About the programme
Arizona State University's MS in User Experience is offered jointly by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts. It can be taken on the Polytechnic campus in Mesa or fully online through ASU Online.
The degree is 30 credit hours. The 15-credit core includes three required courses: Cross-media Design Solutions, Foundations of Human Systems Engineering, and Fundamentals of Technical Communication. Students then add two core electives, such as Usability and User Experience. The other 15 credits are electives or research chosen from an approved list.
There is no thesis. The culminating requirement is a portfolio (0 credits) that students build during the programme. The curriculum covers UX research, design, content development and communication, including tone of voice. That mix of human systems engineering and technical communication is less common in UX degrees. ASU also offers an accelerated bachelor's-plus-master's pathway.
- Format
- In person on ASU's Polytechnic campus in Mesa, or online through ASU Online. The degree is STEM-OPT eligible.
- Length
- 30 credit hours plus the portfolio requirement. ASU's page does not give a standard duration.
- Cost
- For Fall 2026 (campus rates), residents pay $6,664 a semester in tuition for 7 or more credits. Non-residents pay $1,622 a credit and international students $1,770 a credit, capped from 12 credits. That is about $48,660 or $53,100 for 30 credits. Mandatory fees and any programme fees are extra, and ASU Online rates differ.
- Admissions
- Rolling admission for fall, spring and summer. You need a personal statement, resume, writing sample and two letters, plus a 3.0 GPA (in the bachelor's degree, the last 60 hours, or graduate work). No GRE or portfolio is required to apply.
- Background
- ASU lists related degrees such as psychology, graphic design, graphic information technology, human systems engineering, business, cognitive science, design and technical communication.
- Capstone
- A portfolio submitted as the culminating requirement, in place of a thesis or applied project.
Who it suits
Suits people who want a flexible UX degree they can start in any term, on campus or online, and that covers content and technical communication as well as design. People who want a cohort-based studio programme or a research thesis should look elsewhere.
Checked against Arizona State University’s official programme pages in October 2026.
