Social Impact Curriculum
The MS track in Social Impact equips students with skills in three areas:
Social Impact Foundations and Practice — Students learn development history and theory and review social impact projects at the intersection of technology and development (or human-need) across applications and technologies. Through this students learn bottom-up, community-centered, sustainable design.
Professional Development- Students are introduced to a wide range of people and projects across the social impact and development landscape. They are introduced to various careers and industry leaders, working to focus on post-graduate career development and networking. The final practicum project uniquely equips students with a semester-long field experience in their area of focus.
Technical fluency—Students develop a foundation in contemporary digital skills including coding and development, building a unique technical toolset to address social issues.
Semester | Class #1 | Class #2 | Class #3 |
---|---|---|---|
Year One (Fall) | Case Studies | Global Developmentor Design Methods | Introduction to Programming |
Year One (Spring) | Fieldwork Methods | Creative Technologies | Elective:Technical Focus or Critical Perspectives |
Year Two (Fall) | Social Impact Lab | Elective:Tech Focus | Elective:Critical Perspectives |
Year Two (Spring) | ʰپܳ |
(This schedule assumes the program is completed in two years, but the completion time is flexible. Exceptions can be made based on student background. Most students in the program will not have a formal faculty advisor until their final semester. A small number of students come into the program with a faculty advisor and focus specifically on professional research. Exceptions can likewise be made for these students in consultation with the program co-directors.)