User Experience & Interaction Design (MS)

Program Description

User Experience (UX) and Interaction Design (IxD) prepares students to be professionals who will change standards by which society communicates and interacts. When one looks at websites, mobile devices, graphical user interfaces, or integrated systems, one sees the importance of interaction in communicating a rich media experience. For businesses, success depends on a well-designed, engaging, dynamic and robust user experience. The MS in User Experience and Interaction Design program provides students the necessary skillsets and promotes the critical thinking that is vital to this evolving field.

Learning Goals/Outcomes

• Use principles of design, such as visual organization, information hierarchy, typography, narrative, and aesthetics to solve problems

• Plan and design usable digital products—including websites, mobile apps, and digital interfaces—by collecting and interpreting data through various research methods

• Analyze and evaluate data to plan and execute intuitive interfaces, user experiences, and rich interactive designs

• Use equipment, technology, and resources that represent current trends and standards in the field

• Conduct design research through user interviews, usability testing, and contextual inquiry to inform and validate product decisions

• Explore and apply emerging technologies and interfaces—including voice, AR/VR, AI, and multimodal interaction—in innovative design solutions

• Integrate iterative validation strategies, such as prototyping, testing, and stakeholder feedback, into the product development lifecycle to ensure design efficacy and relevance

• Analyze and design functional prototypes for iterative development and user validation

• Apply user experience design principles across diverse platforms and contexts

• Evaluate and respond to user needs and develop solutions to usability problems through design thinking processes

• Illustrate an understanding of digital technologies in the creation, production, and use of visual communication

• Utilize and synthesize digital tools including software, photography, time-based media, and interactive media to create effective visual designs

Curriculum: 1.5 - 2 Years, 31-37 Credits

Standard Plan (Fall Start)

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Credits
IDD 510	Essentials of Interactive Des	6
INDD 700	Research & Desn Process Meths	3
	Credits	9
Spring
IDD 621N	Digital Experience Design	3
IDD 637	Mobile Communication Design	3
INDD 701	Design Bus & Entrepreneurship	3
	Credits	9
Summer
General Elective		3
	Credits	3
Second Year
Fall
IDD 941N	UXD Thesis Project Preparatn	1
IDD 601	Cognitive Psych for Design	3
IDD 700	Information Architecture	3
General Elective		3
	Credits	10
Spring
IDD 942	UXD Thesis Project	6
	Credits	6
	Total Credits	37

Standard Plan (Spring Start)

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Spring		Credits
IDD 510	Essentials of Interactive Des	6
INDD 700	Research & Desn Process Meths	3
	Credits	9
Second Year
Fall
IDD 621N	Digital Experience Design	3
IDD 637	Mobile Communication Design	3
INDD 701	Design Bus & Entrepreneurship	3
	Credits	9
Spring
IDD 941N	UXD Thesis Project Preparatn	1
IDD 601	Cognitive Psych for Design	3
IDD 700	Information Architecture	3
General Elective		3
	Credits	10
Summer
General Elective		3
	Credits	3
Third Year
Fall
IDD 942	UXD Thesis Project	6
	Credits	6
	Total Credits	37

Accelerated Plan (Professionals & Undergraduate Pathway)

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Credits
IDD 621N	Digital Experience Design	3
INDD 700	Research & Desn Process Meths	3
IDD 637	Mobile Communication Design	3
	Credits	9
Spring
IDD 941N	UXD Thesis Project Preparatn	1
IDD 601	Cognitive Psych for Design	3
IDD 700	Information Architecture	3
INDD 701	Design Bus & Entrepreneurship	3
	Credits	10
Summer
General Elective		3
	Credits	3
Second Year
Fall
IDD 942	UXD Thesis Project	6
General Elective		3
	Credits	9
	Total Credits	31