The new degree prepares students to work and build alongside emerging technologies, equipping them with well-rounded technical skills, human-centered design, and cross-functional leadership capabilities needed to lead true innovation in an AI-driven world.
Contact: USC Media Relations, uscnews@usc.edu; Paul McQuiston, paulmcq@usc.edu
The USC Iovine and Young Academy today announced the creation of a new Bachelor of Science in Human Technology Interaction (HTI), the first undergraduate program of its kind in the nation. The HTI degree gives students in-depth, hands-on training in cutting-edge technologies, teaching them not only how these tools work, but also how to build and apply them in human-centered, real-world contexts.
As artificial intelligence, extended reality, and other emerging technologies rapidly reshape entire industries, organizations face an urgent challenge: bridging the gap between disciplines and building teams capable of technical, product, and people innovation. Yet, according to data from Asana’s Work Innovation Lab, only 21% of employees report effective collaboration across teams. A Boston Consulting Group study also found that 66% of executives are ambivalent or dissatisfied with their company’s progress on AI, citing a lack of qualified talent as the main reason. This data speaks to a critical shortage of tech-savvy talent equipped to drive cross-functional innovation in today’s complex, AI-driven world.
The HTI program distinguishes itself by combining comprehensive technical training, human-centered design, communication, and applied product management, delivered in part through IYA’s Challenge-Based Reflective Learning (CBRL) model, where students learn by taking a hands-on approach, tackling real-world challenges, collaborating across disciplines, and reflecting on their process to develop effective, human-centered solutions.
“This is an exciting addition to the Academy experience: the HTI program will not only prepare students for a workforce transformed by AI, it will train them to actively shape and imagine it with their own unique skills and critical insights,” said Josh Kun, interim dean of the Iovine and Young Academy. “The program further establishes the academy as a center of experimentation in higher education, a place where students not only respond to change, but also create anticipation.”
After graduating from the program, HTI students will be equipped and empowered to lead teams and deliver products that transcend the traditional “human versus technology” divide, delivering solutions where people and technology thrive together.
“The frontier of human technology is one of the main challenges of contemporary industry and society,” said IYA Professor Thanassis Rikakis. “But today’s educational infrastructure is not designed to keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology or to teach students how to work with these new tools to solve real-world problems. We have specifically created a program for the type of leaders that the industry – and society at large – is desperately seeking, those who not only adapt to new tools, but who shape the way technology and people work together to create meaningful impact.”
The new degree’s curriculum includes a number of courses from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and USC’s Keck School of Medicine, ensuring students benefit from a truly interdisciplinary education.
“Businesses urgently need talent who not only understands technology, but can translate it into meaningful value. This combination of expertise is rare, and that is exactly what this program is designed to deliver,” added Academy Board Member Adrian Perica. “This degree will produce graduates ready to lead teams and capable of creating technologies that enhance, rather than replace, human creativity and capabilities. »
By launching the HTI degree, USC and the Iovine and Young Academy continue to reimagine what higher education can and should be in an age where the boundaries between technology and humanity are constantly being redrawn.
Applications for the Human Technology Interaction degree close on January 10. Learn more about the study program here.
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