B.S., Human-Centered Design and Development
Technology is only useful if it meets the needs of users.
Creating usable and useful technology requires a deep understanding of who is using it, how, and why. The B.S., Human-Centered Design and Development program positions you to research potential users and understand their needs, experiences, and behaviors so you can create technology solutions that put people first. By leveraging design thinking and user experience principles, you'll ensure that our world of increasingly complex and pervasive technologies can remain aligned with human aspirations, requirements, and limitations.
Is Human-Centered Design and Development Right for Me?
HCDD combines technology with art, design, psychology, and programming, helping you bridge the gap between front-end design and back-end tech. This program could be a great fit if you want to
- design, build and evaluate web, mobile, and other software applications
- research users to understand how people live and how technology fits into their lives
- embrace uncertainty and change on the path to getting things right
What You'll Study
Gain foundational knowledge and state-of-the-art skills needed to develop usable web, mobile, and software applications by exploring topics like these.
- Human-Centered Design for Mobile Computing
- Application Development Studio
- Engineering of Complex Software Systems
- Methods for Studying Users
- Distributed-Object Computing
- Object-Oriented Design and Software Applications
- Programming for the Web
- Design Practice in HCDD
Application Focus Areas
Pick an application focus area or work with an adviser to create your own so you can develop and apply more specialized knowledge in a specific field.
- Data Sciences
- Digital Arts and Communication
- Geographic Information Systems
- Healthcare
- Informatics
- Psychology
- Security and Risk
- Sociology
Earn a B.S. and M.S. at the Same Time
You can pursue a B.S. in HCDD and a master's degree at the same time through the Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) degree program. IUGs make it possible to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in five years!
The Power of Internships
Every HCDD student must complete at least one internship before graduating—most complete more than one, and 84% receive a job offer from an internship provider. With hundreds of organizations recruiting and a dedicated Career Solutions team to support you, you'll have the tools and opportunities to launch your career.
View Past Internships
"During my internship, many of the students on my research team had some knowledge in designing for users; however, my major explicitly focused on it. It was extremely important to consider how we can make their experience with the app as enjoyable and easy as possible."
Elissa McNeil '23 , User Experience Designer, Merck
Discover Your Career
Technology is ever-changing, and so are the careers that create, use, and study it. As you work toward your degree, you’ll identify and refine your career interests through courses, student organizations, and experiential opportunities. With guidance and resources from our dedicated Career Solutions team—from your first job to the executive suite—you'll gain the technical expertise, business savvy, and communication skills to lead in business, health care, defense, technology, and countless other industries.
IT Operations Engineer
Ensures the smooth functioning of infrastructure and operations supporting application deployment, including network, server management, ITIL, and help desk services. Defines processes, policies, roles, and best practices for enterprise operations.
Business Systems Analyst/Consultant
Analyzes business problems and designs technology solutions, bridging gaps through architecture, tools, or software applications to resolve issues and improve processes.
Information Architect
Organizes, structures, and designs information within digital products to ensure usability, accessibility, and effectiveness, creating logical content structures for seamless user navigation and interaction.
IT Analyst
Analyzes and transmits specialized information, including acquiring, analyzing, indexing, and preparing abstracts. Manages technical information services, technology assessment, research support, and engineering services.
Software Engineer
Applies programming languages and engineering principles to design, develop, test, and maintain software applications and systems. Collaborates with cross-functional teams to analyze user needs, create efficient algorithms, and implement scalable solutions.
Computer Programmer/Analyst
Writes and tests code to ensure applications and software function properly, converting program designs into executable instructions for computers.
IT Specialist
Specializes in areas like programming, networks, internet, web design, or mobile computing, adapting to new technologies and trends as they emerge in each field.
IT Consultant
Advises clients on building and operating IT networks, solving problems, improving performance, and offering solutions for business models, websites, and other IT aspects. Conducts analysis, proposals, and training.
Technology Specialist
Supports diverse business customers by resolving issues, adapting to varying needs, using customer-facing systems, and applying technical knowledge to troubleshoot evolving technologies.
User Experience Professional Association
Through mentored research, experiential opportunities, and student organizations like the User Experience Professional Association (UXPA), Human-Centered Design and Development students can extend learning far beyond the classroom. UXPA promotes the value of user experience, research, design and evaluation to students through professional development, education, and networking.
Learn about UXPA