In 1957, the University of Waterloo opened its doors to 74 engineering students with co-operative education as its cornerstone. Today, with more than 42,000+ students attending annually, Waterloo is #1 in Canada for experiential learning and employer-student connections. With a global network spanning more than 220,000 alumni in 151 countries, Waterloo attracts world-class scholars including a Nobel Laureate, leads in providing work-integrated learning opportunities with 7,100+ active co-op employers and fosters an entrepreneurial spirit that has created 5,000+ jobs through Velocity alone, Canada’s most productive start-up incubator as measured by private investment. This is why 474 Waterloo entrepreneurs have been able to raise $12.9 billion since 2006. It’s also why more than 10,000 donors from 39 countries donated $46 million to Waterloo in 2019-20 and continue to donate today.

The Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business offers undergraduate and graduate programmes in digital arts and user experience design within a global business framework. Students combine creative exploration, critical thinking and design research to create positive technology-enhanced user experiences. Our students and faculty respond to current design challenges and anticipate possible digital futures, often in collaboration with partners outside the university. In particular, we take a human-centered approach to technology while being mindful of social, cultural and environmental impact.

The HCI Games Group conducts research in information and communication technologies, design, psychology, and human-computer interaction related with games and gamification. We are part of Waterloo HCI and located at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business and the Games Institute.