Course Overview!

The Graduate Certificate in Emerging Media Design and Development is an 11-month program focusing on design thinking, transmedia storytelling, and human-computer interaction. Students develop skills in interaction design, usability testing, product development, project management, and innovative storytelling through applied research and collaborative projects. The curriculum emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and practical application, equipping graduates with the skills sought after by employers, including collaborative problem-solving and research methods. This low-residency program combines online coursework with four in-person days at the start of each semester in the Greater Indianapolis area, offering both flexibility and valuable face-to-face interaction with faculty and peers.

Course Structure

The certificate program consists of six courses, two per semester (fall, spring, summer). Students can choose to complete the program in 11 months or extend it over two years by taking one course at a time. The courses cover a range of topics including usability and evaluation research methods, emerging media and design thinking, theories and frameworks in human-computer interaction, nonlinear and interactive storytelling, transmedia storytelling and publishing, and interactive media design and development. All courses can be applied toward a master's degree in the same field.