Program Overview

MS in Creative Technology & Design: Social Impact

The professional MS in Creative Technology and Design (CTD) is a 33-credit hour program empowering students to become interdisciplinary problem-solvers. The Social Impact track prepares students to leverage technology to create equity in access and support underserved communities in the US and around the world.

Program Benefits

• Unique Student Experience: Small classes offer hands-on project-based learning with direct mentoring and student collaboration. Core classes provide a foundation in domestic and global development, technology, and professional skills.
• Industry Collaboration: Learn from industry leaders in various ways, including classes taught by working professionals from small studios to large companies like Google and Amazon.
• Learn & Work: Most students work at least part-time while in the program, with opportunities for roles at ATLAS, across campus, along the Front Range, and in remote positions.
• Creative Community: A diverse student cohort is one of the program’s greatest strengths, leading to more thoughtful and thorough impact projects and solutions.
• Real World-Experience: The curriculum leverages project-based learning with an emphasis on real-world experience, giving students opportunities to work on real projects for outside organizations.
• Future Forward Careers: Students are uniquely positioned for the evolving job markets of the future, building a technical toolset and an approach to life-long learning and creative problem-solving.

Course Sequence

The MS track in Social Impact equips students with skills in three areas:

• Social Impact Foundations and Practice: Students learn development history and theory while reviewing social impact projects at the intersection of technology and development.
• Professional Development: Students are introduced to a wide range of people and projects across the social impact and development landscape, connecting them to industry leaders and employment options.
• Technical Fluency: Students develop a foundation in contemporary digital skills, including coding and development, building a unique technical toolset to address social issues.

Descriptions

Semester 1 - (Year 1 Fall)

• ATLS 5230 Case Studies in Social Impact: This course explores the challenges and opportunities in the evolving field of technology for social impact by evaluating case studies across a range of technologies and applications.
• ATLS 5430 Design Methods OR CVEN 5919 Global Development for Engineers: Students learn design, deliberate observation, and “problem finding” and “design thinking” strategies.
• Introduction to Programming or Creative Code: Students gain coding experience, with options for those with or without prior programming experience.

Semester 2 - (Year 2 Spring)

• ATLS 5410 Creative Technologies: This course gives students hands-on exposure to a wide range of technologies, including 3D printing, laser cutting, microcontrollers, sensors, and programming.
• ATLS 5250 Fieldwork Methods: Students learn methods and models for the design, development, and deployment of social impact projects, including participatory research, ethnography, and community assessment.
• Critical Perspectives or Technical Focus Electives: Students select from domain-specific courses or technical courses to customize their skill set based on professional goals.

Semester 3 - (Year 2 Fall)

• ATLS 5240 Technology for Social Impact Laboratory: Students work in multidisciplinary teams on projects in collaboration with community partners, field practitioners, and experts in relevant fields.
• Technology-focused Elective: Students build their skill sets by taking technical courses through ATLAS or across CU Boulder departments.
• Critical Perspective Elective: Students select from a range of domain-specific courses to deepen their theoretical understanding and sectoral expertise.

Semester 4 - (Year 2 Spring)

• Practicum: A hallmark of the Social Impact program, students spend a full semester working with an organization in a social impact-specific role, developing a scope of work and list of deliverables.

Focus Areas

The Creative Technology & Design program is flexible to students' goals, with common focus areas including:

• Accessibility
• Entrepreneurship
• Policy

Workshops

The program offers free workshops throughout the year, allowing students to explore new areas of interest, gain additional skills, and network with industry leaders. Recent topics have included:

• Figma
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Motion Graphics
• UI/UX
• Bio Meets Computation
• 3D Printing
• Programming in Python and R
• Data Science
• Project Management

Practicum

The final fieldwork or research practicum positions students for careers in the field, sometimes with the same organization, providing hands-on social impact experience and the development of a scope of work outline and digital media skills.

Alumni Profiles

Alumni go on to inspiring careers in leading industries, with examples including:

• Benjamin Lee, Accessible Technologist
• Bret McSpaddden, Publications and knowledge manager at IRC WASH

Companies Employing Social Impact Track Graduates

Graduates are employed by a range of companies and organizations, leveraging their skills and experience to make a social impact.