2026-2027 Academic Catalog
This class explores the benefits of working with,sound to enhance interactions and/or various,interfaces. Students explore ways of creating new,sounds, study techniques for sound design as it,applies to UI and Interaction Design, and,generates a final project that will exemplify the,techniques studied and learned in class.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites:
As humankind shifts from the era of the Personal,Computer (PC) to that of machine learning (ML),,Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming,ubiquitous, radically changing the relationship,between humans and computing. This course explores,the symbiotic relationship between User Experience,(UX) design and artificial intelligence (AI),,enhancing students’ understanding the core AI,methodologies and their relevance in shaping user,experiences and their diverse applications in,contemporary UX design practices. Students learn,about fundamental AI methods and examine how they,intersect with and enhance the user-centered,design process. Through practical exercises and,projects, students learn various machine learning,approaches and their application to create,next-generation human-AI interfaces to unlock new,human capabilities. Furthermore, they will explore,practical examples of AI applications in multiple,UX design disciplines, such as UI design, gaming,,simulations, and robotics, and understand their,impact on user engagement and interaction.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites:
The Special Project course is offered on an,occasional basis, with course content specific to,the area being explored.,
,WINTER 2027,
,PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES ,,
,The Professional Practices is a practical,,immersive course (special project) designed to,prepare MFA UX Design students to take ownership,of their careers with clarity, confidence,,and intent. Rather than focusing on tools or,techniques alone, the course centers on helping,students articulate who they are as designers,,what they value, and how they communicate their,professional story across contexts-interviews,,portfolios, networking, and long-term career,development.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites:
The Graduate Studio I, II, III, and IV courses are,designed to address projects of increasing,complexity and progressively strengthen your,problem-solving skills in UX Design. Students will,solve a design problem rooted in a creative,industries-related context, requiring substantive,research and concept development phases,,refinement, and execution phases. Research,methodologies, design approaches, and techniques,students learned in the UX-centered courses will,be applied to develop and evaluate their,solutions. These courses are structured to,simulate the professional studio environment with,formally scheduled milestones and defined,deliverables and will be reviewed by faculty and,industry professionals through formal,presentations.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: IXD 601, IXD 602
The Graduate Studio I, II, III, and IV courses are,designed to address projects of increasing,complexity and progressively strengthen your,problem-solving skills in UX Design. Students,solve a design problem rooted in a creative,industries-related context, requiring substantive,research and concept development phases,,refinement, and execution phases. Research,methodologies, design approaches, and techniques,students learned in the UX-centered courses will,be applied to develop and evaluate their,solutions. These courses are structured to,simulate the professional studio environment with,formally scheduled milestones and defined,deliverables and will be reviewed by faculty and,industry professionals through formal,presentations.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: IXD 701
In this course, students study the conceptual and,related UX design approaches encompassing extended,reality (XR) technologies such as augmented,reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality,(MR), and,virtual 3D environments where interaction will,take place. Students explore various platforms,,technical,aspects, and design approaches applicable in a non,-physical environment. The virtual worlds today,are,more than just technology. They have become,humans’ alternative habitat to the physical one.,Such,tendencies require full attention from the new,generation of UX designers and a profound,understanding of the media phenomena from,different perspectives. This is a hands-on course,where,priority is given to engagement on real industry,projects and searches for design solutions that,include,using extended reality technologies and 3D virtual,environments for video games, virtual classrooms,,augmented chat platforms, artificial,intelligence-generated content, and many other,emerging,applications.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites:
Participation in an internship experience allows,students to use classroom-learned skills in a,related employment experience. Students must work,a minimum of 135 hours over the course of the,entire semester. Students must have a minimum,cumulative GPA of 3.0. All internships must be,approved by the graduate program department,chairperson.
Credits: 6
Prerequisites:
Participation in an internship experience allows,students to use classroom-learned skills in a,related employment experience. Students must work,a minimum of 135 hours over the course of the,entire semester. Students must have a minimum,cumulative GPA of 3.0. All internships must be,approved by the graduate program department,chairperson.,
Credits: 3
Prerequisites:
Independent Study is available to graduate,students with a cumulative grade point average of,3.00 or above. The student may receive approval to,work in an area or on a project that is not,otherwise offered or addressed in the regular,curriculum. An Independent Study should include,opportunities for individual student voice and,provide a space for diverse perspectives. Students,may receive credit toward graduation for no more,than 6 credit hours. The student must,submit to the chairperson of the department in,which they wish to study, an Independent Study,Proposal of 150 words (no less) of the student’s,plan for study and her/his reason for choosing to,study,independently. Once the department chairperson,provides approval and the instructor for the,Independent Study is determined, the faculty,member must write an Independent Study Syllabus,with,education goals, learning outcomes, meeting dates,,course expectations, timelines, and due dates.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites:
Independent Study is available to graduate,students with a cumulative grade point average of,3.00 or above. The student may receive approval to,work in an area or on a project that is not,otherwise offered or addressed in the regular,curriculum. An Independent Study should include,opportunities for individual student voice and,provide a space for diverse perspectives. Students,may receive credit toward graduation for no more,than 6 credit hours. The student must,submit to the chairperson of the department in,which they wish to study, an Independent Study,Proposal of 150 words (no less) of the student’s,plan for study and her/his reason for choosing to,study,independently. Once the department chairperson,provides approval and the instructor for the,Independent Study is determined, the faculty,member must write an Independent Study Syllabus,with,education goals, learning outcomes, meeting dates,,course expectations, timelines, and due dates.
Credits: 6
Prerequisites:
