Are you interested in pursuing a master’s in user experience? You’ll take courses in UI UX design, also known as user experience design, as well as research, marketing, and many more.
Ready to jump start a future in user interface design? Students in WPI’s STEM-designated user experience master's program will learn to create, design, evaluate, improve, and generate innovative products and services that help organizations elevate their goals, meet their consumers’ needs, and increase their market share.
As a student in WPI’s innovation with user experience master's program, you’ll gain fluency in the scope of technology, business, and design to give consumers the best user experience (also referred to as user interface design) possible by capturing technology and innovation. The business and industry expertise in the Foisie Business School and the technological and scientific resources of the university provide valuable collaborations to give students a distinct edge in user experience design.
Using the latest user interface technology (such as eye tracking) while understanding the value of innovation, students learn how to refine the way users interact with technology, evaluate their methods, and develop new strategies for market competition. Because technology has an increasing role in consumers’ daily lives, creating a positive and memorable experience is crucial for organizations to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace.
Using a carefully selected plan of study, your coursework in user experience design, research, and application skills gives you a foundation from which to develop and execute the best user interface. UX courses in marketing, business, and finance gives students a broader picture from which to formulate an effective user experience. IUX students will also use elements of quantitative and qualitative analyses such as analytics, surveys, and observations. Merging myriad approaches allows students the big-picture view that adds value to the consumer experience and to the organizations’ bottom line.
Students in the user experience master's program must complete nine required courses including the following five core UX courses:
UX Design Courses
Business Courses
Any of the above marketing, business, or finance core courses not taken for the core requirement
ETR 500 Entrepreneurship and Innovation
ETR 593 Technology Commercialization: Theory, Strategy, and Practice
MKT 562 Marketing Research
MKT 565 Digital Marketing
MKT 598 Social Media Marketing
OIE 501 Designing Operations for Competitive Advantage
OIE 552 Modeling and Optimizing Processes
OIE 556 Health System Modeling and Improvement
BUS 5900 Internship (no more than 3 credits)
Technical Courses
WPI’s User Experience and Decision Making Laboratory brings leading-edge UX technology to students. Using methods such as observation and physiological measuring (e.g., eye tracking), you’ll learn about the entire user interface design experience. Collaborations between industry leaders and academic researchers invite further innovation from different perspectives and approaches. User experience research focuses on how to improve human-technology interaction using innovation and a comprehensive approach. WPI’s user experience research integrates features such as design or information processing behavior using state-of-the-art eye-tracking devices. Understanding the correlation between the human computer interaction, user experience, and the value and success of a product is essential for future IUX leaders.
WPI has user experience research in various areas such as web and mobile technologies, eye tracking and neuro Information systems (NeuroIS), and decision support systems (DSS). Read more about ongoing IUX projects.
I teach both graduate and undergraduate courses, as well as advise PhD projects, IQPs and MQPs. I enjoy teaching because it's a dynamic and innovative process that challenges me to continually evaluate and adjust my teaching strategies to prepare my students for today’s global and competitive business environment. Teaching is also one the most rewarding experiences in my career because it allows me to witness my students' growth and accomplishments.
Being an educator is more than just distributing facts and figures; it's demonstrating the importance of this knowledge in a way that can be relevant for every learner. It's not truly knowledge until the student can grasp and apply it. I consider myself to be an advocate for knowledge - encouraging learning and providing the tools needed to be successful and independent thinkers. I take any opportunity possible to introduce new technologies and social networking behaviors that I feel are relevant into my daily classroom activities.
Purvi has 'done' marketing and now she 'teaches' marketing at the WPI Foisie Business School. She has a diverse industry experience in the marketing/brand management function of mid-size to large corporations across consumer goods, retail, and real estate verticals. In academics, she aspires to play her role as a researcher (knowledge creation) and teacher (knowledge dissemination). Her research questions, in the context of discovery, attempt to explain and understand interesting and challenging marketing phenomena that have not received much research attention.
Decision-making is becoming increasingly complex as data expands and resources decrease. My research centers on using prescriptive (integer optimization) and predictive (machine learning) analytics, together with algorithms, to effectively allocate scarce resources. My work employs mathematical modeling and the development of methods and tools to benefit vulnerable and marginalized individuals, groups, and populations.
