The University of Washington’s Hybrid MS in Technology Innovation program combines 21 months of online and in-person learning in emerging technologies, user-centered design, and business fundamentals.
Students have live online classes twice per week (Tuesdays and Thursday evenings) and meet in person twice per month (every other Saturday).
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.
Fabrication & Physical Prototyping
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 & 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
This course explores the principles and practices of communications in organizational and digital contexts. Students will learn how to craft compelling messages, deliver presentations, and leverage channels to achieve specific goals. Emphasis is placed on message design, storytelling, and the nuanced dimensions of communication strategy.
Machine Learning & 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 & 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 & 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
Students gain experience in creating a software/hardware product roadmap and an engineering/development plan.
Visual, Interaction, & 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 Lab I
Credits: 4
This is the required spring quarter Lab I course for the Robotics track. Students learn and apply fundamental principles for robotics applications including basic manipulation and motion planning.
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 & 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 Lab 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.
Fabrication & Physical Prototyping
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 & 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
This course explores the principles and practices of communications in organizational and digital contexts. Students will learn how to craft compelling messages, deliver presentations, and leverage channels to achieve specific goals. Emphasis is placed on message design, storytelling, and the nuanced dimensions of communication strategy.
Machine Learning & 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 & 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 & 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
Students gain experience in creating a software/hardware product roadmap and an engineering/development plan.
Visual, Interaction, & 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 Lab I
Credits: 4
This is the required spring quarter Lab I course for the Robotics track. Students learn and apply fundamental principles for robotics applications including basic manipulation and motion planning.
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 & 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 Lab 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.
Hybrid MSTI FAQ
This is a 21-month, part-time program. Students are not able to take break quarters during the program.
Online class sessions are two nights a week, and a mandatory in-person lab session every two weeks on Saturdays. The Prototyping Labs are open for all students at any time during the week.
Knowledge of an object-oriented programming language at an intermediate level is required. The program typically uses Python, but knowledge of other languages like C++ or Java is also helpful.
No knowledge of electrical engineering or manufacturing is required, as these skills are taught in the program.
The MSTI Curriculum is sequenced, and courses are designed to complement each other to give all students the skills they need to succeed in a technology product development team.
Therefore there are no elective courses in the MSTI program.
Students with extensive previous knowledge in some subject areas can apply for a waiver to take other courses instead of some MSTI required courses. Students must discuss this waiver process with an academic adviser.
The program is designed around dayshift working schedules. Coursework in the program is mostly online, with some Saturday in-person sessions required.
It is also designed to be part-time, where students are only taking two classes at any given time.
The MSTI program shares a single set of learning outcomes and objectives, so Full-Time and Hybrid programs have identical goals.
However, delivery methods and some course content has been adapted to the Hybrid format so the content of individual classes may differ slightly in the Hybrid and Full-Time programs accordingly.
Technology FAQs 💻
Yes, all University of Washington College of Engineering students are required to have a laptop.
The Office of Financial Aid may increase the cost of attendance (budget) for a student to include the cost of a laptop during their UW academic career if requested by the student. Students must complete a Revision Request for Additional Expenses form found on the UW Student Financial Aid page.
The University of Washington has a short-term Student Technology Loan Program. You may be able to use this program to meet your needs on a temporary basis.
The brand and model is mostly your choice - but please read the requirements carefully for the robotics track if you are interested in that track.
In some cases, you may be able to use your home desktop, but having laptops makes it easier to collaborate with other students in the labs. We understand that higher spec laptops are more expensive, but having to split your work may affect your workflow, so we urge you to consider this carefully.
No, most of the software we use in the program cannot be run on mobile devices.
GIX furnishes students with most project-specific hardware, including AR/VR devices, Robotics Platforms, networking equipment, drones, and more. Students are not expected to purchase these platforms.
Many student workstations also have external monitors and electrical outlets.
No, required software subscriptions are available through the University of Washington and included as part of your tuition and fees.
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!