Accelerate your tech career in 21 months through practical, challenge-based learning in engineering, business, and design.
Full-time MS in Technology Innovation
- 21 months
- Monday-Thursday in-person in Redmond, Washington
- Ideal for early- to mid-career tech professionals
The full-time, STEM-designated program combines engineering, business, and design in a challenge-based curriculum, including mentorship and projects led by top industry experts from leading Seattle tech companies.
Hybrid MS in Technology Innovation
- 21 months
- Live, twice-weekly evenings online + in-person (alternating Saturdays) in Redmond, Washington
- Ideal for mid-career tech professionals or career-changers
Designed for working professionals, the program features hands-on prototyping, collaborative learning, and capstone projects guided by faculty and professional mentors.
Full Time MSTI Curriculum
Select the Connected Devices or Robotics track to focus your studies.
Programming for AI
Credits: 4
This course serves as a review of intermediate level objected oriented programming concepts in Python and will also focus on using Python to perform data analysis, visualization, and manipulation. Note: Students who have completely met the MSTI prerequisites may petition to replace this class with an elective.
Design Thinking Studio
Credits: 2
Working in teams, students learn and apply the entire user-centered design process to real-world problem, executing methods to design, prototype and evaluate ideas for innovative solutions in a team project.
Building Effective Teams
Credits: 2
This course teaches strategies to build trust, foster commitment, and drive high performance in teams, even under volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions. You’ll learn how to generate buy-in, define clear roles, and lead or contribute effectively to achieve exceptional results in any team environment.
Responsible Technology
Credits: 2
This course explores the ethical and societal impacts of emerging technologies, focusing on inclusion, bias, harm, and accountability. Through case studies, discussions, and guest speakers, you’ll learn frameworks for responsible innovation and apply them to real-world contexts. You’ll develop the skills and perspective to navigate technology’s challenges as a thoughtful, ethical innovator.
Sensors and Circuits
Credits: 4
Students develop the background and techniques needed to connect digital systems to the physical world.
Fabrication & Physical Prototyping
Credits: 4
Students learn the concepts and skills required to design, prototype and fabricate physical artifacts, including 2-D and 3-D CAD modeling, high-fidelity prototyping (laser cutting, CNC milling, 3-D printing) and low-fidelity prototyping (paper, foam, media). Industry standards for manufacturing are also covered.
Strategic Communications
Credits: 2
Hardware/Software Lab I (Connected Devices track only)
Credits: 4
This is the required spring quarter Lab 1 course for the Robotics track. Students learn and apply fundamental principles for robotics applications including basic manipulation and motion planning.
Robotics Lab 1 (Robotics track only)
Credits: 4
This is the required spring quarter Lab 1 course for the Connected Devices track. Students execute a series of projects to integrate software and hardware concepts learned in the Prepare phase of the program.
User Research & Evaluation Studio
Credits: 2
This project-based course focuses on the user research components of the design process. Students learn methods to engage stakeholders and elicit their needs to provide insight for defining requirements for ethically grounded designs. It also covers aspects of evaluation of technology designs with potential users, including usability and user experience evaluation techniques.
ML and Signal Processing
Credits: 4
Students learn the basics of digital signal processing and machine learning, as well as simple methods for storing, managing and retrieving data in the cloud.
Internship/CPT (optional, Summer A&B)
Credits: TBD
Students may choose to pursue a part or full time internship to broaden and apply their skills in a real-world industry internship. Additional tuition and fees may apply to earn internship credit.
Global Technology Experience / Study Abroad (optional, Summer A&B)
Credits: TBD
Students may choose to pursue a study abroad experience either through the Global Innovation Exchange’s Global Technology Experiences or University of Washington Study Abroad.
Robotics Lab II (Robotics track only)
Credits: 4 This is the required autumn quarter lab course for the Robotics track. Students build on foundational knowledge from Lab 1: Robotics to continue to learn increasingly complex principles for robotics application including mobility and navigation.
Hardware/Software Lab II (Connected devices track only)
Credits: 4 This the required autumn quarter Lab course for the Connected Devices track. Students continue prototyping hardware/software systems, with the added complexity of signal processing, networking, cloud interfaces and web-based user interfaces.
Programming for Digital and Physical User Interfaces
Credits: 2
Students build fundamental programming skills, with a focus on sensor-based signals (including audio and images) and useful tools for prototyping software and hardware user interfaces.
Visual, Interaction, and Industrial Design Studio
Credits: 2
This course immerses students in the theory and practice of basic design concepts for the design of interactive products that are functionally, emotionally and aesthetically appealing.
Essentials of Entrepreneurship
Credits: 2
Students explore the key issues and strategies involved in evaluating new market opportunities and starting a new venture including identifying new venture opportunities, developing and testing market strategies, evaluating test market performance, and evaluating business plans.
Students learn the basics of finance and accounting for start-up businesses, including reading and understanding a profit-and-loss statement, managing cash flow and margins, and making investments in high-growth businesses.
Capstone I
Credits: 4
Product Management
Credits: 2
Students gain experience in creating a software/hardware product roadmap and an engineering/development plan.
Tech Marketing
Credits: 2 Students learn how to turn new technologies into market-ready products by building and presenting a commercialization plan. Through lectures, case studies, and teamwork, they gain hands-on experience applying strategies across diverse disciplines.
Corporate & IP Law for Technology Innovators
Credits: 2
This course introduces key areas of business law, including common organizational structures such as corporations, LLCs, and nonprofit/low-profit entities. It also covers the roles of founders, directors and shareholders in each structure, as well as the basics of intellectual property and copyright law.
Capstone II
Credits: 8
This seminar focuses on preparing students for transitioning from student to professional, covering design and software/hardware industry trends and career outlook. Guest lectures in topics relevant to technology innovation, including leadership skills, program management, entrepreneurship, and ethics are presented.
Fundamentals of Technology Strategy
Credits: 2
Students are introduced to the core concepts of business level strategy with a particular emphasis on establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage through strategy formulation and implementation.
Programming for AI
Credits: 4
This course serves as a review of intermediate level objected oriented programming concepts in Python and will also focus on using Python to perform data analysis, visualization, and manipulation. Note: Students who have completely met the MSTI prerequisites may petition to replace this class with an elective.
Design Thinking Studio
Credits: 2
Working in teams, students learn and apply the entire user-centered design process to real-world problem, executing methods to design, prototype and evaluate ideas for innovative solutions in a team project.
Building Effective Teams
Credits: 2
This course teaches strategies to build trust, foster commitment, and drive high performance in teams, even under volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions. You’ll learn how to generate buy-in, define clear roles, and lead or contribute effectively to achieve exceptional results in any team environment.
Responsible Technology
Credits: 2
This course explores the ethical and societal impacts of emerging technologies, focusing on inclusion, bias, harm, and accountability. Through case studies, discussions, and guest speakers, you’ll learn frameworks for responsible innovation and apply them to real-world contexts. You’ll develop the skills and perspective to navigate technology’s challenges as a thoughtful, ethical innovator.
Sensors and Circuits
Credits: 4
Students develop the background and techniques needed to connect digital systems to the physical world.
Fabrication & Physical Prototyping
Credits: 4
Students learn the concepts and skills required to design, prototype and fabricate physical artifacts, including 2-D and 3-D CAD modeling, high-fidelity prototyping (laser cutting, CNC milling, 3-D printing) and low-fidelity prototyping (paper, foam, media). Industry standards for manufacturing are also covered.
Strategic Communications
Credits: 2
Hardware/Software Lab I (Connected Devices track only)
Credits: 4
This is the required spring quarter Lab 1 course for the Robotics track. Students learn and apply fundamental principles for robotics applications including basic manipulation and motion planning.
Robotics Lab 1 (Robotics track only)
Credits: 4
This is the required spring quarter Lab 1 course for the Connected Devices track. Students execute a series of projects to integrate software and hardware concepts learned in the Prepare phase of the program.
User Research & Evaluation Studio
Credits: 2
This project-based course focuses on the user research components of the design process. Students learn methods to engage stakeholders and elicit their needs to provide insight for defining requirements for ethically grounded designs. It also covers aspects of evaluation of technology designs with potential users, including usability and user experience evaluation techniques.
ML and Signal Processing
Credits: 4
Students learn the basics of digital signal processing and machine learning, as well as simple methods for storing, managing and retrieving data in the cloud.
Internship/CPT (optional, Summer A&B)
Credits: TBD
Students may choose to pursue a part or full time internship to broaden and apply their skills in a real-world industry internship. Additional tuition and fees may apply to earn internship credit.
Global Technology Experience / Study Abroad (optional, Summer A&B)
Credits: TBD
Students may choose to pursue a study abroad experience either through the Global Innovation Exchange’s Global Technology Experiences or University of Washington Study Abroad.
Robotics Lab II (Robotics track only)
Credits: 4 This is the required autumn quarter lab course for the Robotics track. Students build on foundational knowledge from Lab 1: Robotics to continue to learn increasingly complex principles for robotics application including mobility and navigation.
Hardware/Software Lab II (Connected devices track only)
Credits: 4 This the required autumn quarter Lab course for the Connected Devices track. Students continue prototyping hardware/software systems, with the added complexity of signal processing, networking, cloud interfaces and web-based user interfaces.
Programming for Digital and Physical User Interfaces
Credits: 2
Students build fundamental programming skills, with a focus on sensor-based signals (including audio and images) and useful tools for prototyping software and hardware user interfaces.
Visual, Interaction, and Industrial Design Studio
Credits: 2
This course immerses students in the theory and practice of basic design concepts for the design of interactive products that are functionally, emotionally and aesthetically appealing.
Essentials of Entrepreneurship
Credits: 2
Students explore the key issues and strategies involved in evaluating new market opportunities and starting a new venture including identifying new venture opportunities, developing and testing market strategies, evaluating test market performance, and evaluating business plans.
Students learn the basics of finance and accounting for start-up businesses, including reading and understanding a profit-and-loss statement, managing cash flow and margins, and making investments in high-growth businesses.
Capstone I
Credits: 4
Product Management
Credits: 2
Students gain experience in creating a software/hardware product roadmap and an engineering/development plan.
Tech Marketing
Credits: 2 Students learn how to turn new technologies into market-ready products by building and presenting a commercialization plan. Through lectures, case studies, and teamwork, they gain hands-on experience applying strategies across diverse disciplines.
Corporate & IP Law for Technology Innovators
Credits: 2
This course introduces key areas of business law, including common organizational structures such as corporations, LLCs, and nonprofit/low-profit entities. It also covers the roles of founders, directors and shareholders in each structure, as well as the basics of intellectual property and copyright law.
Capstone II
Credits: 8
This seminar focuses on preparing students for transitioning from student to professional, covering design and software/hardware industry trends and career outlook. Guest lectures in topics relevant to technology innovation, including leadership skills, program management, entrepreneurship, and ethics are presented.
Fundamentals of Technology Strategy
Credits: 2
Students are introduced to the core concepts of business level strategy with a particular emphasis on establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage through strategy formulation and implementation.
Hybrid MSTI Curriculum
Responsible Technology (Summer B, 4.5 weeks)
Credits: 2
This course explores the ethical and societal impacts of emerging technologies, focusing on inclusion, bias, harm, and accountability. Through case studies, discussions, and guest speakers, you’ll learn frameworks for responsible innovation and apply them to real-world contexts. You’ll develop the skills and perspective to navigate technology’s challenges as a thoughtful, ethical innovator.
Building Effective Teams (Summer B, 4.5 weeks)
Credits: 2
This course teaches strategies to build trust, foster commitment, and drive high performance in teams, even under volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions. You’ll learn how to generate buy-in, define clear roles, and lead or contribute effectively to achieve exceptional results in any team environment.
Programming for AI Applications
Credits: 4
Learn Python programming through the lens of applied AI. In this hands-on course, you’ll master core coding concepts while building a personal assistant by fine-tuning a Large Language Model (LLM). Along the way, you’ll explore real-world applications in natural language processing and machine learning.
Prototyping and Fabrication
Credits: 4
This course builds hands-on skills in prototyping and fabricating interactive systems for technology innovation. You’ll explore the principles and applications of physical prototyping, learn techniques for different stages of the design process, and create functional enclosures using materials and methods such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and vacuum forming.
Sensors and Circuits
Credits: 4
Students develop the background and techniques needed to connect digital systems to the physical world.
Design Thinking Studio
Credits: 2
This course introduces Design Thinking (DT) through interactive discussions, hands-on activities, and a self-defined project. You’ll learn DT frameworks and tools, then apply them to real-world problems—researching, ideating, prototyping, and evaluating solutions. By the end, you’ll complete a team project and create a personal website documenting your process and outcomes.
Strategic Communications
Credits: 2
Machine Learning and Signal Processing
Credits: 4
Students learn the basics of digital signal processing and machine learning, as well as simple methods for storing, managing and retrieving data in the cloud.
User Research and Evaluation
Credits: 2
This project-based course focuses on the user research components of the design process. Students learn methods to engage stakeholders and elicit their needs to provide insight for defining requirements for ethically grounded designs. It also covers aspects of evaluation of technology designs with potential users, including usability and user experience evaluation techniques.
Programming for Digital and Physical User Interfaces
Credits: 2
Students build fundamental programming skills, with a focus on sensor-based signals (including audio and images) and useful tools for prototyping software and hardware user interfaces.
Global Technology Experience (Optional, Summer A, 4.5 weeks)
Product Management (Summer B, 4.5 weeks)
Credits: 2
Visual, Interaction, and Industrial Design Studio (Summer B, 4.5 weeks)
Credits: 2
This course immerses students in the theory and practice of basic design concepts for the design of interactive products that are functionally, emotionally and aesthetically appealing.
Hardware/Software I
Credits: 4
Essentials of Entrpreneurship
Credits: 2
Students explore the key issues and strategies involved in evaluating new market opportunities and starting a new venture including identifying new venture opportunities, developing and testing market strategies, evaluating test market performance, and evaluating business plans.
Students learn the basics of finance and accounting for start-up businesses, including reading and understanding a profit-and-loss statement, managing cash flow and margins, and making investments in high-growth businesses.
Corporate and IP Law
Credits: 2
This course introduces key areas of business law, including common organizational structures such as corporations, LLCs, and nonprofit/low-profit entities. It also covers the roles of founders, directors and shareholders in each structure, as well as the basics of intellectual property and copyright law.
Hardware/Software II
Credits: 4
Students continue prototyping hardware/software systems, with the added complexity of signal processing, networking, cloud interfaces and web-based user interfaces.
Technology Strategy
Credits: 2
Students are introduced to the core concepts of business level strategy with a particular emphasis on establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage through strategy formulation and implementation.
Capstone
Credits: 8
Working in teams with guidance from industry sponsors, students plan and execute the front-end phases of a capstone project, including problem framing and scoping, exploration of needs and business constraints, and exploration of technology platforms with early prototyping. They then finalize their capstone projects with a focus on proof-of-concept prototyping, business case, and proposed solution.
Responsible Technology (Summer B, 4.5 weeks)
Credits: 2
This course explores the ethical and societal impacts of emerging technologies, focusing on inclusion, bias, harm, and accountability. Through case studies, discussions, and guest speakers, you’ll learn frameworks for responsible innovation and apply them to real-world contexts. You’ll develop the skills and perspective to navigate technology’s challenges as a thoughtful, ethical innovator.
Building Effective Teams (Summer B, 4.5 weeks)
Credits: 2
This course teaches strategies to build trust, foster commitment, and drive high performance in teams, even under volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions. You’ll learn how to generate buy-in, define clear roles, and lead or contribute effectively to achieve exceptional results in any team environment.
Programming for AI Applications
Credits: 4
Learn Python programming through the lens of applied AI. In this hands-on course, you’ll master core coding concepts while building a personal assistant by fine-tuning a Large Language Model (LLM). Along the way, you’ll explore real-world applications in natural language processing and machine learning.
Prototyping and Fabrication
Credits: 4
This course builds hands-on skills in prototyping and fabricating interactive systems for technology innovation. You’ll explore the principles and applications of physical prototyping, learn techniques for different stages of the design process, and create functional enclosures using materials and methods such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and vacuum forming.
Sensors and Circuits
Credits: 4
Students develop the background and techniques needed to connect digital systems to the physical world.
Design Thinking Studio
Credits: 2
This course introduces Design Thinking (DT) through interactive discussions, hands-on activities, and a self-defined project. You’ll learn DT frameworks and tools, then apply them to real-world problems—researching, ideating, prototyping, and evaluating solutions. By the end, you’ll complete a team project and create a personal website documenting your process and outcomes.
Strategic Communications
Credits: 2
Machine Learning and Signal Processing
Credits: 4
Students learn the basics of digital signal processing and machine learning, as well as simple methods for storing, managing and retrieving data in the cloud.
User Research and Evaluation
Credits: 2
This project-based course focuses on the user research components of the design process. Students learn methods to engage stakeholders and elicit their needs to provide insight for defining requirements for ethically grounded designs. It also covers aspects of evaluation of technology designs with potential users, including usability and user experience evaluation techniques.
Programming for Digital and Physical User Interfaces
Credits: 2
Students build fundamental programming skills, with a focus on sensor-based signals (including audio and images) and useful tools for prototyping software and hardware user interfaces.
Global Technology Experience (Optional, Summer A, 4.5 weeks)
Product Management (Summer B, 4.5 weeks)
Credits: 2
Visual, Interaction, and Industrial Design Studio (Summer B, 4.5 weeks)
Credits: 2
This course immerses students in the theory and practice of basic design concepts for the design of interactive products that are functionally, emotionally and aesthetically appealing.
Hardware/Software I
Credits: 4
Essentials of Entrpreneurship
Credits: 2
Students explore the key issues and strategies involved in evaluating new market opportunities and starting a new venture including identifying new venture opportunities, developing and testing market strategies, evaluating test market performance, and evaluating business plans.
Students learn the basics of finance and accounting for start-up businesses, including reading and understanding a profit-and-loss statement, managing cash flow and margins, and making investments in high-growth businesses.
Corporate and IP Law
Credits: 2
This course introduces key areas of business law, including common organizational structures such as corporations, LLCs, and nonprofit/low-profit entities. It also covers the roles of founders, directors and shareholders in each structure, as well as the basics of intellectual property and copyright law.
Hardware/Software II
Credits: 4
Students continue prototyping hardware/software systems, with the added complexity of signal processing, networking, cloud interfaces and web-based user interfaces.
Technology Strategy
Credits: 2
Students are introduced to the core concepts of business level strategy with a particular emphasis on establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage through strategy formulation and implementation.
Capstone
Credits: 8
Working in teams with guidance from industry sponsors, students plan and execute the front-end phases of a capstone project, including problem framing and scoping, exploration of needs and business constraints, and exploration of technology platforms with early prototyping. They then finalize their capstone projects with a focus on proof-of-concept prototyping, business case, and proposed solution.
Join an Admissions Event
Join current students, faculty, and admissions advisors to learn more about the MS in Technology Innovation program and the application process!