undergradly.
Major · Computer & Information Sciences

A design-and-research bachelor's for UX, product design, and HCI tracks

Human-Centered Technology Design (CIP 11.0105) is a bachelor's-only program at 18 institutions with 416 annual completions. Bachelor's grads earn around $90,129 five years out — strong for a design-tilted credential — with the named BLS occupation Web and digital interface designer at $98,090 and 7% growth. Outcomes hinge on portfolio quality, internships, and a few specific schools concentrating most of the volume.

Schools offering
18
Annual completions
416
Typical degree level
Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$83k

About this major

Human-Centered Technology Design (CIP 11.0105) is a small but well-positioned program in the Computer and Information Sciences family with 416 annual completions across 18 institutions, all bachelor's-level. It is the design-and-research-tilted sibling within CIP 11.01, sitting next to broader siblings like Computer and Information Sciences, General (CIP 11.0101, 34,556 completions) and Information Technology (CIP 11.0103, 20,296 completions). It cross-references explicitly to Human-Computer Interaction (CIP 30.3101), which is typically a master's-level academic field — this CIP is essentially the bachelor's-tier on-ramp.

The CIP definition lays out what the curriculum is supposed to do: 'incorporate a human perspective into designing, researching, and creating technological interfaces,' covering design, human-computer interaction, learning, neuroscience, perception, product design, user-centered design, and usability. In practice, programs combine UX research methods (interviews, surveys, usability testing, ethnography), interaction design, information architecture, prototyping in Figma and Framer, accessibility (WCAG, ARIA, inclusive design), cognitive psychology, and visual design fundamentals. Stronger programs layer in front-end coding, service design, design strategy, and AI-product UX patterns. Weaker programs teach Figma-as-a-tool without the research and psychology underpinnings — those graduates compete with bootcamp portfolios rather than master's-level UX researchers.

The earnings packet looks strong on its face. Bachelor's grads earn $90,129 five years out, which is competitive with mid-tier CS bachelor's outcomes and well above design-pure credentials. The named BLS occupation, Web and digital interface designers, pays $98,090 with 7% projected growth. Real-world destinations stretch wider: UX designer and product designer roles at FAANG-tier tech ($80K-$110K entry, $130K-$180K mid, $180K-$280K senior/staff), at healthtech (Epic, Cerner, Athenahealth, Doximity, Zocdoc), fintech (PayPal, Stripe, Plaid, Robinhood, Chime, SoFi, Block, Brex), edtech (Khan Academy, Duolingo, Coursera), civic-tech (USDS, 18F, Code for America, Nava PBC), and consultancies (IDEO, frog, Smart Design, R/GA, Huge, AKQA, Method). UX research roles trend higher ($90K-$130K entry, $160K-$220K senior) but increasingly require a master's from programs like CMU HCII, U Washington HCDE, Michigan UMSI, Indiana SOIC, Georgia Tech HCI, MIT Media Lab, NYU Tisch ITP, U of Maryland HCIM, or RIT HCI. The credential is designed as a strong pre-grad-school ramp for that path.

The top six producers concentrate most of the volume: Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (76 bachelor's completions), University of Washington-Seattle Campus (74), University of Cincinnati-Main Campus (67), Kennesaw State University (66), Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus (45), and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (40) account for nearly 90% of national output. Georgia Tech and U Washington feed FAANG-tier hiring directly through established recruiting pipelines and strong HCI faculty; Cincinnati's DAAP co-op program places students at IDEO, frog, and Microsoft. Schools further down the list (Drexel, Thomas Jefferson University, Franklin University, Robert Morris) place regionally rather than nationally. The school you attend matters more than for most majors — this is a credential where brand-name school plus brand-name internship pipeline drive most of the variance in starting salary.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Web and digital interface designers $98k +7.0% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$83k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$56k

Bachelor's

$90k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you are interested in user research, product thinking, and the interface between psychology and technology, not just visual design; you want a bachelor's with a clear path either into industry UX/product-design roles or into a top HCI master's program (CMU HCII, U Washington HCDE, Michigan UMSI, Indiana SOIC, Georgia Tech HCI, NYU Tisch ITP, RIT HCI); you can attend one of the top six producers (Georgia Tech, U Washington, Cincinnati DAAP, Kennesaw State, Penn State, Illinois Urbana-Champaign) where the recruiting pipeline is real; and you are willing to do the unglamorous portfolio work — at least two internships, a personal portfolio site with detailed case studies (problem, research, ideation, prototyping, testing, outcomes/metrics), and a Behance or Dribbble presence. Outcomes for this profile are strong: $90,129 bachelor's median five years out is competitive with CS, and the upper-band tech employers pay $130K-$180K mid-career and $180K-$280K at senior/staff bands.

Reasons to pause: if you cannot get into one of the top producers, validate carefully that the regional program teaches both research methods and design rigor — weaker programs teach Figma without psychology and underdeliver versus a CS bachelor's, a graphic design BFA, or a bootcamp-plus-portfolio path. If you want pure software engineering, take Computer Science (CIP 11.0701) instead — it pays more on average, has broader employer signal, and CS grads regularly hit $110K-$160K early-career at product companies that this credential does not reach. If you want pure visual design, Graphic Design (CIP 50.0409) gives stronger portfolio focus. The 2023-2025 design layoffs were real (10%-30% of UX/product-design orgs at FAANG-tier employers), and entry-level hiring is more competitive than it was pre-2023; assume an active job search rather than a recruiter pipeline. Generative AI tools (Figma AI, Galileo, v0.dev, Uizard, Visily) have compressed routine UI-production work, so build durable specializations: research-driven design, accessibility (WCAG / ARIA / inclusive design), design strategy, service design, AI-product UX, and high-stakes domain design (healthcare, financial services, civic). Stack with internships, a research-thesis senior project, and either a coding minor or an HCI master's plan, and this credential is one of the higher-ROI design-tilted bachelor's options. Without that stacking, it underperforms more focused alternatives.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Human-Centered Technology Design

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA 0 76 76
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA 0 74 74
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH 0 67 67
Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA 0 66 66
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 0 45 45
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 0 40 40
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA 0 23 23
Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA 0 10 10
Franklin University Columbus, OH 0 8 8
Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA 0 4 4
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Computer and Information Sciences, General

34,556 completions/yr

Information Technology

20,296 completions/yr

Computer and Information Sciences, Other

1,634 completions/yr

Informatics

1,513 completions/yr

Artificial Intelligence

141 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this major actually cover?
The CIP definition is explicit: 'incorporating a human perspective into designing, researching, and creating technological interfaces,' covering design, human-computer interaction, learning, neuroscience, perception, product design, user-centered design, and usability. In practice, coursework spans UX research methods (interviews, surveys, usability testing), interaction design, information architecture, prototyping (Figma, Framer, ProtoPie), accessibility (WCAG, ARIA, inclusive design), cognitive psychology, design systems, and visual design fundamentals. Stronger programs add front-end coding (HTML/CSS/JavaScript, React basics), service design, design strategy, and increasingly, AI-product UX patterns. Programs vary widely — some tilt research-heavy (closer to HCI), others tilt visual-design heavy (closer to graphic design). Read the catalog before assuming the curriculum matches the title.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
The packet names one BLS occupation: Web and digital interface designers ($98,090 median, 7% projected growth, bachelor's typical entry). Real-world destinations are broader: UX designer / product designer at tech employers (Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Adobe, Atlassian, Slack, Notion, Figma, Stripe, Airbnb, Uber, DoorDash, Shopify, Spotify) typically $80K-$110K entry, $130K-$180K mid-career, $180K-$280K at senior/staff bands at FAANG. Healthtech (Epic, Cerner, Athenahealth, Doximity, Zocdoc), fintech (PayPal, Stripe, Plaid, Robinhood, Chime, SoFi, Block, Brex), edtech (Khan Academy, Duolingo, Coursera), and civic-tech (USDS, 18F, Code for America, Nava PBC) hire from this credential. Agencies (IDEO, frog, Smart Design, R/GA, Huge, AKQA, Method) and SMB / startup roles run $55K-$85K entry, $85K-$130K mid. UX research roles trend higher ($90K-$130K entry, $160K-$220K senior) but increasingly require master's training.
Do I need a master's degree to get hired?
For UX-design and product-design entry roles at startups, agencies, mid-size product companies, and many in-house teams: no. A bachelor's plus a strong portfolio plus 1-2 internships at recognized companies clears the bar. For UX-research roles at FAANG-tier employers (Google UXR, Meta Reality Labs, Microsoft Research, Apple), a master's from CMU HCII, U Washington HCDE, Michigan UMSI, Indiana SOIC, MIT Media Lab, Georgia Tech HCI, U of Maryland HCIM, RIT HCI, RPI HCI, NYU Tisch ITP, or Northwestern is increasingly the norm — many job postings list it as 'preferred' or 'required.' This bachelor's is positioned as a pre-grad-school ramp for that path: take the research methods sequence seriously, do a senior thesis with real users, and you're a strong applicant. For pure design roles, the master's is rarely needed and sometimes a negative ROI.
How does this compare to CS, HCI, or Graphic Design degrees?
Computer Science (CIP 11.0701) is the broader engineering credential with stronger employer signal at large tech — pays more on average ($110K-$160K early-career at product companies) but trains less in research and visual design. Human-Computer Interaction (CIP 30.3101) is more academic and research-focused, often offered at master's level; this CIP 11.0105 is essentially the bachelor's-tier sibling of HCI with a design tilt. Graphic Design (CIP 50.0409) is design-pure with stronger visual portfolio focus but weaker research methods and interaction design. Game/Interactive Media Design (CIP 50.0411) overlaps but tilts toward game and motion. Web Page, Digital/Multimedia (CIP 11.0801) is closer to front-end production; Informatics (CIP 11.0104) is closer to data-and-information work. CIP 11.0105 sits in the sweet spot for product-design and UX-research-feeder roles — but only if the program teaches both research and design rigor. Weaker programs that teach Figma without research methods or psychology without prototyping under-deliver versus the alternatives.
How is AI changing UX and design work?
Honestly, the field is shifting fast. Generative AI tools (Figma AI, Galileo, v0.dev, Uizard, Visily) have compressed routine UI mockup and production-design work — entry-level tasks that took a junior designer a day in 2022 take an hour with AI assistance in 2026. The roles compressing fastest are static visual-design and template-driven UI work. Roles holding value: research-driven design (planning studies, synthesizing findings, communicating insights), design strategy (translating user research into product direction), accessibility (WCAG / ARIA / inclusive design — still requires human judgment and increasingly regulated), service design and systems thinking, AI-product UX (designing the user experience of AI features is itself a wage-growth lane), and high-stakes domain design (healthcare, financial services, civic, defense). Pair the BA with research methods, accessibility, and AI-product UX exposure and the credential ages well. Without those, AI tooling is the single largest threat to entry-level wages in this field.
How heavily does the school I attend matter?
More than for most majors at this scale, because the volume is concentrated in 18 institutions and the top 6 produce most of the bachelor's grads. Georgia Institute of Technology (76 completions), University of Washington-Seattle (74), University of Cincinnati (67), Kennesaw State (66), Penn State Main (45), and Illinois Urbana-Champaign (40) account for nearly 90% of bachelor's grads. Georgia Tech and U Washington feed directly into FAANG-tier hiring with strong recruiting pipelines, established faculty in HCI, and industry-aligned design studios. Cincinnati's DAAP design school has a co-op model that places students at IDEO, frog, and Microsoft. Kennesaw and Penn State are solid regional pipelines. Schools further down the list (Drexel co-op, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin) place locally rather than nationally. The brand-name premium is real here — a Georgia Tech BS-CM credential plus internships at Google or Meta opens doors that the same coursework at a regional school does not.
What about the 2023-2025 design layoffs — is it safe to enter this field now?
Be candid about this. Meta, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Shopify, and Stripe all conducted significant UX and product-design layoffs from late-2022 through 2024, with cuts ranging 10%-30% of design organizations. Hiring stabilized through 2025-2026 but at a noticeably lower scale than the 2020-2022 peak. Net effect: junior UX-designer hiring is more competitive, takes longer, and increasingly requires either a brand-name school, a brand-name internship, a polished portfolio with shipped work, or all three. The sky-is-falling read is wrong — companies still need designers, and AI-product UX is creating new specializations — but the assume-a-job-on-graduation read is also wrong. Plan for an active job search. Ramp up portfolio rigor early (sophomore year, not senior year). Do at least two internships. Build a personal portfolio site with detailed case studies (problem-research-ideation-prototyping-testing-outcomes). Without those, this credential underperforms.