Master of Arts in the Field of Interaction Design

Our Master of Arts in Interaction Design (IxD) is a unique program for emerging designers who are passionate about social innovation and ready to tackle complex, systemic problems.


Interaction Design, at its heart, is the design of the interaction between users, systems and products. We believe that the future of interaction design relies on also considering its social and environmental impact, and our curriculum reflects this forward-thinking conviction.

Contemporary social problems demand interdisciplinary and collaborative solutions. An interaction designer must first seek to understand a problem’s root causes, then design solutions that effect change. Our program prepares you to create social change through a systems and human-centered framework. You will be trained to think critically about systems and design solutions that take the form of experiences, services, digital interfaces and/or physical products. The end products are not prescribed from the outset, but emerge out of a rigorous, discipline-agnostic design process.


Students in our program have the opportunity to develop their design practice outside of the classroom, gaining hands-on experience through project work that crosses multiple sectors, including the public sector (by designing policy) and industry (by designing products and services).

At the Corcoran, you’ll find yourself embedded in a creative community where designers, artists, photojournalists, musicians and performers connect in the classroom and beyond. You’ll study in newly renovated classrooms and studios and can take advantage of the resources a world-class research university provides. With the support of this dynamic environment and the guidance of knowledgeable faculty, you can expand your imagination of what interaction design can achieve while acquiring the skills to make your visions a reality.