User Experience and Interaction Design BS / Digital Media MS

Major: User Experience and Interaction Design and Digital Media
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS) & Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 229.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years)

 

About the Program

The program is a natural extension of our undergraduate program in User Experience & Interaction Design (BS) and challenges students to push beyond what’s known and into what’s possible, through an MS in Digital Media. It combines research with applicable skills in 21st century media applications and offers a mix of academic coursework and project-related activities in advanced digital design, including 3D modeling, animation, interactivity, gaming and digital media history, theory and methods.

Additional Information

For more information about the BS UXID program, please contact Troy Finamore at twf23@drexel.edu.

For more information about the MS Digital Media program, please contact Emil Polyak at ep557@drexel.edu.

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to enter the accelerated program are required to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and between 70 and 120 credits of completed undergraduate coursework.

Acceptance into the accelerated program is decided by the program director of the Digital Media MS program in consultation with the undergraduate program director in Interactive Digital Media as well as the Department’s Graduate Admissions Committee.

Main criterium for acceptance is an evaluation of the student’s prior academic performance and the student’s likelihood of success within the program.

Degree Requirements

Required Undergraduate Courses
General Education Requirements
CIVC 101Introduction to Civic Engagement1.0
COM 230Techniques of Speaking3.0
COOP 101Career Management and Professional Development *1.0
ENGL 101Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research3.0
or ENGL 111 English Composition I
ENGL 102Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing3.0
or ENGL 112 English Composition II
ENGL 103Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres3.0
or ENGL 113 English Composition III
MATH 119Mathematical Foundations for Design4.0
PHYS 170Electricity and Motion3.0
PHYS 171Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion1.0
UNIV A101The Drexel Experience2.0
Arts and Humanities
Select 6.0 credits from the following 100-400 level courses (including T380 and T480):6.0
Any AFAS (Africana Studies)
Any ARTH (Art History)
Any ARCH (Architecture)
Any COM (Communication)
Any DANC (Dance)
Any ENGL (English)
Any FMST (Film Studies)
Any GST (Global Studies)
Any HIST (History)
Any INTR (Interior Design)
Any IST (International Studies)
Any JWST (Jewish Studies)
Any LANG (Language)
Any MENA (Middle East & North Africa Studies)
Any MUSC (Music)
Any PHIL (Philosophy)
Any PHTO (Photography)
Any PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics)
Any PBHL (Public Health)
Any RELS (Religious Studies)
Any SCRP (Screenwriting & Playwriting)
Any THTR (Theater)
Any TVST (Television Studies)
Any VSCM (Graphic Design)
Any WGST (Women's and Gender Studies)
Any WRIT (Writing)
PHIL 105Critical Reasoning3.0
PSY 330Cognitive Psychology3.0
Literature (ENGL) elective (100-499)3.0
Natural Science Elective3.0
Social Science
Select 7.0 credits from the following 100-400 level courses (including T380 and T480):7.0
Any AFAS (Africana Studies)
Any ANTH (Anthropology)
Any CJS (Criminology and Justice Studies)
Any CS (Computer Science)
Any ECON (Economics)
Any ENSS (Environmental Studies & Sustainability)
Any ENVS (Environmental Science)
Any PSY (Psychology)
Any PBHL (Public Health)
Any SOC (Sociology)
Any WGST (Women's and Gender Studies)
Free Electives
Select any unrestricted 099-499 course24.0
Art and Art History Requirements
ARTH 300 [WI] History of Modern Design3.0
VSST 107Introduction to Design for Media3.0
VSST 110Introductory Drawing3.0
ARTH Elective3.0
ARTH Elective3.0
Media Requirements
ANIM 115Introduction to Production with Animation & VFX3.0
EAM 211Strategic Management for Entertainment and Arts Management3.0
INFO 110Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction3.0
PHTO 110Photography3.0
PROD 214Human Factors3.0
PROD 215Design Thinking in Product Design4.0
VSCM 230Visual Communication I4.0
WEST 107Maker Workshop3.0
Digital Media Core Requirements
DIGM 105Overview of Digital Media3.0
DIGM 475 [WI] Seminar: The Future of Digital Media3.0
UXID Requirements
UXID 111User Experience Research3.0
UXID 121User Experience Design I3.0
UXID 122User Experience Design II3.0
UXID 231Web Authoring I3.0
UXID 232Web Authoring II3.0
UXID 233Web Scripting I3.0
UXID 241Web Scripting II3.0
UXID 391UX Project I **8.0
UXID 392UX Project II **8.0
UXID 401Professional Practices in UX3.0
UXID 490UX Senior Project9.0
Select five of the following:15.0
Theory Courses
Digital Cultural Heritage
Explorations in New Media
Content Strategies for Digital Products
Scripting Courses
Web App Scripting I 
Web App Scripting II
Scripting for Accessibility
Scripting for Microinteractions
Internet of Things
Native App Scripting I
Native App Scripting II
Artificial Intelligence for Creative Media
User Interface Design for Immersive Media
API-Driven Web Applications with CMSs
UI/UX Courses
User Interface Design Styles & Trends
User Interface Design Patterns & Systems
Interaction Design
User Interface Design for Accessibility
Product Management for UX
User Research Methodologies
Storytelling for User Experience
UX Experience Mapping
Validating Product Ideas
Gamification for UX
UX Design for Behavioral Change
Other Courses
Independent Study in User Experience and Interaction Design
Independent Study in User Experience and Interaction Design
Independent Study in User Experience and Interaction Design
Special Topics in User Experience and Interaction Design
Special Topics in User Experience and Interaction Design
Special Topics in User Experience and Interaction Design
Required Graduate Courses
Art and Design Domain
DIGM 551Critical and Speculative Design for Digital Media3.0
DIGM 552Visual Storytelling in Digital Media3.0
DIGM 553Experimental Digital Media Lab3.0
Technology Domain
DIGM 561Digital Media Technologies3.0
DIGM 562Interactive Media and User Experience 3.0
DIGM 563Emerging Technologies in Digital Media3.0
DIGM 664Advanced Topics in Digital Media 3.0
Critical Thinking Domain
DIGM 571Digital Media Project Management 3.0
DIGM 572Digital Media Research Strategies 3.0
DIGM 573Critical Theories in Digital Media3.0
DIGM 674Ethics and Social Impact of Digital Media3.0
DIGM 675Future Trends in Digital Media3.0
Capstone and Thesis Development
DIGM 691Digital Media Research and Project Development I 3.0
DIGM 692Digital Media Research and Project Development II3.0
DIGM 693Digital Media Thesis/Capstone Finalization3.0
Total Credits229.0
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

**

UXID 391 andUXID 392 are repeated  to complete the UXID Senior Project sequence.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study

5+0 Co-terminal Accelerated Program (Spring/Summer)

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ENGL 101 or 1113.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0CIVC 1011.0VACATION
INFO 1103.0UNIV A101 (Program Specific)1.0COOP 1011.0 
PHIL 1053.0UXID 1213.0DIGM 1053.0 
UNIV A101 (Department Specific)1.0VSCM 2304.0ENGL 103 or 1133.0 
UXID 1113.0VSST 1103.0MATH 1194.0 
VSST 1073.0 UXID 1223.0 
 16 14 15 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
PHYS 1703.0PHTO 1103.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
PHYS 1711.0UXID 2323.0  
PROD 2154.0UXID 2413.0  
UXID 2313.0WEST 1073.0  
UXID 2333.0(UG) UXID Elective3.0  
 14 15 0 0
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ANIM 1153.0ARTH 3003.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
EAM 2113.0PROD 2143.0  
PSY 3303.0UXID 3924.0  
UXID 3914.0(UG) Math & Natural Science3.0  
(UG) UXID Elective3.0(UG) UXID Elective3.0  
 (UG) Free Elective3.0  
 16 19 0 0
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COM 2303.0DIGM 4753.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
UXID 3914.0UXID 3924.0  
(UG) ARTH Elective3.0(UG) ARTH Elective3.0  
(UG) UXID Elective3.0(UG) UXID Elective3.0  
(UG) Free Electives 3.0(UG) Free Electives 3.0  
DIGM 5513.0DIGM 5723.0  
 19 19 0 0
Fifth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
UXID 4013.0UXID 4903.0UXID 4903.0
UXID 4903.0(UG) Arts & Humanities Elective3.0(UG) ENGL Elective3.0 
(UG) Arts & Humanities Elective3.0(UG) Social Science Elective3.0(UG) Free Elective3.0 
(UG) Social Science Elective4.0(UG) Free Elective3.0(UG) Free Elective3.0 
(UG) Free Elective3.0(UG) Free Elective3.0DIGM 5533.0 
DIGM 5713.0DIGM 5523.0DIGM 5733.0 
 19 18 18 0
Sixth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
DIGM 5613.0DIGM 5623.0DIGM 5633.0 
DIGM 6643.0DIGM 6743.0DIGM 6753.0 
DIGM 6913.0DIGM 6923.0DIGM 6933.0 
 9 9 9 
Total Credits 229
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101