StudyQA — Master: Human-Computer Interaction Design — Indiana University at Bloomington

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Description Contents Requirements Funding

Our program is designed to change the way you think.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) has traditionally been the domain of engineering and psychology. Here, we approach it from the perspective of design. Our focus goes beyond simply using technology to solve a problem. It is about creating a technology experience that will be functional, intuitive, and even delightful for the people who use it.

The goal of the human-computer interaction design (HCI/d) program is to teach you to think like a designer. Our approach is research-based, but never rigid. Though students follow a highly structured curriculum that prepares them for a professional career, there is plenty of room to pursue individual interests.

During your time here, you will refine your personal design philosophy through course work that:

Teaches you the key history, literature, and research of HCI design (HCI/d)
Introduces you to multiple frameworks, research techniques, and creative exercises
Helps you learn the skills necessary to use and design current and emerging applications
Explores the socioeconomic consequences of implementing technologies in different cultures

Our students come from many backgrounds, from computer science to the liberal arts. Because you take the same classes and work together frequently on projects, you quickly become part of a close-knit, highly collaborative, and imaginative group—building relationships that will continue long after you graduate.

Nearly half of our master’s students publish original research by the time they graduate. In addition, students frequently enter projects in—and win—design competitions, including the CHI Student Design Competition and the Microsoft Imagine Cup.

A total of 36 credit hours is required for this degree. There are some required courses and there is some choice as described below.

Year 1 Fall

INFO-I 541 Interaction Design Practice (6 cr.)
INFO-I 542 Foundations of HCI (3 cr.)

Year 1 Spring

INFO-I 543 Interaction Design Methods (3 cr.)
INFO-I 544 Experience Design (3 cr.)
INFO-I 561 Meaning and Form in HCI (3 cr.)

Year 2 Fall

INFO-I 549 Advanced Prototyping (3 cr.)

Recommended Electives* (select two):

INFO-I 604 Human Computer Interaction Design Theory (3 cr.)
INFO-I 590 Topic: Rapid Design for Slow Change (3 cr.)
FINA-S 552 Graphic Design (3 cr.) or similar course

Year 2 Spring

INFO-I 694 Thesis/Project in Human-Computer Interaction (6 cr.)

Recommended Electives* (select one):

INFO-I 590 Topic: TBA (3 cr.)
INFO-I 590 Topic: Interaction Culture (3 cr.)

*Electives and Recommended Electives

The recommended electives detailed above are the elective classes that students most typically select and the classes which they can select without additional approval from the program director. It is possible for students to tailor their particular program by selecting with approval of the director alternative graudate classes from within the University. Independent Study or Internship credits are sometimes possible as an additonal alternative, as described in the HCI/d MS Handbook. Electives can be from any school at Indiana University with courses related to the student's area of concentration, including other areas in Informatics and Computing and ILS. Courses that have appealed to our students can be found in the School of Fine Arts, the Department of Communication and Culture, the Department of Telecommunications, and the Kelley School of Business. Please note that other schools are not required to allow HCI/d students to participate in their courses.

Requirements

We do not require a bachelor’s degree in computer science, informatics, or a related field, but we are looking for background in key areas. For example, for computer science degrees, you should have had courses in data structures, machine organization and assembly language, and discrete structures.
Except in special cases, references should be from academic faculty, including at least some in informatics and computing. We ask for three letters but you may submit more. If you have experience as a teaching assistant, a letter from your teaching supervisor attesting to your teaching abilities could help your application for aid.
We require GRE scores for all applicants and cannot process your application until we receive them. We do not have cut-offs for GRE scores, preferring instead to use the full information available in your application to evaluate. IU’s institution code for reporting your GRE scores is 1324 and the department code is 0404 for informatics degrees or 5199 can be used as a general code.
Statement of purpose. The most important information to include in your statement of purpose concerns your academic goals. Tell us which research areas you are interested in and which Indiana University faculty you would like to work with. You may also use your statement of purpose to explain any anomalies in your record.
You must submit an official transcript from each previous undergraduate or graduate institution other than Indiana University that you have attended. We are most interested in the grades you received in courses that are relevant to our graduate programs.
Financial Documentation. Federal regulations require every admitted international student to demonstrate that the student has current resources available to support himself/herself during their first year of study in the United States. This financial documentation is not part of your application. The Office of International Services strongly recommends that applicants submit their financial documentation using iStart after the application is submitted. By having your financial documentation uploaded into your iStart account, it will expedite the processing of immigration documents in the event you are admitted to our program and accept the offer of admission. Once the application is submitted, the Office of International Services will send you an email with instructions on how to set-up your iStart account and how to submit your Financial Documentation. Immigration documents will not be issued until the required financial documentation is received by the Office of International Services. If you have any questions about how to set-up your iStart account or questions about the required financial documentation, email the Office of International Services tonewtoiu@indiana.edu .
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS scores. All applicants who are not native speakers of English or who did not receive an undergraduate or graduate degree from a university in the United States must submit these scores. IU’s institution code for reporting TOEFL scores is 1324, and the department code is 78 for computer science degrees and 99 for informatics degrees. We normally expect a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet-based test, 250 on the computer-based test, or approximately 600 on the paper-based test, or a score of 6.5 on the IELTS. We may make exceptions when there is other evidence of English ability.