Ball State offers an 18-credit graduate certificate in emerging media design and development focused in three areas: design thinking, human-computer interaction, and cross-platform and transmedia storytelling.
Through applied research and cross-disciplinary project work, you will be trained in a diverse set of skills including interaction design, usability testing, product development, project management, and innovative storytelling.
The certificate program not only gives you the applied and theoretical skills necessary to work in emerging media, but also provides a foundation for the soft skills employers want, such as collaborative problem solving, design thinking, and applied research and development skills.
Mode of Delivery
This low-residency program is completed partially face-to-face and online. While the majority of your coursework will be online, five days at the start of each semester you will meet in-person in the Greater Indianapolis area to work in a small group setting with your professors and classmates.
This experience allows you the flexibility you need for your workplace, as well as the benefit of face-to-face interaction. The face-to-face sessions are held at Ball State’s Center for Academic and Economic Innovation at Launch Fishers, just a few miles north of Indianapolis (map).
The once-a-semester meetings have been grouped together and designed to fit as conveniently as possible around your work schedule.
You will meet:
- Wednesday from 3 to 8 p.m.
- Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to noon
The in-person coursework will both introduce the semester’s work and focus direct instruction on the courses being taught that semester. The remainder of the coursework will be done online through Canvas and using Google tools, including occasional video conferences with classmates and professors via Google Hangout.
Courses Requirements
You will take two classes per semester in the fall, spring, and summer. Or, you may opt to take one course at a time and spread over two years.
Fall
- EMDD 600 Usability and Evaluation Research Methods (3 credits)
- EMDD 620 Emerging Media and Design Thinking (3 credits)
Spring
- EMDD 610 Theories and Frameworks in Human-Computer Interaction (3 credits)
- EMDD 630 Nonlinear and Interactive Storytelling (3 credits)
Summer
- EMDD 640 Transmedia Storytelling and Publishing (3 credits)
- EMDD 650 Interactive Media Design and Development (3 credits)
Should you wish to take this certificate experience to the next level, all of these courses can be applied to the master's degree in emerging media design and development.
For a complete list of program requirements and courses, see the course catalog.
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International Applicants
If the degree is offered only in an online format, U.S. policies will not allow you to come to the U.S. and take only online courses. However, you may be able to study online from your home country.
International Students Studying Online Only
If you’re an international student, in addition to meeting the requirements above, you will first need to meet the admission requirements for international graduate students. For information about the international admission process, contact International Admissions.
If you are receiving sponsorship from your government for your studies, please confirm with your sponsor that you are permitted to enroll in online education courses. It is your responsibility to determine if you can enroll in online courses per your sponsor (if applicable), and the laws and policies of your nation and the United States.
International Students Studying on Campus
You can only study on campus if the degree has either an on-campus or blended option. Online only degrees cannot be taken on campus. If you’re an international student and wish to study on our main campus in Muncie, Indiana, you will first need to meet the admission requirements for international graduate students. For information about the international admission process, contact the International Admissions.
Admission deadlines for international students are earlier.
Please review the admission deadlines from International Admissions so that there is plenty of time to review your application before enrollment deadlines.
Want to Learn More?
Do you have questions about this program or online learning? We’re here to help! You may request more information using our online form, or feel free to reach out directly to one of our staff.
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