User Experience & Interaction Design BS / Design MS
Major: User Experience & Interaction Design and Design
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS) & Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 232.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-ops (Six years)
About the Program
The MS in Design is a natural extension to the undergraduate User Experience & Interaction Design (UXID) degree, preparing graduates to thrive in the rapidly changing technology industry.
In the UXID program, students build a solid foundation in user-centered design, starting with UX research and design, then adding coding and development skills, and finally refining their understanding of user experience design in cooperative experiences that integrate classroom learning with real-world projects.
The MS in Design builds on this foundation, offering a flexible, evidence-based approach to advanced design practice. Students learn how to combine research, strategy, and creative problem-solving to address complex challenges across industries. With a self-tailored curriculum and a strong focus on social impact, sustainability, and future technologies, the program empowers students to become leaders in design innovation.
Together, this BS/MS pathway blends hands-on experience, interdisciplinary collaboration, and rigorous research. Graduates emerge ready to create human-centered solutions that shape the future—whether in tech, product development, or emerging fields at the intersection of design and technology.
Additional Information
For more information about the BS UXID program, please contact Troy Finamore at twf23@drexel.edu.
For more information about the MS Design program, please contact Diana Nicholas at dsn35@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 Design 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
| General Education Requirements | ||
| CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
| COM 230 | Techniques of Speaking | 3.0 |
| COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development * | 1.0 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
| ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
| ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
| MATH 119 | Mathematical Foundations for Design | 4.0 |
| PHIL 105 | Critical Reasoning | 3.0 |
| PHYS 170 | Electricity and Motion | 3.0 |
| PHYS 171 | Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion | 1.0 |
| PSY 330 | Cognitive Psychology | 3.0 |
| UNIV A101 | The Drexel Experience | 2.0 |
| Arts and Humanities electives | ||
| 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 Desisgn) | ||
Any WGST (Women's and Gender Studies) | ||
Any WRIT (Writing) | ||
| Literature (ENGL) elective (100-499) | 3.0 | |
| Natural Science Elective | 3.0 | |
| Social Science electives | ||
| 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 courses | 24.0 | |
| Art and Art History Requirements | ||
| ARTH 300 [WI] | History of Modern Design | 3.0 |
| VSST 107 | Introduction to Design for Media | 3.0 |
| VSST 110 | Introductory Drawing | 3.0 |
| ARTH Elective | 3.0 | |
| ARTH Elective | 3.0 | |
| Media Requirements | ||
| ANIM 115 | Introduction to Production with Animation & VFX | 3.0 |
| EAM 211 | Strategic Management for Entertainment and Arts Management | 3.0 |
| INFO 110 | Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction | 3.0 |
| PHTO 110 | Photography | 3.0 |
| PROD 214 | Human Factors | 3.0 |
| PROD 215 | Design Thinking in Product Design | 4.0 |
| VSCM 230 | Visual Communication I | 4.0 |
| WEST 107 | Maker Workshop | 3.0 |
| Digital Media Core Requirements | ||
| DIGM 105 | Overview of Digital Media | 3.0 |
| DIGM 475 [WI] | Seminar: The Future of Digital Media | 3.0 |
| User Experience Requriements | ||
| UXID 111 | User Experience Research | 3.0 |
| UXID 121 | User Experience Design I | 3.0 |
| UXID 122 | User Experience Design II | 3.0 |
| UXID 231 | Web Authoring I | 3.0 |
| UXID 232 | Web Authoring II | 3.0 |
| UXID 233 | Web Scripting I | 3.0 |
| UXID 241 | Web Scripting II | 3.0 |
| UXID 391 | UX Project I | 8.0 |
| UXID 392 | UX Project II | 8.0 |
| UXID 401 | Professional Practices in UX | 3.0 |
| UXID 490 | UX Senior Project | 9.0 |
| Select five (5) of the following: | 15.0 | |
| Digital Cultural Heritage | ||
| Explorations in New Media | ||
| Content Strategies for Digital Products | ||
Scripting | ||
| Scripting for Accessibility | ||
| Scripting for Microinteractions | ||
| Web App Scripting I | ||
| Web App Scripting II | ||
| Internet of Things | ||
| Native App Scripting I | ||
| Native App Scripting II | ||
| Artificial Intelligence for Creative Media | ||
| Gamification for UX | ||
| API-Driven Web Applications with CMSs | ||
| User Interface Design for Immersive Media | ||
UI/UX | ||
| 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 | ||
| UX Design for Behavioral Change | ||
Other | ||
| 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 | ||
| Design MS Graduate Requirements | ||
| DSRE 620 | Design Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| DSRE 625 | Technologies of Making | 3.0 |
| DSRE 630 | Data Visualization for Design Professionals | 3.0 |
| DSRE 635 | Translational Design Research | 3.0 |
| DSRE 641 | Contemporary Design Theory | 3.0 |
| DSRE 645 | Design Research Thesis Proposal | 3.0 |
| DSRE 650 | Thesis Research and Practicum | 3.0 |
| DSRE 750 | Thesis in Design Research I | 3.0 |
| DSRE 760 | Thesis in Design Research II | 3.0 |
| DSRE 770 | Thesis in Design Research III | 3.0 |
| Design History or Research Option | ||
| Select one of the following: ** | 3.0 | |
| History of Modern Design | ||
| Research Methods in Communication, Culture and Media | ||
| Research Methods and Assessment of Creative and Innovative Thinking | ||
| Research Methods I | ||
| Contemporary Art Issues | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 15.0 credits from the following 500-600 level courses (including I599, I699, T580, T680: T480): | 15.0 | |
Any AS-I (Arts & Sciences Interdisciplinary Studies) | ||
Any CRTV (Creativity Studies) | ||
Any DIGM (Digital Media) | ||
Any DSRE (Design Research) | ||
Any ENTP (Entrepreneurship and Innovation) | ||
Any ENVS (Environmental Science) | ||
Any EPI (Epidemiology) | ||
Any FASH (Fashion Design) | ||
Any INFO (Information Science & Systems) | ||
Any PBHL (Public Health) | ||
Any RMER (Retail Merchandising) | ||
Any UXID (User Experience) | ||
| Total Credits | 232.0 | |
- *
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.
- **
Or other course with advisor approval
Sample Plan of Study
5 year, 3 co-op
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | VACATION | |
| INFO 110 | 3.0 | UNIV A101 | 1.0 | COOP 101 | 1.0 | ||
| PHIL 105 | 3.0 | UXID 121 | 3.0 | DIGM 105 | 3.0 | ||
| UNIV A101 | 1.0 | VSCM 230 | 4.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
| UXID 111 | 3.0 | VSST 110 | 3.0 | MATH 119 | 4.0 | ||
| VSST 107 | 3.0 | UXID 122 | 3.0 | ||||
| 16 | 14 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| PHYS 170 | 3.0 | PHTO 110 | 3.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| PHYS 171 | 1.0 | UXID 232 | 3.0 | ||||
| PROD 215 | 4.0 | UXID 241 | 3.0 | ||||
| UXID 231 | 3.0 | WEST 107 | 3.0 | ||||
| UXID 233 | 3.0 | (UG) UXID Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| 14 | 15 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ANIM 115 | 3.0 | ARTH 300 | 3.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| EAM 211 | 3.0 | PROD 214 | 3.0 | ||||
| PSY 330 | 3.0 | UXID 392 | 4.0 | ||||
| UXID 391 | 4.0 | (UG) Math & Natural Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| (UG) UXID Elective | 3.0 | (UG) UXID Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| COM 230 | 3.0 | DIGM 475 | 3.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| UXID 391 | 4.0 | UXID 392 | 4.0 | ||||
| (UG) ARTH Elective | 3.0 | (UG) ARTH Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| (UG) UXID Elective | 3.0 | (UG) UXID Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| ARTH 530, CCM 704, CRTV 620, PSY 510, URBS 530, or VSST 501 | 3.0 | DSRE 630 | 3.0 | ||||
| 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Fifth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| UXID 401 | 3.0 | UXID 490 (3) | 3.0 | UXID 490 (3) | 3.0 | STUDENT CONVERTS TO GRADUATE STATUS | |
| UXID 490 | 3.0 | (UG) Arts & Humanities Elective | 3.0 | (UG) ENGL Elective | 3.0 | ||
| (UG) Arts & Humanities Elective | 3.0 | (UG) Social Science Elective | 3.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | ||
| (UG) Social Science Elective | 4.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | ||
| DSRE 620 | 3.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | DSRE 645 | 3.0 | ||
| DSRE 625 | 3.0 | DSRE 635 | 3.0 | DSRE 650 | 3.0 | ||
| 19 | 18 | 18 | 0 | ||||
| Sixth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| DSRE 750 | 3.0 | DSRE 760 | 3.0 | DSRE 641 | 3.0 | ||
| (GR) Elective | 3.0 | (GR) Elective | 3.0 | DSRE 770 | 3.0 | ||
| (GR) Elective | 3.0 | (GR) Elective | 3.0 | (GR) Elective | 3.0 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 9 | |||||
| Total Credits 232 | |||||||
- *
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.