Academic Programs Catalog

College of Communication Arts and Sciences

Undergraduate Programs

Under the umbrella of Media and Information, one finds courses and programs focused on the design, production, management, and study of the effects of many forms of mediated communication as well as game design and interactive media.  As a result, students are exposed to and may focus on diverse areas such as the productions and management of virtual/augmented/extended reality and the societal impact of  social media, mobile communications, and the ever-changing forms of internet-based communication and information exchange. Two Bachelor of Arts degrees are available, as noted in the degree requirements below: 

Games and Interactive Media

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.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Games and Interactive Media
  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

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.


 

Minor in Game Design and Development

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

1. The following course (3 credits):
CAS 117 Games and Interactivity  3
2. Two of the following courses (6 credits):
CSE  232 Introduction to Programming II  4
CSE  331 Algorithms and Data Structures  3
CSE  335 Object-oriented Software Design  4
GD  360 Graphic Design I: Graphic Form 3
MI  227 Concept Design for Games, Film, and TV  3
MI  230 Game Design  3
MI  231 Game and Interactive Media Development  3
MI  247 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Design  3
STA  201 Fundamentals of Comic Art and Graphic Novels  3
STA  380 Electronic Art  3


Requirements for the Minor in Game Design and Development

Complete the following (15 credits):

1. All of the following courses (12 credits):
MI 445 Game Design and Development I 3
MI 455 Game Design and Development II 3
MI 497 Game Design Studio 3
MI 498 Collaborative Game Design (W) 3
2. Complete one of the following courses (3 credits):
CSE 422 Computer Networks 3
CSE 435 Software Engineering 3
CSE 440 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence 3
CSE 471 Media Processing and Multimedia Computing 3
CSE 472 Computer Graphics 3
CSE 476 Mobile Application Development 3
CSE 477 Web Application Architecture and Development 3
CSE 480 Database Systems 3
GD 460 Graphic Design II: Visual Communication 3
GD 462 Spatial Design 3
GD 468 Interaction Design 3
MI 327 Advanced Concept Design for Games, Film, and TV 3
MI 337 Compositing and Special Effects 3
MI 431 Advanced Game Development 3
MI 344 Sound Design for Cinema, Television, and Games 3
MI 347 Advanced Three-Dimensional Computer Animation 3
MI 349 Web Design and Development 3
MI 377 Advanced 3D Modeling 3
MI 447 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Animation Portfolio (W) 3
MI 449 Advanced Web Development and Database Management 3
MI 482 Building Virtual Worlds 3
MI 484 Building Innovative Interfaces 3
STA 301 Advanced Comic Art and Graphic Novels 3
STA 350 Figure Modeling 3
STA 351 Mixed Media and Installation 3
STA 380 Electronic Art 3
STA 384 Experiments in Digital Video 3
STA 385 Interactive Environments and Digital Fabrication  3

Minor in Information and Communication Technology and Development

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:
 

1. Two of the following courses (6 credits):
CSE 422 Computer Networks 3
CSE 425 Introduction to Computer Security 3
CSE 429 Interdisciplinary Topics in CyberSecurity 3
CSE 471 Media Processing and Multimedia Computing 3
ECE 404 Radio Frequency Electronic Circuits 4
ECE 442 Introduction to Communication Networks 3
ECE 457 Communication Systems 3
ECE 458 Communication Systems Laboratory 1
MI 201 Introduction to Media and Information Technologies and Industries 3
MI 361 IT Network Management and Security 3
MI 349 Web Design and Development 3
MI 362 Web Administration 3
MI 449 Advanced Web Development and Database Management 3
MI 462 Social Media and Social Computing 3
MI 472 Digital Business Commerce 3
Students may not select both Computer Science and Engineering 422 and Electrical and Computer Engineering 442 as these are equivalent courses.
2. One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits):
ANP 325 Anthropology of the Environment and Development 3
ANP 410 Anthropology of Latin America 3
ANP 414 Anthropology of South Asia 3
ANP 415 China: Culture and Society 3
ANP 416 Anthropology of Southern Africa 3
ANP 431 Gender, Environment, and Development 3
COM 391 Topics in Verbal, Intercultural, or Gender Communication 4
COM 399 Special Topics in Communication 3
EC 310 Economics of Developing Countries 3
EC 412 Economic Analysis of Latin America (W) 3
EC 413 Economic Analysis of Asia (W) 3
EC 414 Economic Analysis of Sub-Saharan Africa (W) 3
GEO 335 Geography of Latin America 3
GEO 337 Geography of Asia-Pacific 3
GEO 338 Geography of Africa 3
ISS 315 Global Diversity and Interdependence (I) 4
ISS 330A Africa: Social Science Perspectives (I) 4
ISS 330B Asia: Social Science Perspectives (I) 4
ISS 330C Latin America: Social Science Perspectives (I) 4
MC 320 Politics, Society, and Economy in the Third World 4
SOC 362 Developing Societies 3
Students selecting Communication 391 or 399 to fulfill this requirement must enroll in a section on intercultural or international communication.
3. The following courses (6 credits):
MI 480 Information and Communication Technologies and Development 3
MI 488 Information and Communication Technology Development Project (W) 3
Students should meet with the advisor for the minor to determine which of the region-specific sections will most effectively prepare them for field work.