Extended Realities, MS

XR technologies have seen explosive growth over the last decade, and professionals with the skills to work in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality are in high demand. Northeastern’s College of Arts, Media and Design has been immersed in XR work for over a decade and has extensive expertise, including a network of internationally recognized faculty members.

The program allows you to flexibly choose a specialized path that matches your goals and interests. Choosing your concentration area across the university adds depth and breadth to your degree.

You’ll complete a 14-credit core curriculum (including courses in XR history, design, development, and the industry), a 12-15 credit elective concentration, plus an 8-credit experiential project-focused core curriculum that brings you practical experience—allowing you to stand out in the job market when you graduate.

Your MS in Extended Realities curriculum is enhanced with a first-ever multi-college partnership that connects the College of Arts, Media and Design, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the D’Amore-McKim School of Business.

Learn more about our projects, partners, students and faculty at xr.northeastern.edu.

The MS in Extended Realities program consists of 34 to 37 credit hours and is completed over two years of study.

Unique Features

• Applicable across multiple industries: medicine, business, entertainment, architecture, journalism and more
• Northeastern has several immersive lab spaces dedicated to AR, VR, and XR research and design including CAMD’s Immersive Media Labs and Experiential Technologies Lab.

Program Objectives

Students in the MS in Extended Realities program will gain a deep understanding of the interdisciplinary skills, theories, technologies, and processes needed to craft impactful XR experiences.

Students will:

• Develop an in-depth understanding of the theory and history of XR experiences.
• Learn current state-of-the-art XR technologies, including hardware and software used for augmented, virtual, and mixed reality.
• Participate in meaningful critique of XR experiences and show mastery over nomenclature and vocabulary.
• Create narrative experiences that leverage the advantages of XR to make an impact on the audience.
• Move ideas into action through the practice of ideating and rapid prototyping XR experiences.