The MALXD program offers 3 graduate certificates (GC). All MALXD learners will earn all 3 graduate certificates during their MALXD journey. Learners from other MSU graduate degree programs may enroll in our graduate certificates with approval from their program advisor. Learners who are not seeking a full master’s degree experience may also choose to enroll in a single graduate certificate (please see our Apply page).

Individual course descriptions and timing can be found on our Courses page. Learn more about our fully online MALXD graduate certificates by exploring the learning outcomes below.
Graduate Certificate in Learning Sciences
Graduate Certificate in Learning Sciences graduates will be able to…
- Understand the complex nature of learning, its cultural embeddedness, and how it involves the active construction of knowledge.
- Describe the multiple influences on learning, including learners’ prior knowledge, identities, contexts, and personal epistemologies.
- Distinguish among approaches to conception, design, analysis, and use of research via case examples.
- Develop understanding of who adult learners are, why they participate in educational programs, and barriers to participation and learning based on research, data, empathy, and understanding.
- Compare major approaches to understanding diversity and differences in how adults learn.
- Apply major cognitive, emotional, and socio-cultural processes involved in adult learning.
- Design with an understanding of adult learning to enhance planning and instruction in adult contexts based on research/data.
- Use strong research fundamentals and practices to ensure strong alignment between design and user needs.
Graduate Certificate in Learning Design
Graduate Certificate in Learning Design graduates will be able to…
- Develop and implement effective, engaging, and inclusive online curriculum and instruction.
- Use educational technology to meet the needs of learners from diverse backgrounds.
- Analyze the social concerns and ethical issues when creating learning experiences and assessments.
- Thoughtfully create and implement digital assessments for learning, as learning, and of learning.
- Design ways of creating and providing feedback to students in digital contexts through a critical lens.
- Develop formative assessments based on theoretical and design principles in online learning spaces.
- Design learning experiences and technological interactions for people with disabilities with an understanding of ability, cultural, social, and political factors that define disability.
- Understand inclusive design principles that will support the design, development, and evaluation of inclusive technologies for people with various human abilities.
Graduate Certificate in Learning Design Leadership
Graduate Certificate in Learning Design Leadership graduates will be able to…
- Apply a variety of leadership, organizational management, coaching, and mentorship models as a learning design leader.
- Evaluate various leadership, organizational management, coaching, and mentorship in your professional context.
- Apply and lead project management and workflow practices for collaborative team projects.
- Employ effective communication practices to lead and support teams with diverse perspectives, through proactive and responsive leadership practices.
- Evaluate design frameworks for your client and organizational needs through a critical lens.
- Create plans from ideation, to implementation, to evaluation for a design project.
- Identify industry standards and needs in order to guide professional work.
- Identify industry standards and needs in order to anticipate emerging and future trends.
- Apply theories and frameworks of instructional and learning experience design to your professional context(s).
- Analyze technologies for usability, accessibility, engagement, and ethical and social challenges and implications.
- Use a diverse range of meaningful and appropriate pedagogical strategies in your designs.
- Create powerful learning solutions for and with learners, instructors, and clients.
- Identify opportunities for individual growth and leadership development for instructional design through a self-evaluation process.
- Create and implement an actionable plan to support professional development goals.
- Evaluate resources for credibility and applicability to growth goals.
- Design a workflow and evaluation system to self-monitor progress in obtaining goals.
- Develop an individual project to showcase gained knowledge in instructional and learning design.