Conferred by the College of Engineering and Applied Science and administered by the ATLAS Institute, the professional Master of Science in Creative Technology and Design is highly interdisciplinary, nurturing robust technical and design skills while providing students with the maximum flexibility to explore and develop their creative visions.
Program Tracks
The degree program includes two tracks: Creative Industries and Social Impact.
Creative Industries
Through project-based learning, students in this track gain technical fluency, designing systems and products to realize their creative visions. Students learn more than design thinking; they graduate from the program as creative technologists equipped with robust portfolios of thoughtful projects and prototypes.
The program is driven by a unique and relevant core curriculum, flexibly shaped by student interest and guided by industry leaders.
The creative industries track connects students to the current and most relevant considerations of the field. Through hands-on workshops, visiting speakers, studios and classes, students work directly with leading professionals on real-world issues, gaining design expertise and technical skills as they learn the business of creativity.
Social Impact
The social impact track prepares students to leverage information and communication technology in support of underserved communities, in the U.S. and around the world.
Graduates are creative problem solvers tackling some of the world’s biggest issues. Learning in the program prepares students to creatively apply information and communication technologies for social impact. Students understand that the most effective and culturally appropriate solutions balance technology and societal need; through a project-based curriculum, students learn to critically evaluate and apply both.
One of the program’s greatest strengths is its diverse student cohort; a broad mix of talent leads to more thoughtful and thorough development projects and solutions.
A hallmark of the program is the final field-based practicum semester when students are placed with non-governmental organizations, development agencies, foundations or technology companies to apply social impact interventions to real-world problems—experience that positions them favorably for careers in the field after graduation, sometimes with the same organizations.
For more information, visit the ATLAS Institute's Graduate Programs webpage.
Requirements
Creative Industries Track
The creative industries track requires a total of 33 credit hours, of which at least 27 must be completed at the 5000 level or above, including the mandatory core courses listed below. In addition, specific focus area requirements must be met. Students must receive a grade of B or higher in all coursework, maintaining a minimum overall GPA of 3.000.
For more information, visit the ATLAS Institute webpage.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ATLS 5210 | Global Development I | 3 |
| ATLS 5230 | Case Studies in Social Impact | 3 |
| ATLS 5240 | Technology for Social Impact Laboratory | 3 |
| ATLS 5250 | Fieldwork Methods | 3 |
| ATLS 6910 | Social Impact Practicum (field practicum) | 6 |
Social Impact Track
The social impact track requires a total of 33 credit hours, of which at least 27 of which must be completed at the 5000 level or above, including the mandatory core courses listed below. In addition, specific focus area requirements must be met. Students must receive a grade of B or higher in all coursework, maintaining a minimum overall GPA of 3.000.
For more information, visit the ATLAS Institute webpage.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Professional Seminar: Business of Creativity) | 3 |
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Design Methods) | 3 |
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Creative Technologies) | 3 |
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Design Studio) | 3 |
| ATLS Creative Industries Final Project | ||
Two-Year Plans of Study
Creative Industries Track
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| ATLS 5230 | Case Studies in Social Impact | 3 |
| ATLS 5210 | Global Development I | 3 |
| Technology Focus Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ATLS 5250 | Fieldwork Methods | 3 |
| Domain-Specific Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Technology Focus Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ATLS 5240 | Technology for Social Impact Laboratory | 3 |
| Domain-Specific Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Technology Focus Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ATLS 6910 | Social Impact Practicum | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
Social Impact Track
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (CTD Professional Seminar: Business of Creativity ) | 3 |
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Design Methods ) | 3 |
| Creative Technologies 1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Design Studio) | 3 |
| Technology Focus Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Technical Focus Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Critical Perspectives Elective or Technology Perspectives Elective) | 3 |
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Design Studio) | 3 |
| Technology Focus Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ATLS 5519 | Advanced Special Topics (Design Studio or Technical Focus Elective directly related to thesis project ) 1 | 3 |
| CTD Thesis Project | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
| 1 | Or praxis elective 3. |