Conceive AR/VR applications and communicate them to developers
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June 22, 2023
8 weeks, online
5–6 hours per week
US$2,600
Note: For successful completion of the program, you will have to purchase a few hardware and software applications. These are additional costs and are not included in the program fee. Learn more.
According to Forbes, XR technologies, including VR and AR, will be "one of the most transformative tech trends of the next five years." Organizations of all types will be looking for technology professionals with the knowledge base, vision, and skills to implement VR and AR applications that provide a competitive edge.
Projected number of jobs that will be enhanced by VR and AR technologies by 2030
Average base salary for a VR/AR developer
This eight-week program is ideal for seasoned professionals who want to expand their learning horizons and explore the rapidly growing field of XR technologies.
Over the course of this eight-week program, you will learn the principles of designing effective and engaging XR experiences that are inclusive and promote social good. Specifically:
Learn fundamental XR concepts and characteristics, and explore basic questions regarding the nature of virtuality. You will also get introduced to XR hardware and software and learn about XR applications across different industries.
Get the big picture of XR experience design, starting with the key terms used in the XR design process. You will also explore key design elements, principles, and approaches and learn to consider user needs and values in the design.
Take a deeper dive into XR design processes, including a look at how to build prototypes, such as a use case for a VR system and a mood board for an XR game on a topic of your choice. You'll also try out digital and immersive authoring tools for XR design.
Gain high-level experience with XR system development fundamentals so that you can communicate better with developers. This includes experimenting with different techniques for capturing 3D spaces, structuring user interactions, and using and adapting software code. You'll also learn aspects of development for photo-based, computer-graphics-based, and multiple other types of XR.
Explore the immersive nature of XR technology and its use in creative storytelling for gaming industry applications. Apply what you've learned by pitching a concept for an XR game and building a prototype of a narrative XR game scenario.
Consider both the promise and the peril of XR systems for social impact by examining the benefits and drawbacks of XR for communication and collaboration. Learn the principles for effective collaborative work in computational environments and practice being mindful of the responsibility to factor inclusivity and socio-ethical issues into XR experience design.
Learn both the Why? and the How? of XR system evaluations by studying various aims and methodologies. Determine which evaluation methods to use for different XR applications or games, as well as how the data types retrievable from XR hardware and software might be used in evaluating XR design.
Examine the broader implications of XR, including a look at how computational technologies can integrate simulated experiences with the physical world - particularly beyond experiences enabled by XR technologies (such as VR headsets). You will also review how artificial intelligence (AI), fictitious worlds, and XR technologies can help you learn and work better virtually, even in non-remote settings, and how to assess whether ideas are innovative enough to justify creating or deploying XR technologies.
Learn fundamental XR concepts and characteristics, and explore basic questions regarding the nature of virtuality. You will also get introduced to XR hardware and software and learn about XR applications across different industries.
Explore the immersive nature of XR technology and its use in creative storytelling for gaming industry applications. Apply what you've learned by pitching a concept for an XR game and building a prototype of a narrative XR game scenario.
Get the big picture of XR experience design, starting with the key terms used in the XR design process. You will also explore key design elements, principles, and approaches and learn to consider user needs and values in the design.
Consider both the promise and the peril of XR systems for social impact by examining the benefits and drawbacks of XR for communication and collaboration. Learn the principles for effective collaborative work in computational environments and practice being mindful of the responsibility to factor inclusivity and socio-ethical issues into XR experience design.
Take a deeper dive into XR design processes, including a look at how to build prototypes, such as a use case for a VR system and a mood board for an XR game on a topic of your choice. You'll also try out digital and immersive authoring tools for XR design.
Learn both the Why? and the How? of XR system evaluations by studying various aims and methodologies. Determine which evaluation methods to use for different XR applications or games, as well as how the data types retrievable from XR hardware and software might be used in evaluating XR design.
Gain high-level experience with XR system development fundamentals so that you can communicate better with developers. This includes experimenting with different techniques for capturing 3D spaces, structuring user interactions, and using and adapting software code. You'll also learn aspects of development for photo-based, computer-graphics-based, and multiple other types of XR.
Examine the broader implications of XR, including a look at how computational technologies can integrate simulated experiences with the physical world - particularly beyond experiences enabled by XR technologies (such as VR headsets). You will also review how artificial intelligence (AI), fictitious worlds, and XR technologies can help you learn and work better virtually, even in non-remote settings, and how to assess whether ideas are innovative enough to justify creating or deploying XR technologies.
Earn a certificate and 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from MIT xPRO
Insights from renowned MIT faculty and experts
Activities and assignments in each module demonstrate your understanding of concepts
Learn to define, visualize, and pitch your XR game concept
New information is connected to existing knowledge and real-world tasks
D. Fox Harrell
Professor of Digital Media & Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Comparative Studies Program (CMS); Director of the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality
Professor D. Fox Harrell’s research focuses on pioneering new forms of computational media such as interactive narrative technologies, virtual and augmented reality systems, videogames for social change, and simulations of social phenomena. His research also results in new AI-based tools for analyzing social phenomena in computational media.
By taking both a design and analysis approach to his work, Prof. Harrell is able to build systems that simulate social and learning phenomena in ways that are engaging, dynamic, and personalized. He then builds analytical tools using AI and other statistical mathematical approaches to identify trends, biases, and diverse user needs. From there, he can develop new principles for design applicable to both academia and industry as well as build his own computational media systems.
Prof. Harrell holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego; a Master’s degree in interactive Telecommunications from New York University; and both a B.S. in Logic and Computation and a B.F.A. in Art (electronic and time-based media) from Carnegie Mellon University. Prof. Harrell's has also worked as an interactive television producer and game designer. He and his center received an Emmy award in the “Interactive Documentary” category. He received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his project, “Computing for Advanced Identity Representation.” His book, Phantasmal Media: An Approach to Imagination, Computation, and Expression, was published by the MIT Press.
Allison Crank
Andrea Kim
Antoine Cayrol
Vik Parthiban
Get recognized! Upon successful completion of this program, MIT xPRO grants a certificate of completion to participants and 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). This program is graded as a pass or fail; participants must receive 75% to pass and obtain the certificate of completion.
Download BrochureNote: After successful completion of program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed, at no additional cost, in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of MIT.
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Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.
We have designed this program to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent among a variety of activities including:
The program is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and to demonstrate an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on program activities.
More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programs said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.
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A dedicated program support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues, or anything else that may affect your learning experience.
Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the program. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.
Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enroll. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programs are designed to fit into your working life.
This program is scored as a pass or no-pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programs include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the program brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific program requirements.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools, or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter, resume, and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile.
The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the program, once grading is complete.
No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
No, there is no alumni status granted for this program. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the program brochure.
You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and program materials for 12 months following the program start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.
Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts.
Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access program content from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.
Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any livestream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you may view them later.
Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the program without missing any of the core program material or learnings.
The program fee is noted at the top of this program web page and usually referenced in the program brochure as well.
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Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the program fee in installments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.
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You may request a full refund within seven days of your payment or 14 days after the published start date of the program, whichever comes later. If your enrollment had previously been deferred, you will not be entitled to a refund. Partial (or pro-rated) refunds are not offered. All withdrawal and refund requests should be sent to admissions@emeritus.org.
After the published start date of the program, you have until the midpoint of the program to request to defer to a future cohort of the same program. A deferral request must be submitted along with a specified reason and explanation. Cohort changes may be made only once per enrollment and are subject to availability of other cohorts scheduled at our discretion. This will not be applicable for deferrals within the refund period, and the limit of one deferral per enrollment remains. All deferral requests should be sent to admissions@emeritus.org.
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Flexible payment options available.