Art and Design

The fully online Design Experiences and Interactions Certificate program is tailored for mid-career professionals with a bachelor’s degree in art, design, engineering, marketing, communications, or other relevant work experience. The program’s courses are strategically designed to center around user-centric design principles, inclusive design, and innovative user research methodologies. Recipients of the Design Experiences and Interactions Certificate will be ready to enter creative fields where they actively contribute to the development of inclusive physical and digital/virtual experiences, thereby enhancing the daily lives of end-users. Within the program, students acquire the ability to address intricate human-centric challenges in real-world scenarios, honing their communication skills to articulate matters related to the intricacies of human experience and the methodologies in design. Successful completion of this certificate program opens the door to promising career opportunities within the ever-expanding creative economy. Designed to be accessible to the fully employed student and the mid-career professional, the course load is 6 units in the first semester and 4 units in the second semester.

A. Requirements for Admission to the Program

All successful applicants must meet the following requirements before they can enroll. Please note that in some cases the department requirements for admission are more stringent than the University requirements. The department will determine whether a student meets the additional requirements needed for admittance into Design Experiences and Interactions.

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college with a major in art, design, engineering, marketing, or communication with an overall GPA of 2.5 or above. Bachelor’s degrees with other majors will be considered with relevant work experience in other creative industries.
2. Samples of creative individual or collaborative work (2-3 projects).
3. One-page written statement by the applicant indicating career objectives.
4. Resume or curriculum vitae.
5. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential for success in graduate studies.
6. Approval by the coordinator of the M.A. in Design and Innovation (MDI) program, who will review the application to determine if the student shows high promise of success in the program.

Note: Upon completing all three certificates (Design Strategy and Systems, Design Experiences and Interactions, Design Leadership and Impact) and finishing the graduate project ART 698DI, students will earn their master’s degree in Design and Innovation.

B. Program Requirements

Students must complete 6 units of approved coursework and 4 units in the cumulative experience. Specific required coursework consists of:

Required Courses (10 units)

ART 566 Research for Designing Experiences and Interactions (3)
ART 567 Design for Inclusive Experiences and Interactions (3)
ART 646 Design for Experiences and Interaction Practicum (4)

Note: ART 566 and ART 567 are prerequisites for ART 646.

Total Units Required for the Certificate: 10