MA Certificate – How to Apply for certificate-only students

How to Apply (for fully online certificate students not otherwise enrolled at MSU)

Interested students should contact the Serious Game Certificate program faculty coordinator, Professor Carrie Heeter (heeter@msu.edu). Up to 20 students per year will be accepted into the certificate program.

*The deadline by which applications must be processed and complete for admission in Spring 2014 is November 15, 2013.
*The deadline by which applications must be processed and complete for admission in Fall 2013 is June 1, 2013.

Certificate Tuition and Fees, 2013 Calendar

Visit this page for details on tuition and fees and the university calendar for 2013.

How to Apply:

To start the application process, it is recommended that you fill in this form and submit it for review by Professor Heeter, and that you also initiate a formal application through MSU admissions (links provided below). The process takes time, so the sooner you start, the better.

All three courses can be taken as fully online classes.   In order to enroll in these classes and earn the certificate, prospective international and domestic students will need to enroll in Michigan State University as “graduate certificate” students and to enter the program code 1497 for the Graduate Certificate in Serious Game Design and Research.

Here are the details of enrolling in our certificate program.

Fill out the form below OR email Dr. Carrie Heeter (heeter@msu.edu) to express your interest in enrolling in the Certificate Program.

Go to https://admissions.msu.edu/Apply.asp and apply as a “graduate certificate” student.

On the Application & Request Info page, choose your status (Domestic or International) and choose Graduate Certificate. Complete application and submit with $50 payment.  Be sure to enter the program code “1497 Graduate Certificate Program in Serious Game Design and Research” (it will appear in a popup list under Other Information on about page 3 of the application.IMPORTANT: The application form currently includes many fields that are not required. If you are a distant student who does not intend to move to campus, it is OK to skip or leave the following blank:

  • When it asks for Current Visa Application, say “On-line certificate”
  • When it asks for intended visa classification for study at MSU also say, “On-line certificate”
  • There is no need to enter the name of the parent or guardian nor their address
  • For your major preference say 1497 (that’s the code for serious game design)
  • you do not need to enter the number of credits for your prior degrees.
  • You do not need to answer whether you have taken or planned to take any courses in any college before entering MSU.
  • You do not need to answer how many college credits will you have attempted before entering MSU.
  • You do not need to include a personal statement. Nor topic.
  • International students from countries where English is not the native language will be required to take the TOEFL test. However, you don’t need to enter the scores when you complete and submit your initial application. You would have the results sent directly to the Serious Games Graduate Certificate Program Coordinator(see address below)
  • You do not need to enter dependent information

After you have completed your Admissions application, you should automatically be taken to GIMS (Graduate Information Management System), where you will create an account, select the SGD certificate code option, and fill out the GIMS app as instructed.
(https://www.gims.msu.edu/gims/welcome.do)

Note that, like the university admissions form, there is a prompt asking students to submit letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are NOT required for admission into the SGD program.  As a workaround, please click the optional statement “letters sent to the Department directly” which will override that part of the application.

Request an official and original Degree Granting Transcript (confirming completion of bachelors degree) be sent directly from the granting institution to the following address: (the transcript must come directly from the degree granting institution to MSU!)

Serious Games Graduate Certificate Program
Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media
College of Communication Arts and Sciences
Michigan State University
404 Wilson Road, Room 409
East Lansing, MI 48824-1212

Once the Department receives the application and transcripts, the material will be forwarded to Dr. Carrie Heeter for review.

Dr. Heeter will provide the admission recommendation information to the Serious Games Graduate Certificate Program Coordinator. A Graduate Certificate Recommended Action Form will then be completed, and along with your transcripts, it will be sent to the Office of Admissions for processing. Once reviewed and approved by the Office of Admission, you will be formally notified of your acceptance by the University and provided with information on how to enroll in courses.

After you receive your formal admission notice you will be able to enroll for the courses. Please refer to the Student Accounts Office at http://ctlr.msu.edu/COStudentAccounts/Tuition_Fees.aspx for current tuition and fee information.

Requesting your Certificate Transcript:

1. Once you have completed the certificate requirements, apply for graduation at http://reg.msu.edu/StuForms/GradApp/GradApp.asp.

2.  A program certification form for the certificate will be processed and sent to the TISM department for review and approval and sent to the Degree Certification for processing.

3. Once confirmed and processed by the Degree Certification Office, the certificate program will be noted as complete and appear on your final program transcripts.

If you decide to pursue a graduate degree from Michigan State University, including an MA in Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media (http://tc.msu.edu/academic-programs/graduate  ) or a Master’s of Educational Technology (MAET) (http://edutech.msu.edu/programs/masters), you may transfer up to 9 credits of lifelong learning towards the degree.  All three Serious Game departmental certificate courses would count towards the requirements of either program.