Academic Programs Catalog

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Games and Interactive Media create and examine the design process, production, management, artistry, and effects of video games, board games, AR/VR, and emerging interactive media. Faculty will mentor students in the learning process to think critically about and design innovative games that serve to entertain, educate, and address societal concerns.

Students will be prepared for careers within industry that include an ever-evolving array of project managers, programmers, 3D artists and animators, concept artists, storytelling/narrative writers, and designers of characters, virtual/augmented reality, and immersive content.

Admission

To be admitted to the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Games and Interactive Media, students must have:

1. Completed 28 credits.
2. Completed the following courses with a combined minimum grade-point average of 2.5:
   CAS    116    Media Sketching and Graphics                 3
   CAS    117    Games and Interactivity                            3
   MI        101    Understanding Media and Information     3
   MTH    103    College Algebra                                        3
   Or
   MTH    116    College Algebra and Trigonometry           5
3. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.0.

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of the catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Games and Interactive Media.
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Games and Interactive Media major is met by completing one of the following courses: Media and Information 402, 430, 447, 477, 482, 484, 486, or 498 .  Those courses are referenced in item 3. below.
2. The requirements of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences for the Bachelor of Arts degree.
3. The following requirements for the major (36 credits):

   a.	All of the following courses (12 credits):
   	CAS	116	Media Sketching and Graphics						3
   	CAS	117	Games and Interactivity						3
   	MI	101	Understanding Media and Information						3
   	MI	339	Games and Society						3
   b.	Two of the following courses (6 credits):
   	MI	201	Introduction to Information Science						3
   	MI	220	Methods for Understanding Users						3
   	MI	301	Bringing Media to Market						3
   	MI	305	Media and Information Policy						3
   	MI	355	Media and Information Research						3
   c.	Six courses with four courses from the same focus area and at least one course from a different focus area (18 credits):
   	Game Design
   	MI	230	Game Design						3
   	MI	330	Game Level Design						3
   	MI	332	Game Interface Design						3
   	MI	334	eSports and Online Broadcasting						3
   	MI	344	Sound Design for Cinema, Television, and Games						3
   	MI	402	Topics in Game Studies						3
   	MI	430	Game Writing (W)						3
   	MI	445	Game Design and Development I						3
   	MI	455	Game Design and Development II						3
   	MI	482	Building Virtual Worlds (W)						3
   	MI	486	Serious Game Design (W)						3
   	MI	497	Game Design Studio						3
   	MI	498	Collaborative Game Design (W)						3
   	Games Graphics and Animation
   	MI	227	Concept Design for Games, Film, and TV						3
   	MI	247	Three-Dimensional Graphics and Design						3
   	MI	327	Advanced Concept Design for Games, Film, and TV						3
   	MI	337	Compositing and Special Effects						3
   	MI	347	Advanced Three-Dimensional Computer Animation						3
   	MI	377	Advanced 3D Modeling						3
   	MI	447	Graphics and Animation Portfolio (W)						3
   	MI	477	Character Design (W)						3
   	Game Development
   	CSE	231	Introduction to Programming I						4
   	CSE	232	Introduction to Programming II						4
   	MI	231	Game and Interactive Media Development						3
   	MI	349	Web Design and Development						3
   	MI	431	Advanced Game Development						3
   	MI	449	Advanced Web Development and Database Management						3
   	MI	482	Building Virtual Worlds (W)						3
   	MI	484	Building Innovative Interfaces (W)						3
   	MTH	314	Matrix Algebra with Computational Applications						3
   d.	Media and Information (MI) Electives.
   	Additional credits in department courses can be taken as electives. Special topics (MI 491) and Internships (MI 493) are encouraged for experiential learning opportunities. Students interested in pursuing a minor should contact the Academic and Student Affairs Office in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

Information Science students will focus on the relationship between information, technology, and people, and therefore be equipped for jobs emerging from the growing information, technology and knowledge economy.  Students will design technologies from a human-centered perspective, organize and manage groups of people using information technologies, understand how modern technologies are shaping society, and govern the role that these technologies play in our world.

This degree uniquely prepares  graduates by focusing on: 1) understanding and harnessing the power of media through interdisciplinary artistic, qualitative, and quantitative methodological approaches and theoretical perspectives, 2) using the design process to inform the creative act and fuel innovation using current and emerging media technologies, 3) using media to address pressing social issues and other meaningful themes, 4) gaining fluency with the tools, practice, and techniques used in the creation of current and emerging mediated experiences, and 5) interpreting and critiquing media in the context of audiences, users, historical precedents, socio-cultural patterns of use, and ethical implications of technologies. 

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Information Science

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of the catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Information Science.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Information Science major is met by completing one of the following courses: Media and Information 401, 450, or 488.  Those courses are referenced in item 3. below.
2. The requirements of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences for the Bachelor of Arts degree.
3. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	All of the following core courses (9 credits):
   	MI	101	Understanding Media and Information						3
   	MI	201	Introduction to information Science						3
   	MI	304	Information and Society						3
   b.	Two of the following methods courses (6 credits):
   	MI	220	Methods of Understanding Users						3
   	MI	320	Reasoning with Data						3
   	MI	355	Media and Information Research						3
   	MI	425	Advanced Data Analysis						3
   c.	Six courses from the following focus areas with at least four courses in the same focus area and at least one course from a different focus area (18 credits):
   	Human-Centered Technologies
   	MI	250	Introduction to Applied Programming						3
   	MI	349	Web Design and Development						3
   	MI	350	Evaluating Human-Centered Technology						3
   	MI	420	Interactive Prototyping						3
   	MI	449	Advanced Web Development and Database Management						3
   	MI	450	Creating Human-Centered Technology (W)						3
   	Media and Information
   	ITM	444	Information Technology Project Management						3
   	MI	349	Web Design and Development						3
   	MI	360	Media and Information Management						3
   	MI	361	IT Network Management and Security						3
   	MI	401	Topics in Information Science (W)						3
   	MI	449	Advanced Web Development and Database Management						3
   	MI	452	Media Entrepreneurship and Business Strategies						3
   	MI	462	Social Media and Social Computing						3
   	MI	472	Digital Business and Commerce						3
   	Information and Society
   	MI	239	Digital Footprints: Privacy and Online Behavior						3
   	MI	302	Networks, Markets, and Society						3
   	MI	305	Media and Information Policy						3
   	MI	401	Topics in Information Science (W)						3
   	MI	462	Social Media and Social Computing						3
   	MI	480	Information and Communication Technologies and Development						3
   	MI	488	Information and Communication Technology Development Project (W)						3
   d.	Media and Information (MI) Electives.
   	Additional credits in department courses can be taken as electives outside the above requirements. No more than 60 credits can be taken within the college. Students are encouraged to pursue an optional transcriptable concentration or a department-affiliated minor to complement their major. Minors may be chosen from fiction filmmaking, documentary production, game design and development, information technology, or information and communication technology and development. Special topics and internships are also encouraged through enrollment in MI 491 and MI 493. Students interested in pursuing a concentration or minor should contact the Academic and Students Affairs Office in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

The Minor in Game Design and Development complements the depth of knowledge students acquire in their majors with a multidisciplinary understanding of game design and development. Students learn the foundations and develop core competencies in their primary area of study and broaden their horizons as interdisciplinary team members, learning game design theories and principles, collaborating on the design and development of game projects, and engaging in active learning and authentic, situated creative problem-solving.

The minor, which is administered by the Department of Media and Information, is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in the Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science , the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Studio Art, the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design, or the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Arts and Information at Michigan State University.

Students from the above named majors are eligible to apply for the minor if they have completed or are currently enrolled in the prerequisites as listed below. 

To apply, students must submit an application stating their interest in the minor and a portfolio demonstrating their expertise in media design, computer science, or art. Applications are due by the tenth week of the spring semester. Depending on the number of students applying, oral interviews may be requested. Academic performance will also be considered.

Students accepted into the minor may begin the minor in the subsequent fall semester. The advisor for the game design and development minor must approve the student's program of study.

Prerequisites

Requirements for the Minor in Game Design and Development

Complete the following (15 credits):

The Minor in Information and Communication Technology and Development focuses on the role of information and communication technology in fostering economic, social, and environmental change in developing countries. Students will gain a theoretical and practical background in the challenges and opportunities for deploying information and communication technology infrastructure The program culminates in a field-based experience during which students implement an innovative project in a developing country as part of a study abroad program or execute a project in an underprivileged rural or urban region of the United States.

The Minor in Information and Communication Technology and Development is administered by the Department of Media and Information and is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University.

The minor is open to sophomores, juniors, or seniors in good academic standing.

Students who are interested in the minor must submit an application essay describing their interest in the minor and any applicable prior course work or work experience. Applications must be submitted by the second week of the fall or spring semester. Students accepted into the program may begin in either the following fall or spring semester.

With the approval of the department or school and college that administers the student’s degree program, courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor for the minor.

Requirements for the Minor in Information and Communication Technology and Development

Students must complete a minimum of 15 credits selected from the following:
 

The Master of Arts program in Media and Information prepares students for a broad range of professional positions in the fast-growing media and information sector. The flexible curriculum allows students to put together a customized program of study or to focus in one of three high-demand careers: user experience, management of media and information industries, and transmedia production (with an emphasis on film and/or games). The degree program also prepares students for further study at the doctoral level. Upon completion of this degree program graduates should possess a broad disciplinary base in the theory, methods, technology, design, and management of media and information in organizations and society.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

Admission is determined by an evaluation of information regarding the applicant's academic record, goals and interests, experience, personal references, and other materials submitted as indicators of intellectual promise.

A bachelor's degree is required. As an interdisciplinary program, multiple backgrounds are suitable for admission to this program. Although evidence other than grades influences the admission decision, the department uses the following guideline: students whose grade–point averages for the third and fourth years of undergraduate study are 3.25 or better are admitted to regular status. Students whose grade–point averages are below 3.25 may be admitted to provisional status. Students whose grade–point averages are below 3.00 are rarely admitted.

Students may enter the program either during fall or the spring semester. However, it is highly recommended that students start their program in the fall. Additional current information may be obtained from the department’s general Web site (mi.msu.edu) or its dedicated Web site for the graduate program (gradstudies.mi.msu.edu) or the Director of Graduate Studies.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Media and Information

A minimum of 30 credits is required for the master’s degree in media and information under either Plan A (with thesis) or Plan B (without thesis).The student's program of study must be approved by the student's academic advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

The Graduate Certificate in Serious Game Design and Research 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 graduate students who would like to add expertise in serious games to their courses of study. The certificate program exposes students to the state of the art in different strands of serious games such as games for learning, corporate training, newsgames, games for health, exergames, military games, and games for social change; distribution; industry structure; and theories and methods of game design

Admission

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

Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Serious Game Design and Research

Students who are currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at MSU may substitute an alternative course for MI 841. This course must be related to the need for, or evaluation of, serious games. It must be selected to contribute to each student’s development of expertise and research in the chosen discipline. This alternative course must be approved by the advisor for the Graduate Certificate in Serious Game Design and Research.

The Master of Science degree in User Experience program will prepare students for many kinds of careers in human-computer interaction, user experience design, and human-centered research. The online Master of Science in User Experience program is designed to accelerate career prospects of early and mid-career professionals for leadership roles within information technology environments. The program will provide advanced user experience design training that integrates foundational human-computer interaction (HCI) knowledge with industry-relevant methods and social responsibility, which are necessary in the dynamic, agile IT development environment of the 21st century global workplace. 

Admission

Applications for admission to the program are reviewed by faculty who look for indications of a high probability of success. Such indications include a high level of academic performance, experience with educational technology, and consistency of professional goals with the objectives of the program.

To be considered for admission to the program, an applicant must:

1. Have earned a bachelor’s degree from a recognized, accredited educational institution.
2. Present evidence of competency in English, assessed with TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB scores, if English is not the first language.
3. Submit a letter of recommendation.
4. Submit official transcripts.
5. Submit a resume/CV and portfolio (optional).
6. Submit a 1-2 page statement describing the applicant’s background and interest in the program.
7. Submit both departmental and university application forms.

The Graduate Specialization in Management of Information Technology, which is administered by the Department of Media and Information, is available to students enrolled in the Master of Arts degree in Media and Information. With the approval of the student’s academic advisor, courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the specialization may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the master’s degree.

The specialization is intended for students who want to study the management of information technology, based upon a cooperation between the Department of Media and Information, and the Department of Accounting and Information Systems in the Eli Broad College of Business.

The specialization is designed to provide multiple perspectives on how information and communication technology affect the workplace, and how these technologies can be implemented in effective ways.  Students will train for roles in organizations where they will be designing, implementing and evaluating information and communication technology.  Areas of focus include business processes, the interaction of social and technical systems within organizations, design of information technology systems, and evaluation of technology within organizations.

Admission

Students must apply to the department in writing, and fill out a plan of study prior to admission to the specialization.

Requirements for the Graduate Specialization in Management of Information Technology

The Department of Media and Information participates in the doctoral program in Information and Media. This program is described under the College of Communication Arts and Sciences listing.