Michigan State University

Michigan State University delivers game design, interactive media, and virtual reality coursework through the Department of Media and Information within the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. The curriculum combines technical programming with creative art, preparing students for commercial entertainment and serious game development.

Undergraduate Game Production

The Bachelor of Arts in Games and Interactive Media serves as the primary undergraduate route. Applicants must satisfy prerequisite coursework in practical computing and algebra before enrolling. Once admitted, undergraduates select concentrations in Game Design, Game Development, or Games Graphics and Animation.

A central component of the major is a two-year, cohort-based interdisciplinary sequence. This track unites students from media and information, computer science, and studio art to build games in team-based studio environments. Working through full production pipelines, cohorts develop project management skills, manage technical documentation and asset budgets, and produce complete playable titles, including projects like the multiplayer game Plunder Panic.

Studio courses integrate standard production tools, utilizing game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity alongside 3D modeling and texturing applications including Autodesk Maya, ZBrush, SketchUp, Substance Painter, and Adobe Photoshop.

Research and Production Laboratories

MSU houses dedicated laboratory environments that support both applied game development and interactive media research:

• GEL Lab: The Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab operates as an active production studio supported by external research grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Senior undergraduates and graduate students develop prototypes and completed serious games addressing healthcare, education, and nuclear science.
• SPARTIE Lab: The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects Lab investigates the social dynamics of virtual reality. Courses affiliated with the lab frequently meet directly inside VR headsets to evaluate user behavior and presence in shared digital spaces.

Graduate Studies and Online Options

At the graduate level, the university offers a Master of Arts in Media and Information focusing on game design and human-computer interaction. Distance learners can access a fully online Master of Science in User Experience as well as an online Serious Game Design Certificate, both structured to accommodate remote study in digital design principles and interactive media evaluation.