The School of Information is pleased to offer the SPARK-UX program. SPARK-UX, short for Students Pursuing Advanced Research and Knowledge in UX, provides a small cohort of undergraduate students from the Pratt Institute School of Design’s UX/UI Minor with the opportunity to enroll in select graduate courses within the Master of Science in Information Experience Design (IXD) program at the School of Information. Launching in fall 2026, this cross-school initiative accomplishes the following key objectives:
- Augment Pratt’s Undergraduate UX Education: the IXD program’s rigorous, graduate-level learning environment challenges students critically and creatively while also helping them build practical, industry-relevant skills. For students interested in pursuing graduate studies, the program also streamlines their transition from undergraduate to graduate-level coursework.
- Foster Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Including UX/UI minor students in selected IXD courses fosters interdisciplinary exchange between undergraduate and graduate students, enriching the learning environment for both groups.
Students in the SPARK-UX program cohort meet one to three times each school year and also have an IXD Masters student as a mentor(s) to navigate through the program, School of Information, and IXD classes.
Eligible Courses
Enrolled students select up to 2 courses (1 Fall, 1 Spring) as a part of the SPARK-UX program from the following Masters IXD Program courses:
- INFO-636 Conversational UX Design with Prof. Sai Shruthi Chivukula (Offered both Fall & Spring)
- INFO-671 Sustainable Interaction Design with Prof. Nancy Smith (Offered in Fall)
- INFO-686 Animals & Experience Design with Prof. Nancy Smith (Offered in Spring)
- INFO-644 Usability Theory & Practice (Offered both Fall & Spring)
- INFO-650 Speculative Design with Prof. Nancy Smith (Offered both Fall & Spring)
- INFO-651 Emotional Design (Offered both Fall & Spring)
- INFO-606 Digital Accessibility with Prof. Rahaf Alharbi (Offered both Fall & Spring)
Eligibility for application:
- Third-year UG students and above are eligible to apply for the SPARK-UX program, given that students completed 50% of total credits for degree (~63 credits; ~85 credits for students from School of Architecture), and no academic or disciplinary actions.
- Students must have completed SOD-300: UX/UI Core-Theory, Research and Practice with an A- or above grade.
- Students must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA.
Process
Interested students:
- Attend an information session conducted by the program coordinator and other faculty in the IXD program expected in February 2026.
- Submit an application (Pratt.edu Google Drive login required) including:
- Personal statement (1 page) to tell us about you, your interests in this field, and your goals to enroll in the program. –OR– Video (3-5 minutes) to answer how this program can benefit your future goals.
- Resume (1 page)
- Work sample(s) or Portfolio
- Desired course(s) from the list of Eligible Courses
- Writing Sample written in the last semester (for english proficiency)
- We will pull your Transcripts (till your last semester) – no need to include
Applications will be reviewed by SPARK-UX Program Coordinator and Assistant Dean at School of Information, and select up to 5 students.
Timeline
**Specific dates will be updated and informed soon.
Information Session(s): February 2026
Applications due: March 1st, 2026
Notifications to applicants: April 2026
SPARK-UX students enroll in first (of 2) courses: Fall 2026
Questions? Email the program coordinator, Prof. Sai Shruthi Chivukula at schivuku@pratt.edu.