ATLAS Academics

ATLAS degrees are granted through theÌýCollege of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Our programs blend engineering rigor with creativity and design, empoweringÌýstudents to pursue careers where their passions and expertise meet.ÌýÂ鶹ÒùÔº graduate with a broad range of technical know-how and deep design skills they developÌýinÌýproject-based classes, allowingÌýthem to focusÌýon their personal interests and career goals.

Creative Technology and Design FAQ

What exactly is Creative Technology & Design?

Creative Technology & Design blends engineering, computer science, creative problem solving and design. Our degrees feature project-based curricula to engage you in hands-on skill building, with enough flexibility for you to develop expertise in the topics and skills you care about most.

Many students with engineering talent feel stifled by the format of conventional programs. Similarly, creatively-minded students often look for ways to augment their skills with the rigor of an engineering degree. Creative Technology and Design offers a mix of engineering and creative coursework, project-based learning and an emphasis on building physical and digital solutions to real-world design challenges.

You choose how to focus your work in the Creative Technology and Design program. Many courses are designed so that if you are into code, fabrication, user experience, data visualization, craft—or wherever your passion lies—you can work on projects that cultivate those talents, along with critical skills like collaboration, user research, strategy, prototyping and iterative design. You build familiarity with a broad range of specialized hardware, software and methodologies, empowering you to succeed in many types of work and adapt to change.

Creative technologists may have one or two specialities, but they speak the language of many disciplines. They can code a video gameÌýandÌýfabricate the controller to play it. They can design and manufacture a line of travel bagsÌýandÌýcode the website to sell them on. They can create a motion capture-based live performanceÌýand engineer the sound and lighting for the venue.

Creative Technology and Design alumni are problem solvers, tinkerers, analytical thinkers, artists and visionaries. They lead multi-disciplinary teams or pursue their own ventures in a range of industry settings. Their versatility makes them well positioned to manage complex projects, pursue innovation roles and adapt to changing market conditions. They find success in large corporations, startups, government, NGOs and academia.

Creative Technology and Design alumni work as product designers, software developers, digital manufacturing specialists, UX/UI experts, 3D animators, artists and craftspeople, multimedia technicians, researchers, professors, aerospace engineers, game designers, marketers, entrepreneurs—and much more.

Class Schedules

View the , and forÌýundergraduate core courses and electives as well asÌýgraduate course offerings.

Student Resources

Current ATLAS students can refer to theÌýStudent Resources pageÌýforÌýinfoÌýon academics, technology, wellness, jobs, events and more.

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ATLAS is one of a kind space for people like me who don't fit into easy categories. It's a space that supported and enthusiastically encouraged my cross-disciplinary work when other people were confused by it. —ÌýCeleste Moreno, MS in Creative Technology & Design, PhD Student

ATLAS Teaching Labs

Link to Audio Frequency Lab page with image of professor demonstrating a synthesizer for students

Audio Frequency Lab
David Schaal, Director

The AF Lab is a teaching lab and support spaceÌýfor the exploration of sound design and music instrument creation.

Link to B2 Center page with image of students enjoying a performance in the Black Box

B2 Center for Media, Arts & Performance
Ondine Geary, Managing Director

The ATLAS B2 Center for Media Arts & Performance is a community of radical researchers working at the intersection of art & technology.

Link to BTU Lab page with image of students in the BTU Lab

BTU Lab
Zack Weaver, Director

The BTU Lab is an inclusive and eclectic community makerspace facilitating projects at the intersection of art, design, engineering and architecture.

Link to Helio Lab page with graphic of neon circular patterns against a night sky

Helio Lab
Sheiva Rezvani, Director

Helio LabÌýis dedicated to the technical capture, the exposure, the writing, reading and viewing of the human experience.

Link to Whaaat Lab page with image of students playing video games

Whaaat!? Lab
Danny Rankin, Director

Whaaat!? Lab explores new ways to bring more delight to the world through games and experimental interactions.

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ATLAS Student Projects

The Creative Technology and Design program is all about making things. Â鶹ÒùÔº ideate, research, prototype and build products, software and systems to address a wide variety of design challenges throughout their coursework at ATLAS.Ìý

We created to catalog dozens of student projects over the years.Ìý

ATLAS Academics News