Dr. Amanda Cote
Director of Serious Game Design Certificate
Amanda Cote is an Associate Professor and Director of the Serious Games Certificate in the Department of Media & Information, where she studies the industry and culture of games.
Program Overview
Serious games—games with a primary purpose other than entertainment, such as education, health, training, and more—require unique design skills to drive meaningful, real-world outcomes. To facilitate the development of these skills, Michigan State University offers a carefully crafted three-course, transcriptable, university graduate certificate in serious games which can be completed either fully online or on campus through hybrid courses that combine in-person and online components. The program is designed to give game designers, business people, teachers, and researchers graduate-level insight into serious game theories, serious game design, and more-than-human-centered design.
Our graduate certificate students include Media & Information graduate students, other MSU graduate students including MAET MA students, and doctoral students at other universities interested in serious games and gamification. Our non-MSU students also include game industry professionals, fortune 500 and small business professionals in many different fields, museum designers, corporate trainers, university professors, and K-12 teachers. The program serves a wide range of skills and interests focused on serious games.
Program Outcomes
The Serious Games Graduate certificate courses include: Foundations of Serious Games, Theories of Games and Interaction for Design, and Understanding Users. Through these courses, students will gain an in-depth understanding of how to reach players and craft theory-informed game experiences. They will put this knowledge into practice in hands-on design projects, which can include both digital and analog games. Finally, students will learn how to playtest games for usability and player experience, as well as to evaluate whether they are achieving their serious goals.
Career Outlook
Career Pathways and Potential Earnings
Graduates of Serious Game Design and Research can expect job titles and median salaries similar to the following:
Career Pathways and Potential Earnings for Serious Game Design and Research Students
Target Occupation
National Median Salary (USD)
Software Developers
$133,078
Computer Occupations, All Other
$108,971
Graphic Designers
$61,298
Art Directors
$111,030
Special Effects Artists and Animators
$99,798
Web and Digital Interface Designers
$98,093
Disclaimer: Salary data is sourced from © 2026 Lightcast, based on information from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). Please note that this information is intended solely for reference purposes. MSU Online disclaims any responsibility or liability for any inaccuracies, omissions, or errors in the data.
A Top-Ranked Education
- 29th among Best Public Universities in America — U.S. News & World Report, 2026
- Veteran-Friendly 'Gold Status' 10 Years in a Row — Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, 2025
Key Dates
MSU Students:
Rolling Applications, Students can start the program in any semester. We recommend applications are submitted at least one month prior to the start of the semester to allow time for processing.
Non-MSU Students Application Deadlines:
Fall Semester
June 15
Spring Semester
November 15
Tuition & Fees per credit
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
$978.25
$978.25
Cost of Attendance
The university reserves the right to make changes in the types, structures, rates for fees, and tuition. Every effort will be made to give as much advance notice as possible. In addition to tuition and fees, there are other expenses associated with your Cost of Attendance. A breakdown of a graduate student budget can be found on the "Estimate Your Cost of Attendance" page.