Information Architecture and User Experience Graduate Certificate
Today’s digital outputs succeed or fail based on how well they serve real users. The Graduate Certificate in Information Architecture (IA) and User Experience (UX) Design equips you with the theoretical foundations and hands‑on skills needed to design intuitive, accessible, and meaningful user experiences across platforms.
Program overview
Designed for the demands of today’s digital and information‑rich environments, this graduate certificate combines human‑centered theory with hands‑on practice to prepare students to design intuitive, accessible, and impactful user experiences across platforms and organizations.
Industry‑relevant skills
Industry‑relevant skills – Learn the tools, methods, and frameworks used by UX professionals, including skills in user research, usability testing, prototyping, interaction design, and information architecture.
Human-centered, evidence-based design curriculum
Design decisions are grounded in cognitive science, information behavior, and usability research to create experiences that are both intuitive and effective.
Portfolio‑driven learning
Develop tangible projects that demonstrate your ability to analyze user needs, design system structures, and deliver usable, accessible solutions.
Why get a graduate certificate in Information Architecture and User Experience?
This interdisciplinary certificate bridges human‑centered design, information organization, and data‑informed decision making, preparing you to lead UX initiatives in academia, industry, government, and nonprofit sectors.
This certificate is ideal for:
- Designers seeking formal UX/IA training
- Information professionals, librarians, and content strategists
- Software developers and analysts expanding into user‑centered roles
- Product managers, researchers, and consultants
- Current students looking to add a high‑value credential
No prior UX experience is required—only curiosity, analytical thinking, and a commitment to designing for people.
What can you do with a graduate certificate in Information Architecture and User Experience?
Here’s just a few roles where professionals and graduate students could use the skills they gain from this certificate to help start or advance their careers and provide a competitive edge in information architecture and user experience:
- Information Architect (IA): Focuses on organizing, structuring, and labeling content to ensure usability and findability.
- UX Designer: Oversees the overall user journey, creating wireframes and prototypes to make products useful and desirable.
- UI (User Interface) Designer: Concentrates on the visual elements—layouts, color, and typography—to make products aesthetically pleasing.
- UX Researcher: Conducts studies to understand user needs, behaviors, and motivations.
- Interaction Designer: Specializes in designing the interactive elements and behaviors of a product.
- Content Strategist: Plans and manages content to ensure it is relevant, useful, and accessible.
- UX/Product Designer: Takes a holistic approach to user experience and business goals.
- UX Architect: Specializes in creating navigation systems and structure for complex digital products.
Featured Courses
Besides the three required courses listed below, those seeking a graduate certificate in Information Architecture and User Experience can select two elective courses based on their interests.
Certificate curriculum and requirements
INSC 588 – Human-Computer Interaction
Introduction to human-computer interaction, including theories and principles guiding human-centered design, and techniques for analyzing various systems and user interfaces. Covers the User Experience Lifecycle and the fundamental aspects of human perception, cognition, memory, and problem-solving, and their relationship to human-centered design principles and user interaction. Methods and techniques for interaction design and evaluation through usability. Includes Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration into the UX design processes. User research and real-world applications.
INSC 586 – Usability Testing and Evaluation
Comprehensive overview of theory and practice of usability evaluation. Assessing information systems from a user-centered design perspective using methods including usability testing, heuristic evaluation, web analytics, eye tracking and interaction modeling. Focus on usability testing and its various techniques including Think Aloud protocol, performance testing, face-to-face testing and remote testing.
INSC 525 – Information Architecture
Introduces fundamental concepts, methods, and practices in information architecture for virtual space. Focuses on organization, navigation, labeling, and searching of Web sites and intranets, as well as user experience.
