other regulations, difficulty in raising capital in adequate amounts on reasonable terms in periods of high inflation and unsettled capital markets, the effects of surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services in a developing deregulatory environment, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors.


  Other factors that may affect the operations of infrastructure-related companies include innovations in technology, significant changes to the number of ultimate end-users of a company's products, increased susceptibility to terrorist acts, risks of environmental damage due to a company's operations or an accident, and general changes in market sentiment towards infrastructure and utilities assets.


•  Utilities Industry. Changing regulation constitutes one of the key industry-specific risks for the Portfolio. State and other regulators often monitor and control utility revenues and costs. Regulatory authorities also may restrict a company's access to new markets. The deregulation of certain utility companies may subject these companies to greater risks of loss. Individual sectors of the utility market are subject to additional risks. These risks apply to all utility companies—regulated, fully or partially deregulated, and unregulated.


  Certain utility companies may incur unexpected increases in fuel and other operating costs. They are adversely affected when long-term interest rates rise. Long-term borrowings are used to finance most utility investments, and rising interest rates lead to higher financing costs and reduced earnings. There are also considerable costs associated with environmental compliance, nuclear waste clean-up and safety regulation. Increasingly, regulators are calling upon electric utilities to bear these added costs, and there is a risk that these costs will not be fully recovered through an increase in revenues.


•  Equity Securities. In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.


•  Small and Medium Capitalization Companies. Investments in small and medium capitalization companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by small and medium capitalization companies may be less liquid, and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines, and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.


•  Foreign and Emerging Market Securities. Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates.


•  Non-Diversification. Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.


Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance Information
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one year period and since inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as a comparative sector index, over time. The performance of the other Classes, which is shown in the table below, will differ because the Classes have different ongoing fees. The Portfolio's returns in the table include the maximum applicable sales charge for Class P and Class H and assume you sold your shares at the end of each period (unless otherwise noted). The Portfolio's past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.morganstanley.com/im.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one year period and since inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as a comparative sector index, over time.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.morganstanley.com/im
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Portfolio's past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

High Quarter

 

12/31/11

   

11.15

%

 

Low Quarter

 

9/30/11

   

–6.54

%

 
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel High Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2011
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 11.15%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Low Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2011
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (6.54%)
Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads The Portfolio's returns in the table include the maximum applicable sales charge for Class P and Class H and assume you sold your shares at the end of each period (unless otherwise noted).
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Portfolio shares through tax deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text] rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown After-tax returns for the Portfolio's other Classes will vary from Class I shares' returns.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher After-tax returns may be higher than before-tax returns due to an assumed benefit from capital losses that would have been realized had Portfolio shares been sold at the end of the relevant periods, as applicable.
Performance Table Closing [Text Block] rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns for the Portfolio's other Classes will vary from Class I shares' returns. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Portfolio shares through tax deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns may be higher than before-tax returns due to an assumed benefit from capital losses that would have been realized had Portfolio shares been sold at the end of the relevant periods, as applicable.

Caption rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption Average Annual Total Returns (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012)
Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure IndexSM (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, Past One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 16.01% [1]
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 15.90% [1]
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 20, 2010 [1]
S&P Global BMI Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, Past One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 17.15% [2]
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 8.25% [2]
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 20, 2010 [2]
CLASS H
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 4.75%
Advisory Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.85%
Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fee rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 1.54%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 2.64% [3]
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (1.24%) [3]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.40% [3]
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text] rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts For shareholders of Class P and Class H shares, you may qualify for sales charge discounts if the cumulative net asset value ("NAV") of Class P or Class H shares of the Portfolio purchased in a single transaction, together with the NAV of all Class P or Class H shares of portfolios of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") or portfolios of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust held in related accounts, amounts to $25,000 or more with respect to Class P and $50,000 or more with respect to Class H.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount 50,000
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 611
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 897
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 1,204
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 2,075
Average Annual Returns, Past One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 12.26%
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 14.48%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 20, 2010
CLASS I
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Advisory Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.85%
Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fee rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 1.54%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 2.39% [3]
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (1.24%) [3]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.15% [3]
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 117
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 365
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 633
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,398
Annual Return 2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 15.95%
Annual Return 2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 18.21%
Average Annual Returns, Past One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 18.21%
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 17.29%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 20, 2010
CLASS I | After Taxes on Distributions
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, Past One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 17.59%
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 16.51%
CLASS I | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, Past One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 13.29%
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 14.86%
CLASS L
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Advisory Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.85%
Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fee rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.75%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 1.54%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 3.14% [3]
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (1.24%) [3]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.90% [3]
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 193
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 597
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 1,026
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 2,222
Average Annual Returns, Past One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 17.31%
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 16.42%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 20, 2010
CLASS P
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 5.25%
Advisory Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.85%
Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fee rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 1.54%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 2.64% [3]
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (1.24%) [3]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.40% [3]
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text] rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts For shareholders of Class P and Class H shares, you may qualify for sales charge discounts if the cumulative net asset value ("NAV") of Class P or Class H shares of the Portfolio purchased in a single transaction, together with the NAV of all Class P or Class H shares of portfolios of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") or portfolios of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust held in related accounts, amounts to $25,000 or more with respect to Class P and $50,000 or more with respect to Class H.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount 25,000
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 660
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 945
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 1,251
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 2,117
Average Annual Returns, Past One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 11.64% [4]
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 14.26% [4]
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 20, 2010 [4]
[1] The Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure IndexSM is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that measures the stock performance of companies that exhibit strong infrastructure characteristics. The Index intends to measure all sectors of the infrastructure market. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
[2] The Standard & Poor's Global BMI Index (S&P Global BMI Index) is a broad market index designed to capture exposure to equities in all countries in the world that meet minimum size and liquidity requirements. As of the date of this Prospectus, there are approximately 11,000 index members representing 26 developed and 20 emerging market countries. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
[3] The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.15% for Class I, 1.40% for Class P, 1.40% for Class H and 1.90% for Class L. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.
[4] The historical performance of Class P shares has been restated to reflect the current maximum initial sales charge of 5.25%.