Master of Science in Creative Technology & Design

The ATLAS Institute’s 2-year professional Master of Science in Creative Technology and Design (CTD) program prepares you to become a multidisciplinary leader versed in real-world design challenges and technical know-how. Degrees are granted by the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

The University of Colorado Boulder is the #11 engineering graduate program among public university peers in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings for 2025-26. 

The program is built for flexibility: students pursue their passions deeply, whether in UX/UI, product development, interactive media, game design, sustainability, performing arts technology, social impact—or anywhere engineering and creative insight converge.

Designed to Lead

Graduates of the professional MS program pursue careers blending engineering, design, social impact and creativity. While the program is oriented toward professional development, some students have gone on to doctoral programs. For those seeking a graduate experience in a vibrant, interdisciplinary academic community of designers, engineers and inventors, ATLAS is for you.

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A Degree in Pursuing Your Dreams

Through the Creative Technology and Design program’s project-based curriculum, students build outstanding portfolios highlighting their ability to bridge stakeholder insights with design skills and technical rigor.

Many students also choose to embed in one of the ATLAS Institute’s research labs to further deepen their experience. ATLAS labs live at the vanguard of innovation in human-computer interaction, biomaterials, fabrication, design, neuroscience and more.

 

 

CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science ranks in the top 12 Best Engineering Schools among public institutions according U.S. News and World Report.

 

The ATLAS Institute's Creative Technology and Design programs boast 53% female-identifying students.

   
  

 

ATLAS students go on to work at Fortune 500 companies, design shops, startups, nonprofits, and universities—or start their own businesses.
  

Creative Technology & Design MS Program FAQ

Can students participate in ATLAS research labs and creative spaces?

Among the greatest opportunities ATLAS provides is access to cutting edge research and the faculty members who direct it. Opportunities for engagement with the faculty include taking classes, working on independent projects or joining ATLAS research labs.

Professional and career development is a significant focus in the program. We work early on to support students in identifying career goals and opportunities for internships and employment (post-graduation). As our students have diverse employment goals, we work individually to create opportunities for professional networking. A number of our courses are either taught or include industry leaders and mentors who work closely with students to support career development. 

Tuition rates are set by the campus Bursar’s Office and your costs are directly related to how many credit-hours (courses) you take each semester. The University of Colorado sets different rates for Colorado residents. All tuition and fee rates are here. (Refer to the “Professional Master's" sheet and the column headed "Engineering").  The university also charges fees in addition to tuition. These are outlined on the second page of the rate sheets; they currently amount to about $800 per semester.

Tuition and fees are just one part of the overall cost to attend CU Boulder. The full cost of attendance for an academic year could include expenses such as on-campus housing and food, books and supplies, and items that are not billed by the university, such as personal expenses, transportation and medical insurance. View the full cost of attendance.

The ATLAS MS program does not require you to provide GRE results, but if you’ve taken it, we invite you to include results in your application. 

Yes, all students in all ATLAS degree programs are eligible for extended STEM-OPT. The CIP code for these programs is 15.0000, “Engineering Technology, General.”

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