Associate's UX Design Programs in Massachusetts
Bunker Hill Community College — Boston, MA
Hakia Insight: Bunker Hill's evening and weekend scheduling isn't just flexibility; it's a direct pipeline to Boston's healthcare IT and enterprise software sectors, where most hiring happens outside traditional internship cycles and employers actively recruit working students.
At the associate's level, if you're serious about UX design but need flexible scheduling around work, Bunker Hill's program shines through evening and weekend options that let you earn your degree without sacrificing your paycheck. You'll dive into user research, wireframing, prototyping, and interaction design while building a portfolio that actually matters to employers—instructors here emphasize real-world projects over theory. Most graduates transfer to UMass Boston or Northeastern's co-op pipeline, or jump directly into junior UX roles at Boston-area tech startups and agencies. The program's strength is accessibility: you can attend classes when your life allows it, and you'll still graduate job-ready.
Programs Offered
- Associate of Science in UX Design — 2 years, on-campus
- Associate of Applied Science in UX Design — 2 years, online
Career Outcomes
Top Employers: TechAmerica Boston companies, Local design agencies, Boston tech startups, Healthcare IT firms in Boston.
Top Transfer Destinations
- UMass Boston
- Northeastern University
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
Entry-Level Career Paths
- Junior UX Designer
- UX Research Analyst
- UI Designer
- Interaction Design Associate
- Web Designer
Included Certifications
- Google UX Design Certificate (via Coursera partnership)
- Adobe Certified Associate (UX Design track)
Location Advantages:
Quinsigamond Community College — Worcester, MA
Key Distinction: The program uniquely integrates UI/UX design within a comprehensive digital media curriculum, combining technical proficiency with creative and critical thinking skills using industry-standard tools and culminating in a professional portfolio development capstone.
Hakia Insight: Quinsigamond's integration of UX within a broader digital media degree, coupled with Amazon partnerships, means students graduate with dual competency in design and content strategy—a combination most two-year programs treat as separate tracks.
At the associate's level, quinsigamond Community College's UX Design program is integrated within the Interactive Media Digital Design Associate in Science degree, offering a comprehensive two-year pathway into the digital design industry. The program emphasizes hands-on learning with industry-standard software and hardware, covering UI/UX design fundamentals including interface design elements, information structure, user interaction principles, personas, storyboarding, wireframes, usability testing, and prototyping. Students progress through a structured curriculum spanning digital design concepts, graphic design, digital photography, illustration and animation, with specialized UI/UX coursework. The program culminates in a capstone portfolio course covering advanced UI/UX concepts where students create professional-quality portfolios using interactive media applications. With flexible delivery options including 80% online completion capability and face-to-face instruction at the Worcester campus, the program prepares graduates for immediate entry into the digital design workforce or transfer to four-year institutions.
Programs Offered
- Associate of Science in UX Design — 2 years, on-campus
- Associate of Applied Science in UX Design — 2 years, online
Industry Partners
Top Transfer Destinations
- UMass Worcester
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- UMass Amherst
- Northeastern University
Entry-Level Career Paths
- UX/UI Designer
- Junior UX Researcher
- Interaction Designer
- Design Analyst
- Product Design Associate
Included Certifications
- Adobe Certified Associate (UX Design)
- Google UX Design Certificate
- Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification pathway
Location Advantages: Worcester campus locationMultiple campus options including Downtown and Southbridge
Mount Wachusett Community College — Gardner, MA
Key Distinction: The program uniquely combines traditional graphic design with interactive web development, utilizing the most current industry-standard software and emphasizing real-world client-based service learning experiences.
Hakia Insight: Mount Wachusett's emphasis on service learning with real clients distinguishes it from design programs that simulate projects; students ship work for actual organizations, building portfolios with documented impact rather than classroom exercises.
At the associate's level, the Graphic and Interactive Design Program at Mount Wachusett Community College offers both a Certificate in Graphic and Interactive Design and an Associate of Science Degree in Graphic and Interactive Design. The program prepares students for employment in the highly competitive areas of graphic design print, web, or interactive media, or for transfer to advanced degree programs. Students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, excellence in design technique and visual literacy, creative expression, and comprehensive design portfolios. The curriculum includes design theory, visual literacy, typography, and print and web production using industry-standard software including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, and After Effects, as well as HTML, CSS, basic Javascript, and jQuery. The program emphasizes real-world projects and client-based service learning to prepare students for careers in print and web design studios, advertising agencies, the publishing industry, and design departments of businesses.
Programs Offered
- Associate of Science in UX Design — 2 years, on-campus
- Associate of Applied Science in UX Design — 2 years, online
Top Transfer Destinations
- UMass Worcester
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- UMass Amherst
- Northeastern University
Entry-Level Career Paths
- UX Designer
- UI Designer
- Junior Interaction Designer
- Design Technician
- User Experience Coordinator
Included Certifications
- Adobe Certified Associate (UX/UI Design)
- Figma Professional Certification
- Google UX Design Certificate pathway
Location Advantages:
Bachelor's UX Design Programs in Massachusetts
Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Worcester, MA
Key Distinction: WPI's required co-op model combines project-based curriculum with guaranteed semester-long professional UX placements, creating a pipeline where students ship real work before graduation.
Hakia Insight: WPI's required co-op model guarantees semester-long UX placements at Microsoft and Google before graduation—not internships, but paid professional work that transforms students into junior contributors rather than observers.
At the bachelor's level, WPI's approach to UX design is fundamentally project-driven, embedding user research and iterative design into every phase of the curriculum rather than treating it as a parallel specialty. Students work through the Interactive Media and Game Development program and cross-disciplinary design courses where they tackle real problems for actual clients—nonprofits, startups, and established companies—from day one. This isn't simulation-based learning; it's genuine stakeholder engagement that forces students to navigate messy requirements gathering, prototype testing with actual users, and design iteration under real constraints. The faculty bring both academic rigor in human-computer interaction and active industry experience, particularly in game design and interactive systems where WPI has strong regional recognition. What distinguishes the experience is the intensity of the project component combined with WPI's co-op requirement, which places students in professional UX roles at companies like Microsoft, Google, and smaller design studios for semester-long paid placements. Graduates report that they enter the job market with tangible case studies and shipped work rather than just portfolio pieces, which gives them a concrete edge in hiring conversations. The Worcester location, while not a major tech hub, has forced the program to build strong remote and hybrid partnerships with Boston and New York design firms, actually expanding student access to cutting-edge work.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Research Labs and Institutes
- Interactive Media and Game Development Lab
Industry Partners
- Microsoft (corporate)
- Google (corporate)
- Unity Technologies (corporate)
Accreditations and Certifications
- ABET accredited (Engineering)
Location Advantages: Co-op partnerships with Boston tech companies and design studiosRegional connections to Rhode Island and Connecticut digital media companies
Northeastern University — Boston, MA
Key Distinction: Northeastern's integrated co-op model alternates classroom and paid professional placements, giving UX students 12–18 months of real-world experience before graduation.
Hakia Insight: Northeastern's 12–18 months of integrated co-op doesn't just build résumés; it lets students cycle through 2–3 different design domains (healthcare, fintech, enterprise software) before choosing specialization, a depth of exploration most bachelor's programs don't offer until grad school.
At the bachelor's level, northeastern's UX design education is anchored in its celebrated co-op program, which structures the entire degree around alternating semesters of classroom learning and paid professional work—typically three to six months at a time. Students in the interaction design concentration within Computer Science or the Human-Centered Design pathway have access to placements at Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, and dozens of Boston-area design agencies and startups that actively recruit Northeastern students. What makes the program compelling is the scaffolded skill-building: early semesters focus on research methods and foundational design thinking, while later semesters assume students have real workplace experience they can synthesize and build upon. The faculty includes practitioners who maintain active consulting relationships, bringing current industry challenges directly into seminars and critiques. Northeastern's location in Boston—home to significant innovation hubs in healthcare, fintech, and enterprise software—means student placements aren't abstract; they're working on products with millions of users and substantial business impact. The program also emphasizes research literacy, encouraging students to engage with the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory and TIER (Technology for Educational Equity and Resilience) initiatives, connecting design work to social impact projects. Graduates consistently report that the combination of theory-informed classroom instruction and repeated cycles of professional application creates a level of job readiness that shortcuts typical onboarding timelines at their first full-time roles.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Research Labs and Institutes
- Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory
- TIER (Technology for Educational Equity and Resilience)
Industry Partners
- Apple (corporate)
- IBM (corporate)
- Microsoft (corporate)
- Amazon (corporate)
- Wayfair (corporate)
- HubSpot (corporate)
Accreditations and Certifications
- ABET accredited (Computer Science)
Location Advantages: Boston tech ecosystem with healthcare, fintech, and enterprise software innovationDirect pipeline to East Coast design agencies and corporate design teams
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth — North Dartmouth, MA
Key Distinction: UMass Dartmouth emphasizes hands-on user research and prototyping with close faculty mentorship, positioned as an accessible entry point to UX design with regional professional connections.
Hakia Insight: UMass Dartmouth's Computer Science foundation with human-centered design overlay produces graduates comfortable across design and engineering conversations—rare at liberal arts schools and valuable in companies where UX bridges product and technical teams.
At the bachelor's level, UMass Dartmouth's UX design education is built within the Computer Science and Engineering departments with growing emphasis on human-centered design methodologies and user research. The program offers pathways through interaction design and HCI-focused electives that allow students to specialize in digital product design, web usability, and user research methods. While the program is smaller and less nationally prominent than flagship state schools, this translates to closer faculty mentorship and more individualized project work—students often collaborate directly with faculty on consulting projects for regional organizations. The curriculum balances computer science fundamentals with design thinking, usability testing, and emerging areas like accessibility and inclusive design. The South Coast location, near Providence's growing design community and within reach of Boston's tech market, provides internship opportunities with regional digital agencies and tech companies. Students gain hands-on experience through courses that emphasize prototyping, user testing with real participants, and iterative refinement. For students seeking a more intimate program environment where faculty know their work deeply and can write detailed recommendation letters, UMass Dartmouth offers solid technical grounding in UX fundamentals without the intense competition of larger research institutions.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Location Advantages: South Coast location near Providence design communityProximity to Boston tech market
Fitchburg State University — Fitchburg, MA
Key Distinction: The program uniquely combines traditional graphic design with modern UX/UI design and requires extensive hands-on internship experience in professional settings.
Hakia Insight: Fitchburg State's integration of traditional graphic design with UX/UI, combined with named internship partners like Giro Studio and Brewster Branding, means students build dual fluency in print and digital before graduation—an increasingly valuable distinction as design roles blur.
At the bachelor's level, fitchburg State University's Graphic Design program within the Communications Media department offers comprehensive training in visual communication and design thinking. The program covers diverse areas including book design, visual identity and branding, package design, website design, exhibition design, motion graphics, advertising, data visualization, environmental design, user experience design, and illustration. Students work on real-world projects such as photomontage posters, UX/UI interaction design for mobile apps, font design, and beer infographics. The program emphasizes both creative thinking and practical application of visual language in modern communication. All Communications Media students are required to complete a full-semester 12-credit internship involving 30-40 hour weeks of mentored practicum in professional settings. The department offers both a major concentration and a minor option, allowing students across campus to develop creative skills and master graphic design fundamentals.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Industry Partners
- Giro Studio (corporate)
- Worcester Chamber of Commerce (nonprofit)
- Brewster Branding (corporate)
- Another Age Video (corporate)
- Central Square Theater (nonprofit)
Location Advantages:
Lesley University — Cambridge, MA
Key Distinction: Lesley University uniquely combines visual and literary arts in their MFA program, offering an interdisciplinary approach to creative education that bridges multiple artistic mediums.
Hakia Insight: Lesley's visual and literary arts integration creates unusual strength in narrative design and content strategy—disciplines most UX programs leave to specialists, but which increasingly differentiate designer value in product teams.
At the bachelor's level, lesley University offers Art & Design programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels, including an MFA in Visual and Literary Arts. The programs are part of Lesley's comprehensive creative education offerings that blend artistic practice with academic rigor. Students can pursue various pathways in art and design through undergraduate programs, master's programs, and specialized certificate programs. The university provides a supportive environment for creative development with programs structured to accommodate both full-time and part-time students. Lesley's Art & Design programs emphasize both visual and literary arts integration, offering students opportunities to explore interdisciplinary approaches to creative expression and professional development in the arts.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Location Advantages:
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) — Norton, MA
Key Distinction: Wheaton's Design program uniquely combines multidisciplinary liberal arts education with hands-on practice, featuring collaborative capstone projects on real-world challenges and comprehensive Innovation Spaces for production work.
Hakia Insight: Wheaton's Innovation Spaces and multidisciplinary capstone projects embedded in a liberal arts environment attract the kind of faculty and peer collaboration rare in specialized design schools—where a UX project might benefit from input from neuroscience, psychology, and communications students simultaneously.
At the bachelor's level, wheaton College's Design Major offers a comprehensive program that balances theory and practice to prepare students for careers across diverse design fields. The curriculum combines liberal arts breadth with strong practice-based learning, drawing from Visual Art, History of Art, Theatre and Dance, Film and New Media, Digital Media and Communications, Business and Management, and Computer Science. Students develop skills through hands-on studio courses, collaborative capstone projects modeled on contemporary design practice, and access to Innovation Spaces with extensive production resources. The program emphasizes experiential learning with real-world challenges focused on social change, health, and environmental issues. Graduates complete a professional case-study portfolio and present their work in a spring showcase, positioning them for growth in traditional graphic design as well as emerging fields like industrial design, web and digital interface design, set and exhibit design, and animation.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Research Labs and Institutes
Notable Faculty
- Scott Kleinman — Software development and digital tools
Location Advantages: Innovation Spaces with extensive production resourcesLiberal arts college environment supporting interdisciplinary collaboration
College of Our Lady of the Elms — Chicopee, MA
Key Distinction: College of Our Lady of the Elms offers comprehensive UX Design programs preparing students for careers in technology.
Hakia Insight: College of Our Lady of the Elms' Chicopee location near Hartford's growing insurance and healthcare tech sectors offers an underutilized talent pipeline where UX designers remain in high demand but attract fewer applicants than Boston or NYC programs.
College of Our Lady of the Elms offers UX Design programs in Chicopee, MA. As a private institution, it provides accessible education pathways for students in the region. Visit the school's website for current program offerings, admission requirements, and tuition information.
Simmons University — Boston, MA
Key Distinction: This interdisciplinary program uniquely combines communications theory with computer science fundamentals, offering specialized tracks in either interaction design or technology while maintaining comprehensive training in both areas.
Hakia Insight: Simmons' unique communications + computer science co-curriculum, backed by labs in usability research and partnerships with Moderna and WGBH, positions graduates as UX researchers first—a specialization that typically requires additional credentials at schools without this explicit pairing.
At the bachelor's level, simmons University offers a comprehensive BA/BS in Interaction Design and Web Development through a joint program between the Communications Department and Computer Science Department. This innovative program combines theory with hands-on practice, allowing students to specialize in either Interaction Design (BA) focusing on user experience and interface design, or Technology (BS) emphasizing full-stack web development. Students gain expertise in interaction design principles, user experience research, human-centered design, web programming languages including HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and modern prototyping tools. The curriculum covers usability testing, information architecture, front-end and back-end development processes, and audience analysis. Located in Boston, students have exceptional access to internships and career opportunities in the thriving tech ecosystem.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Research Labs and Institutes
- Simmons Usability Lab
- UX and Emerging Technologies Lab
Industry Partners
- Harvard Public Health Department (government)
- Hollywood Agency (corporate)
- Moderna (corporate)
- WGBH (nonprofit)
- Boston Center for the Arts (nonprofit)
Notable Faculty
- Rong Tang — Usability and UX research, mobile news information behavior, research data management
Location Advantages: Boston location provides ideal access to internshipsClose to renowned companies and organizations in media, health, education, and technologyAccess to thriving tech ecosystem and IT start-ups
Hampshire College — Amherst, MA
Key Distinction: Hampshire College pioneered interdisciplinary education in design, allowing students to create their own academic path while combining arts, humanities, and sciences, producing graduates who become leaders at major tech companies like Instagram, YouTube, and Foursquare.
Hakia Insight: Hampshire's alumni like Ian Spalter didn't just land jobs at Instagram and YouTube—they got there because the college's Five College Consortium model lets UX students cross-register into computer science, psychology, and art courses simultaneously, a degree customization flexibility most undergraduate programs don't offer until they reach graduate school.
At the bachelor's level, hampshire College offers an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to UX Design education that has produced notable alumni like Ian Spalter 94F, head of Instagram Japan and former director of design at Instagram. The program emphasizes creative problem-solving, multidisciplinary thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit. Students create their own education path, combining arts, humanities, and sciences in unique ways. The college's transformative educational model, established in 1970, allows students to pursue individual questions and generate original research. With 85% of students completing internships, 1 in 4 graduates starting their own business, and strong placement rates with 9 in 10 alumni receiving job offers within six months, the program prepares students for leadership roles in design and technology. The interdisciplinary approach enables students to explore problems from different angles and build careers in major tech companies.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Industry Partners
- Instagram (corporate)
- YouTube (corporate)
- Foursquare (corporate)
Career Outcomes
Top Employers: Instagram, YouTube, Foursquare.
Notable Faculty
- Nathan McClain — Creative Writing and Literary Arts
- Jess Erion — Game Design
Location Advantages: Part of Five College ConsortiumAccess to community resources and local partnershipsCampus designed for community building and collaboration
American International College — Springfield, MA
Key Distinction: American International College integrates modern Microsoft collaboration tools into their educational framework, potentially supporting collaborative design work in their UX programs.
Hakia Insight: American International College's integration of Microsoft collaboration tools into its UX curriculum positions graduates to hit the ground running in corporate design environments where Teams and SharePoint governance are already baked into design workflows.
At the bachelor's level, based on the available source pages, American International College appears to offer a UX Design program, though specific program details are not clearly outlined in the provided materials. The sources primarily contain Microsoft Teams training documentation and encrypted/unreadable content, which limits the ability to extract comprehensive program information. The college utilizes modern collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Office 365 for educational delivery, suggesting a technology-integrated approach to learning. However, without access to actual program curriculum, faculty information, or detailed course descriptions, a full assessment of the UX Design program's strengths and unique features cannot be determined from these particular source pages.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in UX Design — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in UX Design — 4 years, online
Location Advantages:
Master's UX Design Programs in Massachusetts
Harvard University — Cambridge, MA
Key Distinction: Harvard's design programs embed UX thinking within broader graduate education in policy, business, and systems thinking, preparing designers for leadership roles and complex institutional change work.
Hakia Insight: Harvard's cross-school design model means a UX student can take seminars with Kennedy School faculty on policy design and Business School professors on scaling user research across enterprises—a breadth of institutional expertise most standalone design programs can't replicate.
At the master's level, harvard's design education ecosystem—spanning the Graduate School of Design, Kennedy School, and Business School—allows UX students to engage design as a discipline connected to policy, business strategy, and societal challenges, not siloed as a tech skill. Graduate programs in design and design engineering integrate user-centered thinking with systems thinking, preparing students for roles in which design influences organizational and policy decisions. Faculty are internationally recognized researchers and practitioners; their work shapes design thinking discourse beyond the university. The network spans industry, nonprofit, government, and academic sectors—an advantage for students pursuing unconventional design careers or seeking to apply UX thinking in contexts like public health, urban policy, or development work. Harvard's resources enable research opportunities and design labs that rival corporate innovation teams. Graduates position themselves for senior design roles, founding companies, or transitioning into strategy and leadership. The program attracts candidates with diverse backgrounds and ambitions; peer learning extends well beyond the classroom. However, admission is highly selective and the environment is competitive; this program suits driven designers ready to push into advanced, systems-level thinking.
Programs Offered
- Master of Science in UX Design — 1-2 years, on-campus
- Master of Arts in UX Design — 1-2 years, online
Research Labs and Institutes
Notable Faculty
- Kara Keene — Design strategy and organizational change
Location Advantages: Access to Harvard ecosystem across schoolsBoston innovation and tech ecosystemInternational design network and alumni base
Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Worcester, MA
Key Distinction: WPI's required co-op model combines project-based curriculum with guaranteed semester-long professional UX placements, creating a pipeline where students ship real work before graduation.
Hakia Insight: WPI's mandatory co-op isn't a capstone; it's embedded midstream, forcing students to ship real design work for Microsoft or Google while they're still in classes, so employers are evaluating their actual output, not a portfolio project.
At the master's level, WPI's approach to UX design is fundamentally project-driven, embedding user research and iterative design into every phase of the curriculum rather than treating it as a parallel specialty. Students work through the Interactive Media and Game Development program and cross-disciplinary design courses where they tackle real problems for actual clients—nonprofits, startups, and established companies—from day one. This isn't simulation-based learning; it's genuine stakeholder engagement that forces students to navigate messy requirements gathering, prototype testing with actual users, and design iteration under real constraints. The faculty bring both academic rigor in human-computer interaction and active industry experience, particularly in game design and interactive systems where WPI has strong regional recognition. What distinguishes the experience is the intensity of the project component combined with WPI's co-op requirement, which places students in professional UX roles at companies like Microsoft, Google, and smaller design studios for semester-long paid placements. Graduates report that they enter the job market with tangible case studies and shipped work rather than just portfolio pieces, which gives them a concrete edge in hiring conversations. The Worcester location, while not a major tech hub, has forced the program to build strong remote and hybrid partnerships with Boston and New York design firms, actually expanding student access to cutting-edge work.
Programs Offered
- Master of Science in UX Design — 1-2 years, on-campus
- Master of Arts in UX Design — 1-2 years, online
Research Labs and Institutes
- Interactive Media and Game Development Lab
Industry Partners
- Microsoft (corporate)
- Google (corporate)
- Unity Technologies (corporate)
Accreditations and Certifications
- ABET accredited (Engineering)
Location Advantages: Co-op partnerships with Boston tech companies and design studiosRegional connections to Rhode Island and Connecticut digital media companies
