M.A. in IxD Overview

As the only program of its kind in North Texas, UNT’s Master of Arts in Interaction Design equips graduates to drive invention and innovation across industries and take on leadership roles in user-experience design, product design, and interaction design. 

Program Snapshot

Location
Denton, Texas,
in person
Duration
16 months
Time
Evenings
Enrollment
Flexible: full- or part-time

Advance or Pivot Your Design Career

The M.A. in Interaction Design is an ideal program if you have a 120-credit-hour bachelor's degree and…
  • You’re ready to level up or change direction through graduate study.
  • You want to design meaningful products, systems and experiences.
  • You value creativity, research and collaboration.
  • You’re curious about how technology can address human needs.

M.A. in Interaction Design Program Overview 

As the only graduate program of its kind in North Texas, UNT’s Master of Arts in Interaction Design prepares you to drive invention and innovation across industries. 
 
Our 30-credit, nine-course program can be completed in just over 16 months, with options for full- or part-time enrollment and evening classes that support working professionals.
 
You’ll collaborate on immersive, hands-on, human-centered projects that emphasize research, prototyping, testing, and real-world implementation.

What You’ll Learn 

Semester 1, Fall — Start Strong

Build your foundation of interaction design, human-centered methods, and data visualization.
  • Foundations of Interaction Design
  • Human-Centered Interaction Design I
  • Data and Information Visualization
  • Methods Employed by Design Researchers 

Semester 2, Spring — Level Up

Begin real-world projects with industry partners and translate research-based insights into action. 

  • Human-Centered Interaction Design II
  • Designing Screen-Based Interactions
  • Processes and Methodologies for Innovation

Semester 3, Summer — Apply Learning

Complete an optional professional internship to translate classroom learning into real-world experience. 

  • Professional internship (optional) or elective

Semester 4, Fall — Career Launch

Finish with a capstone that helps you transition from campus to career.
  • Capstone: Inception-to-Pitch
View the M.A. in Interaction Design curriculum. (PDF yet to come)

Real-World Experience

Starting in your second semester, you’ll collaborate on industry-sponsored projects with partners like EndoMD, NASA, Glidance™, Signify Health, part of CVS Health, and Sam's Club. You’ll apply human-centered design to solve complex challenges.
 
The lower legs and shoes are shown with one person using a white cane for the blind.
Improving accessibility for blind individuals
Glidance: Students developed eight strategies and 11 concepts to reach blind users who are not already connected to blind-low vision communities. 
A nurse is speaking to an older gentleman on the porch of a house.
Building trust during in-home health evaluations
CVS, Signify Health: Students distilled 300+ ideas into 40 insights gleaned from research and 12 actionable strategies that help CVS strengthen member trust and retention.
Woman standing in a shopping aisle at a Sam's Club store.
Radically reimagining the exit experience
Sam's Club: Graduate students uncovered 30 member-based pain points and 60 opportunities that reduce shrinkage while also serving members and presented 20 final concepts to the Sam’s Club innovation team.

Career Outcomes

Our graduates work as UX designers, product designers, interaction designers, UX researchers, service designers, and design strategists at major companies, consultancies, startups, and research organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth region and beyond.

Why UNT?

  • Evening courses for working professionals
  • Interdisciplinary, collaborative studio experiences
  • Work with industry experts and award-winning faculty
  • Real-world projects that build your professional portfolio
  • Dallas-Fort Worth: A top 15 U.S. market for UX and interaction design careers
  • One of only three graduate-level programs of its kind in Texas

How to Apply

Admissions Requirements

  • A four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
  • Resume
  • Statement of purpose
  • Portfolio

View the How to Apply for the M.A. in IxD Program webpage.

Priority Application Deadlines

Start Fall 2026

  • U.S. Applicants: June 19, 2026, 5 p.m. CDT
  • International Applicants: May 15, 2026, 5 p.m. CDT

Start Spring 2027

  • U.S. Applicants: Sept. 30, 2026, 5 p.m. CDT
  • International Applicants: Sept. 15, 2026, 5 p.m. CDT

Tuition

For cost information, visit the UNT Tuition Estimator webpage and choose Art: Design: MA/MFA.

Questions?

Email: cvad.Design@unt.edu.