Virtual technology and design
Bachelor of Science
Overview
Related Topics
Build the future of virtual worlds
Design the experiences that shape how people learn, work, play and connect. Virtual Technology and Design (VTD) is a design-first program that prepares creative thinkers to imagine, design and build meaningful digital experiences. You’ll learn to solve problems through storytelling, visualization, collaboration and human-centered design while using emerging technologies as creative tools. From immersive entertainment and interactive media to virtual training, digital twins and simulation, VTD graduates combine artistic vision with technical fluency to create experiences that matter.
Video game design, virtual and augmented reality, digital twins, interactive simulations and production management are transforming how people learn, work, train and connect. University of Idaho's Bachelor of Science in virtual technology and design gives you the skills to help create them.
Program highlights
As a student in a unique program in the Pacific Northwest that will give you the skillsets to be a virtual designer and a technical artist, your coursework will combine design, creativity, world building, problem solving, storytelling and collaboration.
You will be prepared for careers in immersive media, visualization, animation, simulation, production management and experience design. You'll expand your own creativity and perspective, learn how to create 3D environments, develop interactive experiences, design virtual worlds, tell compelling stories and bring ideas to life using industry-standard tools and emerging technologies.
Contact VTD at vtd@uidaho.edu or meet Department of Design and Environments faculty
This immersive technology degree program’s curriculum is interdisciplinary: art and design, programming and coding, 3D modeling, animation, world building, storytelling, character design and virtual design with additional classes in sciences, engineering and humanities. You'll experience first-year introduction courses, advanced production courses, collaborative design studios, seminars and a culminating capstone project. You'll explore emerging areas such as human-centered experience design, immersive storytelling, digital twins, XR training, and BIM-supported visualization, and known areas like game design, animation, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and 3D modeling. Whether you want to create video games, develop virtual training environments, design digital experiences or explore the growing field of digital twins, you'll graduate with a portfolio that demonstrates both creative vision and technical expertise.
Your virtual design career starts here
You will work on real projects with real clients. VTD students have built virtual worlds for education and healthcare, interactive VR for first-responder training and animated films for university festivals. You'll build professional skills, industry connections and a portfolio that stands out to employers and graduate schools.
- Hands-on projects: Through collaborative studios and production courses, you'll work on real-world projects for industry, government and research partners. Students have developed virtual reality experiences for workforce training, immersive environments for education, visualization tools for scientific research and simulations that support first responders, community planning and environmental management.
- Prepare your portfolio: VTD students have opportunities to contribute to faculty-led research and grants funded by Idaho National Laboratories (INL), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Micron Technology, the U.S. Forest Service, and more.
The VTD program could be a good fit if you:
- Use technology creatively to solve problems, communicate ideas, tell stories and design experiences.
- Enjoy video games, animation, virtual reality, augmented reality or other emerging digital technologies.
- Want to turn your creative ideas into professional opportunities.
- Are interested in 3D modeling, animation, design, programming, visualization or user experience design.
- Enjoy collaborating with others to create innovative solutions for real-world challenges.
- Want to build a portfolio of professional work while gaining experience with industry and research partners.
From canvas to career
Curriculum
The B.S. in virtual technology and design is a 120-credit program combining coursework and applied learning experiences. You will learn through collaborative, project-based design studios that mirror professional creative practice. Every semester builds on the last through teamwork, critique, iteration and portfolio development while preparing you to solve real-world problems through design.
Explore program courses in the University Catalog
Curriculum and courses
The bachelor’s in virtual technology and design is a four-year, interdisciplinary degree program that prepares you to design innovative digital experiences. Classes cover virtual and spatial design, computer science, engineering and the humanities, ensuring you have a well-rounded view of the field. You’ll develop versatile skills in creativity, technical problem-solving and storytelling through collaborative design studios, a seminar and a culminating capstone project.
Some of the key courses include:
- Advanced modeling
- Advanced lighting and materials
- Animation and visual effects
- Cross-reality technology 1 and 2
- Integrated design process
- Virtual world building 1, 2, 3 and 4
Program structure and requirements
- Progression is portfolio-based. To continue into the second, third and fourth years, you must submit a portfolio highlighting your design work at the end of each year.
- A GPA of 2.5 or higher is required to continue into the studio sequence after year one. To progress into the third and fourth years, you must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- The degree includes history and theory courses tied to architecture, art, interactive media, electronic music, film, animation or theatre, plus directed electives to build an emphasis area.
There is also a 12-credit virtual technologies undergraduate certificate that lets you explore the field — and those credits can apply directly toward the full VTD degree later.
Career outcomes
Current job openings
1,958 in ID, WA, OR, MT and HIPotential careers and mid-career salaries
- Software Developers
$158,983 - Video Game Designers
$120,305 - Special Effects Artists and Animators
$91,151 - Graphic Designers
$60,774 - Web Developers
$105,263
* Career data provided by Lightcast.
Clubs and involvement opportunities
In the virtual technology and design program, you can get involved by joining the Virtual Design Society (VDS) for tutorials, guest speakers and other student activities.
Beyond clubs, the VTD degree program emphasizes hands-on learning through research. Work with faculty and peers on projects, including those funded by national grants, to expand your skills, find your passion and contribute to advancements in virtual design.
Financial aid and scholarships
While paying for college can feel overwhelming, University of Idaho is committed to affordability and clarity about tuition and financial aid. Here are a few key resources to help you understand the cost of your degree and explore available financial support:
- Submit your FAFSA: Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step to accessing federal, state and institutional financial aid.
- Estimate your cost of attendance: Use U of I’s Cost Calculator to estimate tuition and other expenses associated with earning your degree.
- Discover scholarship opportunities: When you apply to University of Idaho, you’re automatically considered for scholarships. Additional awards are available based on your previous experience, background and anticipated program of study.
If you have any questions about financial aid, scholarships or cost, U of I’s experienced financial aid counselors can help you make informed financial decisions and navigate each part of the process. Reach out to our Financial Aid Office for assistance.
Professional fees
CAA’s Professional Fee directly supports essential resources such as design studios, specialized equipment, student groups and more. Fee costs are:
- All full-time students (10-20 credits) — $716.00 per semester
- Part-time undergraduate students (1-9 credits) — $72.00 per credit
- Part-time graduate students — $80.00 per credit (does not exceed $716)
Recognized STEM Program
This program is recognized as a STEM program by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and may be eligible for the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension for international students.
Application instructions
Undergraduate applications open each September and admissions are processed on a rolling basis. Qualified students are admitted and considered for scholarships and financial aid as applications are received.
Explore admission requirements and apply on our Admissions website.
Second-, third- and fourth-year admission
To continue into the second, third and fourth years of the VTD program, you must submit a portfolio highlighting your design work at the end of each year. This showcases that you are progressing in your skills and are ready for advanced coursework.
Have questions?
Not sure if this program is the right fit? Connect with your admissions counselor or request more information to get personalized guidance on program details, requirements and next steps.
Find your admissions counselor
Request more information
Email questions to vtd@uidaho.edu
Connect with program faculty
Etemenaki
See how VTD student Maddie Eaton transformed imagination into a professional animation project through storytelling, design and production.
Perpetual Divinity
Olivia Thaxton crafts a richly imagined fantasy world through original animation, storytelling and character-driven worldbuilding in her VTD capstone project.
Training tomorrow’s workforce, virtually
Students in U of I’s Virtual Technology and Design program create immersive online environments for partners, including Micron and the U.S. Forest Service. These projects give students applied experience while providing organizations with new, technology-driven methods to recruit and prepare workers.
Virtual technology and design environments
See what studios and class could look like as a VTD student.
What is virtual technology and design?
Design the experiences that shape how people learn, work, play and connect.
Virtual technology and design (VTD) is built around the idea that great technology begins with great design. Students learn to think creatively, solve problems, tell compelling stories, and create meaningful experiences using today's leading virtual technologies, XR, AI, and other emerging creative tools. By combining timeless design principles with professional production workflows, graduates leave prepared for the creative careers of today and adaptable to the technologies of tomorrow.
What careers could I have with a degree in virtual technology and design?
Graduates pursue careers as experience designers, technical artists, visualization specialists, interactive designers, environment artists, creative technologists, XR designers and virtual production artists across entertainment, education, architecture, manufacturing, research, government, and many other industries. The VTD program at University of Idaho offers three tracks: entertainment and immersive storytelling; visualization and simulation for industries such as architecture; engineering, and government; and entrepreneurship and leadership. The program targets the games industry, entrepreneurship, simulation, edutainment, and scientific visualization. Typical roles include technical artist, virtual architect, visualization specialist, interactive designer, digital project manager and commercial/industrial designer creating digital prototypes and simulations for product development.
Graduates are hired as virtual reality and augmented reality designers, animation designers and producers and visual experience designers.
Why choose a degree in virtual technology and design?
If you enjoy creating immersive experiences, interactive worlds and compelling stories, VTD gives you a place to turn those ideas into tangible projects. You’ll use design to solve creative problems and explore how emerging technologies can bring new experiences to life.
You’ll collaborate with artists, designers and developers while building a professional portfolio through real-world projects. The program is designed for students who are excited by emerging technology but understand that meaningful innovation starts with creativity, critical thinking and strong design.
See some recent student projects
How can I get a job with a degree in virtual technology and design?
Through this program, you’ll learn to work in collaborative design studios that mirror professional creative teams. You’ll communicate ideas, solve problems, work with clients and build a professional portfolio through meaningful projects. This practice will prepare you for a wide range of creative careers.
Will I get to use AI and other emerging technologies?
Yes! You will learn to evaluate, direct and creatively integrate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, as part of a modern design workflow. Rather than focusing on a single technology, VTD prepares you to adapt as new creative tools continue to emerge.
Aimed at more than just game studios
The simulation, training, digital-twin and visualization side of the field has genuine demands through the tech sector, the energy sector, federal agencies, healthcare systems, architecture, agriculture and the startup scene.
University of Idaho graduates pursuing AAA game studios also look to Seattle and Portland or working remotely. U of I VTD coursework explicitly targets digital applications for agriculture, wildfire fighting, water management, and rural communities, as well as energy distribution, VR/AR workforce training for high-tech industries and digital twin technology. These map well onto the region's biggest employers and agencies.
HDR's Boise office has sought Engineering 3D Visualization Specialists, listing 3D modeling skills with Unity3D/Unreal and scripting (C#, Python, JavaScript) as pluses and Power Engineers in Meridian has posted Visualization Specialist roles. Cushing Terrell (architecture) has posted BIM/CAD tech roles in Boise at $50K–$65K.
Direct pipelines to Idaho employers built into VTD
As part of VTD’s cutting-edge applied research, the VTD VRLab is developing large-scale virtual projects for the U.S. Forest Service, the government agency that administers America’s forests and grasslands, and Micron Technology, the major semiconductor company headquartered in Boise. These sponsors offer direct experiences with real-world regional challenges with significant Idaho clients, all while still taking university courses.
Micron Technology: A VTD student team created a virtual training tool that allows people to experience a Micron fabrication facility through a VR headset. Recent graduates designed the virtual layout, which is accessible on Micron's Educator Hub, and shared product demos at career fairs and a recent Treefort-Hackfort event in Boise. Micron’s virtual reality educator hub developed by the VRLab will soon launch in Japan — a cutting-edge project developed at University of Idaho scaled to national and international audiences. Students are also building a computer-based version so schools without VR hardware can experience it. Micron's recent fabrication expansion in Boise makes semiconductor-adjacent visualization and training a genuine growth area.
University of Idaho's strong industry partnerships help VTD students turn classroom experience into professional opportunities. Through internships, client-based projects, on-campus recruiting and the U of I Handshake career network, you'll be able to connect with employers seeking talent in immersive technology, visualization, user experience design, simulation, animation and digital media — before you graduate.
The exposure to design problem solving and solutions in VTD programs results in the creation of digital applications and art that answer important questions and spearhead innovations such as human-centered experience design, metaverse urbanism, digital twins and simulation, building information modeling and immersive storytelling.
Jean-Marc Gauthier
Program Head for virtual technology and design, associate professor and VRLab design lead