Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Technology Design

University of Maine

The University of Maine School of Computing and Information Sciences (SCIS) will launch a new Bachelor of Science in Human-Centered Technology Design program in the fall 2023 semester. Human-Centered Technology Design, or HCTD, focuses on the design and development of digital technology with a grounding on the needs and capabilities of the humans who will use it. HCTD brings together elements from new media, computer science, spatial computing, psychology, communications, and innovation engineering. The fast-growing field has appeared in engineering, gaming, media, arts and communications programs in more than 75 U.S. colleges and universities over the last decade, but no college or university in Maine currently offers a major in HCTD, despite a demand for related jobs in the field throughout New England and nationally. Interviews conducted with Maine high school guidance programs also found that HCTD would help bridge computer science and new media for college-bound high-schoolers.UMaine’s program will feature a collaborative, project-based learning curriculum throughout all four years. Developing from existing resources in SCIS and in other UMaine programs, the HCTD major will create new research-learning opportunities and a new pathways-to-careers model for both the campus and the UMaine System.