This cross-disciplinary, immersive program prepares you for a fulfilling career in designing all kinds of experiences: games, extended and virtual realities, interactive environments, themed entertainment and other forms of immersive storytelling. Working collaboratively with peers and faculty, you can transform research into creative worldbuilding projects that have public impact.
Degree Awarded: MSD
Design (Experience Design)
The MSD program with a concentration in experience design focuses on design practices for virtual experiences in extended reality technologies, including environmental design, programmatic in both real and virtual universes, rapid prototyping, storytelling and worldbuilding. This program is unique among emerging media programs, with the application of these technologies and practices in socially engaged and transdisciplinary modalities, taking tools that evolved primarily from and for entertainment and applying them to the modeling of real-world challenges and futures. Students develop human-centered design methods to improve user experience using theories and concepts from cognition and psychology, in addition to developing the ability to manage projects, work effectively in teams, and transform research into creative and technological products.
September 2025
Arizona State University
Tempe Campus,
1151 S. Forest Ave.,
TEMPE,
Arizona,
85281, United States
To be admitted to ASU, you must have earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor鈥檚 degree from an international institution that is officially recognized by that country.
Competitive applicants typically have a 鈥淏鈥� (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) grade point average in the last 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of undergraduate coursework. If you do not meet the minimum GPA requirements, your application may still be considered by the department.
English language proficiency requirements
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Score of at least 80 on the TOEFL iBT
International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Overall band score of the academic test of at least 6.5
Pearson Test of English (PTE): Score of at least 60
Duolingo English test: Graduate minimum score of 105
