Community Music Schools

The MSU Community Schools are members of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and ArtServe Michigan.

Michigan State’s Community Music Schools in East Lansing (CMS) and Detroit (CMS-D) are outreach units of the College of Music that bring music education and therapy to individuals of all abilities, incomes and ages, from youth to adulthood. Financial aid is offered to students as needed to make courses more affordable for families and individuals.

CMS in East Lansing was founded in 1993 and offers private lessons on over twenty different instruments, more than fifteen classes and ensembles, and music therapy services. CMS-D opened in Detroit’s Cultural Corridor to serve metro Detroit residents in 2009. CMS-D offers youth and adult classes and ensembles, and students can participate in lessons for instruments, voice, jazz, concert band, gospel, early childhood music or music therapy. Both locations have summer camp options available to the community, as well.

Music education and fun

Students play instruments at an MSU Community Music School.

Communication Arts and Sciences Building

Home to world-class programs and a one-of-a-kind learning atmosphere

The Communication Arts and Sciences Building, home to the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, is known for its one-of-a-kind learning atmosphere and innovative classroom spaces. Numerous labs and centers throughout the building and campus focus on journalism, social media, game development and design, virtual/augmented reality, and communicative sciences. These facilities are available to both graduate and undergraduate students and include the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab and Immersive Media Lab, Spartan Newsroom, PLAY video game showcase, WKAR studios, iOS lab and more. The building offers countless opportunities for students to get real-world experience right on campus, build professional skills and collaborate with each other.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of all of the opportunities available to them, including experiential learning, career education, student advising and alumni-student networking. Undergraduate research, internships and employment at WKAR Studios and Focal Point (a student-produced newscast for journalism students) are some of the many opportunities available to students interested in studying communication arts and sciences.

Students interested in studying education or public services may select Communicative Sciences and Disorders as an undergraduate degree within the college (a master’s and doctoral program are also available). Communicative Sciences and Disorders students are trained to understand both normal and disordered aspects of speech, language, healing and swallowing. Students will also be equipped with skills for diagnosing and treating communication disorders.

Designing games for entertainment and learning

Students work in the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building.

Berkey hall

Home to the College of Social Science and amazing research opportunities

Located on the northern boundary of campus, Berkey Hall is home to the College of Social Science, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, and the Department of Sociology. Each have a rich tradition of research, high-quality teaching, and engagement programs and opportunities for students.  

Students in the College of Social Science can conduct their own research, engage in service-learning, take classes around the globe through education abroad and participate in internships. Some of these beyond-the-classroom experiences include urban immersion fellowships, scholar programs, internships within Michigan and Federal government offices, InnovateGov, social work programs in Flint, Michigan, and more.  

The Department of Sociology has substantial strengths in three signature areas: environment, health/medicine and migration. MSU sociologists conduct research across Michigan, the U.S. and the world, often collaborating with scholars, community members, policymakers, technical experts and activists. 

Welcome to Berkey Hall

Home to a rich tradition of research, high-quality teaching and opportunities for students

Erickson Hall

MSU’s graduate programs have been ranked No. 1 in the nation for elementary and secondary education for 30 consecutive years. 

Home to the College of Education, Erickson Hall sits along the Red Cedar River trail in the center of campus. With top-ranking and world-class programs available, education students are prepared for a variety of teaching opportunities. MSU’s Teacher Preparation Program sets our students apart by ensuring participants receive more than 1,000 hours of classroom experience before completing their degree.  

Education students also receive hands-on learning outside of the classroom through experiences in teaching abroad and student teaching. Students can work toward various certifications, and MSU has a No. 1-ranked graduate programs for both elementary and secondary education.  

Erickson Hall is home to updated, technology-based classrooms with smart boards and document cameras, so students can begin using equipment that is popular in elementary and secondary classrooms. There is also a Kiva-style classroom, where the stage and podium are lower than the student seating, so every student in the classroom has the same view of the professor and teaching material no matter where they are seated.

Erickson Hall Kiva

Defined as a chamber built wholly or partly underground, the Kiva-style classroom allows the professor to be in the center of the classroom and give students similar views of the material on screen.