Master’s in Human-Centered Design Program Curriculum

The MS in Human-Centered Design offers a curriculum that allows students to personalize their degree through concentration courses and electives based on their academic and career aspirations. Through rigorous study, students can improve their skills in problem-solving, technical support and training, and software/hardware management.

Concentration Options

• Human-Centered AI: It will empower you with deep knowledge about designing AI systems in interaction with humans (AI-Robot interactions), Human interaction (UX design), ethics, and bias in AI design and beyond.
• Augmented and Virtual Reality: It will provide you with the needed skills to design and develop games and AR/VR systems along with different applications in manufacturing, automotive, etc.
• Game Development: You will learn about using game engines to build games and elements within them by writing code based on designers’ concepts.

Thesis or Non-Thesis Track

Whichever concentration you select, you then get to choose between a thesis track or non-thesis track to complete the degree requirements. The thesis track challenges students to write a research paper and conduct an oral defense in addition to the required coursework. Students completing the non-thesis track complete additional credits in elective graduate-level courses.

Review the MS in Human-Centered Design curriculum here.

How to Apply to the MS in Human-Centered Design?

Admission Requirements

Interested applicants to the Master of Science in Human-Centered Design program should meet the following requirements:

• Bachelor of Science from an accredited institution. Preference will be given to students with a background in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field or other related fields such as psychology, sociology, and humanities. 
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale. Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements may be offered admission. Admission in such cases will depend heavily on other indices of the student’s ability to handle graduate-level work. These might include strong performance on GPA in the major and/or other experiences indicative of strong academic ability.
• Applicants with a three-year bachelor’s degree from an institution outside of the U.S. may be eligible for admission at the University of Michigan-Flint if it is determined through the credential review process that the three-year degree completed is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
• University of Michigan will consider a three-year degree from India equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree if the degrees have been earned with a minimum of 60% marks and the awarding institutions have been accredited by India’s National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a grade of “A” or better.
  

State Authorization for Online Students

In recent years, the federal government has emphasized the need for universities and colleges to comply with the distance education laws of each state. If you are an out-of-state student intending to enroll in an online program, please visit the State Authorization page to verify the status of UM-Flint with your state.

Application Requirements

To be considered for admission, submit an online application below. Other materials can be emailed to [email protected] or delivered to the Office of Graduate Programs, 251 Thompson Library.

• Application for Graduate Admission
• $55 application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Please read our full transcript policy for more information.
• For any degree completed at a non-US institution, transcripts must be submitted for an internal credential review. Read the following for instructions on how to submit your transcripts for review.
• If English is not your native language, and you are not from an exempt country, you must demonstrate English proficiency (additional information can be found below).
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate your scholarly and/or professional ability (At least one recommendation must be from an academic reference). This requirement is waived for all University of Michigan Alumni.
• Statement of Purpose describing your objectives for graduate study and reasons for selecting this program
• Students from abroad must submit additional documentation.

This program can be completed 100% online or on-campus with in-person courses. Students living abroad may also complete this program online in their home country. Other nonimmigrant visa holders currently in the United States, please contact the Center for Global Engagement at [email protected].

As a new academic degree, this program is not currently accepting applications from international students seeking an F-1 visa. This program will accept applications from international students who are required to have an I-20 as soon as authorization from the Department of Homeland Security is received.

Special Requirement for Citizens of India

Applicants who attended an institution in India where the language of instruction was exclusively English cannot use that method exclusively to meet the English proficiency requirements. Applicants who attended a verified English-medium institution must also submit an approved test score or use one of the other approved methods. Those with a 5.0 IELTS score will be eligible for standard admission and will have no further English proficiency requirement; those below a 5.0 IELTS score will not be admitted.

*If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and wish to waive this requirement, you may make your case to the director of the SE program. The director, in turn, must make the case to the Dean of Graduate Programs. You must provide sufficient evidence that you have the requisite English proficiency.

**The university reserves the right to require an applicant to provide other evidence of English proficiency if independent sources cannot verify that the language of instruction was exclusively English.

Application Deadlines

Submit all application materials to the Office of Graduate Programs by 5 p.m. on the day of the application deadline. The Master of Science in Human-Centered Design program offers rolling admission with monthly application reviews.

To be considered for admission, all application materials must be submitted on or before:

• Fall – May 1 (guaranteed consideration*)
• Fall – August 1 (if space permits)
• Winter – December 1
• Summer – April 1 

*You must have a complete application by the early deadline to guarantee application eligibility for scholarships, grants, and research assistantships.

As a new academic degree, this program is not currently accepting applications from international students seeking an F-1 visa. This program will accept applications from international students who are required to have an I-20 as soon as authorization from the Department of Homeland Security is received.