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M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction

M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction

Address complex issues with a human-centered and socially responsible perspective

Our Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction Design (HCI/d) is a unique graduate experience that creates professionals who will shape the future of human-centered design. This intensive two-year program enables you to shape interactive experiences, services, and systems in ways that:

Positively impact the user experience (UX)
Serve the need of diverse stakeholders
Facilitate communication and collaboration
Enrich the lives of the people and communities using them

You will complete a combination of required studio courses, which allow you to interact in a hands-on, collaborative learning environment. You will also choose elective courses to round out your own areas of specialization as an HCI/d professional.

This program is classified as a STEM program.

Areas of program focus

All students will build skills in interaction design, design strategy, and user research methods as part of the core studio courses at the heart of the HCI/d program. Beyond this core, students select electives to further differentiate themselves in ways that inform their unique design perspective.

Common ways students make the program their own include:

Connecting different forms of domain or technical knowledge to their HCI/d knowledge (e.g., connecting perspectives from data science, visualization, AI, education, public policy, or other fields)
Leveraging unique disciplinary perspectives (e.g., using your undergraduate degree in architecture, engineering, or virtually any other field to enrich your HCI-focused perspective)
Preparing for specific industry sectors (e.g., working in a Fortune 500 or 100 company, at an agile startup, or considering working in organizations with higher or lower UX maturity)
Identifying specific types of job role specialization (e.g., jobs that focus more on the design of user interfaces, user research, product management, or generalist positions)

What can you do with this degree after graduation?

Our alumni go on to work in a wide range of industries and job roles all over the world. As UX- and HCI-related job roles have evolved, we continue to prepare students to effectively adapt to the changing strategic and technology landscape and become leaders. Our graduates take a broad range of job roles, including: UX designer, UX researcher, product manager, UX engineer, and more. Many of our alumni have also contributed to creating cultures of UX majority in their respective organizations, taking on design leadership positions and impacting the future of the profession.

Elisa Krebs

M.S. in HCI/d

Today

Partnering with the Indianapolis chapter of the Interaction Design Association to implement design practices that can help combat food insecurity in the city

Tomorrow

Creating and using technology for social good while focusing on the business and strategy aspects of design and interaction

Hear about our MS HCI program from current students

HCI/d program information

Curriculum 2024-2025

Year one

Fall

Introduction to HCI/d
3 Credits
This course offers an introduction to the fundamental components of Human-Computer Interaction Design. Using a collaborative studio approach, students build their research, prototyping, and evaluation skills and are introduced to key concepts and methods in conducting human-centered design work.
Foundations of HCI/d
3 Credits
This course offers a survey of the field of Human-Computer Interaction, introducing the main themes of HCI set in a historical context. Readings also demonstrate how HCI has addressed perspectives from other disciplines.
HCI/d Studio Practice
3 Credits
This course provides students an opportunity to work on real-world projects with external partners in a collaborative studio environment. Using a human-centered approach, students work in teams on an external project, iteratively forming and addressing the project requirements with input from the external partner and the instructional team.

Spring

Interaction Design Methods
3 Credits
This course continues to build student skills in Human-Computer Interaction Design. Using a collaborative studio approach, students extend their research, prototyping, and evaluation skills and are introduced to advanced research and design methods. Students are exposed to multiple philosophies of design work and relevant forms of design argumentation.
Electives
6 Credits
Students select an elective offered at the university graduate level. They continue to focus on design skills, spend more time doing research, explore hobbies, or learn technical skills like programming, VR and AR. Students have the choice to select from hundreds of courses offered outside of Informatics.

Year two

Fall

HCI/d Studio Practice
3 Credits
This course provides students an opportunity to work on real-world projects with external partners in a collaborative studio environment. Using a human-centered approach, students work in teams on an external project, iteratively forming and addressing the project requirements with input from the external partner and the instructional team.
Electives
6 Credits
Students select two electives offered university graduate level. They continue to focus on design skills, spend more time doing research, explore hobbies, or learn technical skills like programming, VR and AR. Students have the choice to select from hundreds of courses offered outside of Informatics.

Spring

Capstone
3 Credits
This course supports students as they pursue their own independent project on a topic mutually agreed upon by the student and instructional team. Students will pursue a design-focused project, choosing one of four different types: interaction design, user research for design, service/strategic design, and design scholarship.
Electives
6 Credits
Students select two electives offered university graduate level. They continue to focus on design skills, spend more time doing research, explore hobbies, or learn technical skills like programming, VR and AR. Students have the choice to select from hundreds of courses offered outside of Informatics.

Elective courses

In addition to required courses, students will take 18 elective credits to complete the MS in HCI/d.

The following list includes elective courses that we offer or have offered in the past. Electives change each year and some electives may not be available in a particular semester. Some others may be added.

INFO I507 Introduction to Health Informatics
INFO I512 Direct Observation and Design
INFO I527 Mobile and Pervasive Design
INFO I530 Field Deployments
INFO I537 Legal and Social Informatics of Security
INFO I540 Human-Robot Interaction
INFO I544 Experience Design
INFO I549 Advanced Prototyping
INFO I566 Technology Innovation
INFO I567 Design Strategy
INFO I568 Technology Entrepreneurship
INFO I590 Topics: Seminar in ACI
INFO I590 Topics: Advanced Information Ethics
INFO I590 Topics: Prototyping with Arduino Tools
INFO I590 Topics: Cross Platform Mobile Programming
INFO I590 Topics: Creating Virtual Assets
INFO I590 Topics: Disney: Tech Tourism & Leisure
INFO I590 Topics: Product Management
INFO I590 Topics: Introduction to Virtual Reality
INFO I590 Topics: AI and Future of Work
INFO I590 Topics: Android Programming
INFO I590 (I400) Topics: Creativity and Innovation in Technology
INFO I590 Topics: Designing from Data
INFO I590 Topics: Journal Article Writing
INFO I590 Topics: Race and Technology
INFO I590 Topics: Smart Cities
INFO I590 Topics: Usable AI
INFO I590 Topics: Visual Design for HCI
INFO I590 Topics: Graduate seminar on Usable Privacy and Security
INFO I604 HCI/d Design Theory
INFO I609/I709 Advanced Seminar in HCI/d
ILS Z515 Information Architecture
ILS Z604 Information Architecture in Practice

IU’s HCI/d program was the first in the United States to emphasize design as an equal partner to HCI.

Core track faculty

Colin Gray

HCI/d Program Director
Associate Professor of Informatics

Eli Blevis

Professor of Informatics

Elizabeth Kaziunas

Assistant Professor of Informatics

Erik Stolterman

Professor of Informatics (HCI/d, Design Theory, Experience Design)

Austin Toombs

Associate Professor

Affiliated HCI/d Faculty

Yong Yeol Ahn

Professor of Informatics and Computing (Visualization)

Shunying A. Blevis

Lecturer

Travis Brown

Senior Executive Assistant Dean (Strategy and Product Management)

Jean Camp

Professor of Informatics (Security & Privacy)

James Clawson

Assistant Professor of Informatics (Health)

Jenny El-Shamy

Senior Lecturer of Informatics (Visual Design)

Dana Habeeb

Assistant Professor of Informatics (Health)

Akesha Horton

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Phil Jordan

Lecturer

Apu Kapadia

Professor of Computer Science (Security & Privacy)

Christena Nippert-Eng

Professor of Informatics (Computing, Culture, and Society CCS, Animal-Computer Interaction ACI)

Kayce Reed-Buechlein

Adjunct Professor of Informatics (Strategy and Product Management)

Selma Sabanovic

Associate Professor of Informatics (Human-Robot Interaction HRI)

Patrick Shih

Assistant Professor of Informatics (Animal-Computer Interaction ACI)

Katie Siek

Professor of Informatics (Health)

Jennifer Terrell

Senior Lecturer of Informatics (Computing, Culture, and Society CCS)

Kate Wehner

Adjunct Professor of Information and Library Science (Information Science)

David Wild

Professor of Informatics and Computing (Crisis Informatics)

Brian Wood

Lecturer

Justin Wood

Associate Professor of Informatics

Current student resources

Student portal

Handbooks, forms, and more helpful resources.

Courses

See what courses we are offering and when.

Advising

For guidance and assistance, talk with your faculty advisor or contact the Luddy Graduate Studies Office at gradvise@iu.edu. We recommend that you meet with your advisor at least once per semester to plan your courses for the next semester.

M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction

Address complex issues with a human-centered and socially responsible perspective

Areas of program focus

What can you do with this degree after graduation?

Elisa Krebs

Hear about our MS HCI program from current students

HCI/d program information

Curriculum 2024-2025

Year one

Fall

Spring

Year two

Fall

Spring

Elective courses

View our elective course list

Core track faculty

Affiliated HCI/d Faculty

Current student resources

Student portal

Courses

Advising

Department of Informatics resources and social media channels