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The Master of Arts in Learning Experience Design (MALXD) is a fully online, 10-course (30-credit), non-thesis master’s program.
The MALXD Graduate Certificates are a fully online, 3-course (9 credit) transcriptable credentials. If you are considering a full MALXD degree, we encourage you to apply directly to the MALXD program.
We do not require GRE scores for admission to MALXD or the MALXD graduate certificate programs.
The MALXD degree and MALXD Graduate Certificate programs accept applicants who meet the following standards:
If you meet these requirements, we welcome your application to our program! Please follow the application process outlined below, based on your degree or certificate interests. If you have any questions throughout the process or if you’d like to schedule a pre-admissions advising Zoom chat with an academic advisor, please contact Heather Williamson at MALXDegree@msu.edu. We’re here to support you and we look forward to you joining us!
Before filling out the university application, consider the information and materials you need to gather:
We have prepared an MALXD Application Guide Checklist to support you as you complete your University application. You can make a copy and check off the details of the application process. We are available at MALXDegree@msu.edu to answer any questions throughout the process.
Please note: As an MALXD applicant, you only need to apply to the MALXD program. Your graduate certificates are part of your MALXD admission so you do not need to apply separately to the graduate certificates programs.
Please request official transcripts directly from the undergraduate institution listed on your application (MSU will not accept transcripts marked ‘Issued to Student’ or paper transcripts delivered outside of an officially-sealed, university envelope).
MSU Office of Admissions
426 Auditorium Rd–Rm #250
East Lansing, MI 48824
We admit students to the Master of Arts in Learning Experience Design on a rolling basis until the July 1 due date. This means you can submit your application at any time so that you can prepare for your MALXD journey, which starts in the Fall semester. Applications are evaluated as they come in and you will be notified of an admission decision within 1-2 weeks of submitting your application.
This program is a cohort model that only admits for the Fall semester. If you are applying for a future Fall semester, but are not able to select it as an option in the application, please email us at MALXDegree@msu.edu.
We welcome applicants for whom English is not their first language. You are required to submit proof of English language competency before their application can be processed. A common method is the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
If the student has completed a degree program in an English-speaking country, they can request a waiver of the TOEFL requirement. Once the program admissions committee is convinced of the student’s English language skills based on past program completion and other evidence, it will ask the university to waive the requirement. This waiver is usually granted, but the university may require the student to take the English proficiency test upon arrival at MSU.
Our courses are offered in a fully online format, and therefore residency in the US is not required to complete the degree program. If you are an international applicant interested in the program, please note that the MALXD program does not fulfill the academic requirements to apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa. MALXD courses are all fully online, thus admission to the MALXD program does not qualify you for a student visa.
The MSU Graduate School outlines that official transcripts of all records from all postsecondary schools attended are required. Mark sheets, transcripts, certificates, and diplomas, must be submitted as official documents directly from each institution. In most cases, these documents will need to be sent in official, sealed, issuing institution envelopes.
Records must show courses taken, grades earned, and must be translated into English if the original records are in another language. Translations must be done by the issuing institution, a certified translator in the country of study, or by an American Translator’s Association certified translator in the US. The original record should also be included. For complete information, please visit the International Transcripts and US Degree Equivalency section of the Graduate School’s International Applicants page.
All applicants pursuing or who have earned degrees from universities in China submit not only transcripts and graduation certificates from China, but must also obtain verification of these documents from the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC). CDGDC operates underneath the Ministry of Education for the purpose of verifying the authenticity of transcripts and degrees granted at the post-secondary level.
The process is:
If you need more information about CDGDC please refer to the China Degrees website.
Depending on your current MSU student status, the application process varies.
We welcome Spartans who are currently enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at Michigan State University to join our Graduate Certificate (GC) programs. Please begin by consulting with your program’s academic advisor to determine how your GC will fit in to your course plan. Information about your eligibility can also be found in the Second, Dual or Joint Degree Section of the University Academic Programs Catalogue.
For current graduate learner Spartans, please complete the Intent to Enroll form for your GC program of choice after receiving approval from your main program’s advisor. No formal application process is required since you are already admitted to MSU as a graduate learner. The Intent to Enroll form is all you need to complete!
We welcome future Spartans to our Graduate Certificate programs. To apply, please follow the steps below.
Before filling out the university application, consider the information and materials you need to gather:
In general, the application process is:
Please request official transcripts directly from the undergraduate institution listed on your application (MSU will not accept transcripts marked ‘Issued to Student’ or paper transcripts delivered outside of an officially-sealed, university envelope).
Heather Williamson
MALXD
Michigan State University
Erickson Hall
620 Farm Lane; Room 513
East Lansing, MI 48824-1034
We admit students to our graduate certificates on a rolling basis until the final due date. This means you can submit your application any time before the due date so that you can prepare for your graduate certificate journey. Applications are evaluated as they come in and you will be notified of an admission decision within 1-2 weeks of submitting your application.
If you are applying for a future semester, but are not able to select it as an option in the application, please email us at MALXDegree@msu.edu.
Graduate Certificate students are not eligible for federal financial aid. If you are considering applying to one of our GC programs, you will need to pay out of pocket or find your own funding for the courses. If you have questions about this, please reach out to our GC Academic Advisor.
We welcome applicants for whom English is not their first language. You are required to submit proof of English language competency before their application can be processed. A common method is the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
If the student has completed a degree program in an English-speaking country, they can request a waiver of the TOEFL requirement. Once the program admissions committee is convinced of the student’s English language skills based on past program completion and other evidence, it will ask the university to waive the requirement. This waiver is usually granted, but the university may require the student to take the English proficiency test upon arrival at MSU.
Our courses are offered in a fully online format, and therefore residency in the US is not required to complete the certificate program. If you are an international applicant interested in the program, please note that the MALXD graduate certificate programs do not fulfill the academic requirements to apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa. MALXD courses are all fully online, thus admission to an MALXD graduate certificate program does not qualify you for a student visa.
The MSU Graduate School outlines that official transcripts of all records from all postsecondary schools attended are required. Mark sheets, transcripts, certificates, and diplomas, must be submitted as official documents directly from each institution. In most cases, these documents will need to be sent in official, sealed, issuing institution envelopes.
Records must show courses taken, grades earned, and must be translated into English if the original records are in another language. Translations must be done by the issuing institution, a certified translator in the country of study, or by an American Translator’s Association certified translator in the US. The original record should also be included. For complete information, please visit the International Transcripts and US Degree Equivalency section of the Graduate School’s International Applicants page.
All applicants pursuing or who have earned degrees from universities in China submit not only transcripts and graduation certificates from China, but must also obtain verification of these documents from the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC). CDGDC operates underneath the Ministry of Education for the purpose of verifying the authenticity of transcripts and degrees granted at the post-secondary level.
The process is: