Graduate Certificate in Serious Games

Beginning in Fall 2012, Michigan State University will offer a fully online, three course graduate certificate in serious games.

The Graduate Certificate in Serious Games is designed for game industry professionals already versed in game design who want to expand their knowledge to the domain of serious games, professional educators and educational technology specialists who want to understand how and why games can be used for learning, and Michigan State University graduate students who would like to add expertise in serious games to their courses of study.

The certificate program exposes students to examples of the current state of the art in the different strands of serious games (games for learning, corporate training, newsgames, games for health, exergames, military games, and games for social change), distribution, and industry structure, theories to inform serious game design, and research methods for understanding players.

To be considered for admission into the Graduate Certificate in Serious Game Design and Research, applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree.

Students must complete both of the following courses (6 credits):

TC 830　 Foundations of Serious Games   3 (offered in spring)
TC 831　 Theories of Games and Interaction for Design  3 (offered in fall)

Students who are not concurrently enrolled in a graduate program must also complete the following 3 credit course

TC 841　 Understanding Users  3 (offered in fall)

Students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program may propose an alternative graduate research or methods course offered in their major in lieu of TC 841 that contributes to their expertise in serious game design and research in their chosen discipline.

Upon completion of the degree requirements for the Serious Game Design Certificate, the student should contact the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media and request certification for the completion of the certificate. After the Chairperson of the Department and the Dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences approve the certification, the Office of the Registrar will enter on the student’s academic record the name of the specialization and the date that it was completed. This certification will appear on the student’s transcript.