The Best Master’s in Human Computer Interaction Degree

You can get a little bit of this and a little bit of that at University of Washington-Seattle.  Much like the state itself, which offers a bustling city amidst access to splendid American nature, the master’s of human computer interaction and design teaches forward-thinking technology along with design skills to assist you in creating attractive and user-friendly software programs.

As a graduate student in this human computer interaction design program, you aren’t within just one school of education. Four departments–Science and Engineering; Human-Centered Design and Engineering; Information, and Art; Art History, & Design–all bring elements of their core to create this interdisciplinary degree. Creative design by hand and by machine is just as important to this program as quantitative data and human-centered design research.

Each cohort joins 33 students with a proven creative ambition and analytical capacity. The human computer interaction program is intensive, lasting just 11 months but requiring 46 credit hours. Courses include many hands-on studios, like prototyping and ideation. The final capstone isn’t an after-thought, but a project built into the curriculum. You choose your “‘future of’ topic” early on and continue to research it as you progress through the curriculum.

Elective courses also exist to help guide your goals. Some options include:

• Interaction Design
• User Research
• Visual Information Communication
• Usability Studies
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Art History

In the end, students learn not only be able to build and design systems, but also to manage projects and lead teams. 

The University of Maryland-College Park offers a 30-credit Master of Science in human computer interaction. The HCI program is formatted to span two years and be attended full time. Curriculum is largely based in Information Technologies but provides plenty of avenues for you to find your own goal-specific track. This degree program offers opportunity and flexibility through an elective-intensive schedule and access to UM’s impressive six research centers, among them the world-renowned HCIL Research Lab. 

During year one, you’ll take three core courses in the first semester, covering research methods and fundamentals. The last core course required is taken in the second semester, but this is the time you’ll also start introducing elective courses into your schedule. The summer course is strictly for the internship requirement.

The remainder of the human computer interaction design coursework will cover electives. These can include courses in data visualization, analyzing social networks, advanced usability testing, and several other HCI courses. The second year is also when you’ll carry out your capstone project or thesis. 

The capstone is done alongside a cohort of students. You’ll work in a real-world setting, learning project management and prototype design for an external industry client. If your career goals include research-based, you can choose the final thesis project which helps prepare you for that. They recommend making your selection by the end of the first year so there’s time to prepare.

Iowa State University offers a master of human computer interaction (HCI) that extends throughout the entire university. Students get to engage in virtually every department, helping to broaden their knowledge base needed to succeed in the ever-evolving tech world. 

Throughout the program, you’ll learn to evaluate systems and choose design approaches that best suit the end-user. You’ll also take time to research emerging technology and trends and learn to understand theories and models of the field. All of this is taught through an interdisciplinary lens. 

This is also one of the few HCI rankings that is offered as an online degree. The online learning option allows you to work at your own pace without having to adhere to a uniform schedule. Most students end up completing the program in two and a half years. 

There is only one start date, and so only one chance each year to submit an application. Every student is required to submit transcripts displaying a GPA, a statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation.

At Indiana University-Bloomington, designers with a vision of the future can build their career with the MS in human computer interaction. This program is multi-faceted, teaching elements of new media and interactive tools that will help develop a designer’s skills to meet the world’s growing demands.

The HCI graduate program doesn’t include a concentration, but you can pick a theme that will guide the curriculum toward your personal goals. These themes include:

• UX research
• Interaction design
• Design strategy
• Academic strategy
• Creative activity

Depending on your end goal, be it research, academia, or professional management roles, there are opportunities for you to gain the necessary tools. 

There are several core courses, including Computer Science, that all students will take together. In addition, elective courses will help to guide the curriculum toward your career goal. Many of the electives are in emerging topics specific to advanced technology. You can explore electives like the following:

• AI and the Future of Work
• Sustainable Interaction Design
• Design Entrepreneurship

The human computer interaction design program is considered intensive, situated at the crossroads of research and design skills for working in the industry. Everyone works toward a capstone, which is built into two semesters of the curriculum. It takes two years to complete the total 48 required credits of the program. 

Georgia Institute of Technology offers a Master of Science in human computer interaction (MS-HCI) to a cohort of 90 able and eager students each year. Through this interdisciplinary degree program, students learn skills and explore theories through coursework, research, and industry experience.

When students apply, they can do so through one of the four schools that help bring the program to life. Your application to either School of Industrial Design, Interactive Computing, Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC), or Psychology, indicates your interest. Where you apply will also function as your chosen area of specialization. About half of all students opt for interactive computing, while a quarter choose industrial design. The last quarter is split between a focus on digital media or psychology.

Regardless of your track, all students in the human computer interaction degree program will take the same set of core courses. These three courses are:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Psychology Research Methods for HCI
• Professional Practice Seminar

The group of 90 spreads out in the next stage of courses. These will include specialization, electives, and a final project.  There’s also the option to add a Management of Technology Certificate to your diploma and transcripts. 

Electives span a wider set of subjects, including:

• Aerospace engineering
• International Affairs
• Psychology
• Public policy
• Music
• Computer Science
• Art History

Students in all tracks are required to complete 36 credit hours. 

The Master of Arts in human experience design interactions (MA_HXDI program) is a multi-disciplinary program. It’s based in theory but teaches practical skills focusing on design as a strategy. After 33 credit hours in design and an understanding of quantitative data and qualitative research, graduate students will be well equipped for human-centered design careers.

The human centered interaction design program is competitive, and you can apply only after you’ve been admitted to the university. Program applications are sent directly to the Department of Design and should include:

• A resume
• A digital portfolio
• Two letters of recommendation
• A statement of purpose

If admitted, you’re responsible for bringing your own laptop to class. It’s important that it can support necessary design software that will be used throughout the program. Graduate students learn in labs and workshops which are open 24 hours a day.

Required courses include Applied Design in Contemporary Society and Designing for User Experiences, as well as labs and seminars. Your education isn’t limited to campus. Partnerships with local businesses in a multitude of fields, from education to entertainment, open opportunities for internships and career opportunities. 

Human computer interaction takes many forms. At the University of Michigan Ann-Arbor, they deliver an HCI specialization through a Master of Science in Information. The program targets the emerging roles that are a result of the digital age and welcomes students from all types of backgrounds. 

If this human computer interaction graduate program sounds right for you, you’ll also have to choose from a range of study options. A full-time student can complete the program in two years, while part-time will take up to four. You also must choose between a thesis or a non-thesis track. The thesis option spans two semesters, during which you’ll work with an advisor to broaden and discover new knowledge in a chosen topic. 

The alternative to the thesis is the mastery course track, where students will gather information, identify and assess problems, and resolve the problem with high-level thinking. All students, thesis or not, also get to learn outside of the School of Information with cognate courses. These allow you to explore interests and develop skills that are unique to your personal goals.

Students can also choose to double up on their areas of expertise with a dual degree. UM presents several popular options, like public policy, social work, computer science, or business administration, but there’s flexibility here, too. This is one human computer interaction program that truly lets you shape what your degree–and career–will become. 

The University of Kansas combines a focus on interaction and on user experience to develop students who are effective designers. This human computer interaction design graduate program isn’t based in computer science or engineering. Instead, it’s a Master of Art in human centered design with a concentration in interaction and user experience design. 

The program requires 31 credit hours. Students will explore the core curriculum through 12 credit hours, involving theory, methods, and practice of UX design. The remaining 19 give you the chance to explore your own interests through electives.

Core courses include Advanced Human Factors in Design, while options for electives can include Design Cognition and Management. Throughout this interaction design curriculum, you’ll apply analytical and creative problem-solving skills to better understand the needs of users and simplify complex systems in use. Every student in this program will complete a thesis based on personal research.  

The application process involves the full package of graduate-level requirements. Instead of the traditional statement of purpose, the University of Kansas requests a statement of design philosophy and approach. In addition to the resume and three recommendations, you’ll also be expected to submit a portfolio of interaction design work. 

The University of California-Irvine offers a one-year, interdisciplinary master’s program in human computer interaction and design. Understanding both how computers work and how to effectively design programs is essential to success in any HCIM career. To help guide you through this comprehensive program, you’ll get to learn from faculty with all types of expertise relating to designing computer software and programs.

The HCIM program is set up in a “mixed format,” meaning it’s partially online, partially on campus. The on-campus visits are in an accelerated format—intensive courses in the tools and experience you’ll need to be successful in the online portion.

The interaction design curriculum is set up to adhere to a particular schedule, although it does provide the flexibility to continue in your professional work. You’ll learn UX design, user research, and concepts on your own. Then, later you will apply them to a real-world capstone project. You’ll work alongside fellow students for a client who truly relies on your education and expertise to make a difference in their business.

The application process is equally extensive, calling for the following materials:

• Transcripts
• A statement of purpose
• A resume
• Letters of recommendation
• A work portfolio

 If you don’t yet have a professional portfolio, you can send GRE scores instead. Students leave UC Irvine’s human computer interaction master’s program well-equipped, well-connected, and ready for the professional world.

The Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis is a joint university that offers a singularly impactful Master of Science in human computer interaction. This program defines this connection, predominantly, as user experience design. In other words, you will be studying human behavior in depth. The 36 credit hour master’s degree is research-focused and ultimately teaches students how to enhance the growing engagement people have with technology. 

During your two years of study, you develop expertise on “the internet of things.” Keeping all of our devices interconnected calls for exceptional user design, and IUPUI builds this understanding through a human centered design focus. The interaction design graduate program is very hands-on, bringing research to light with projects exploring social computing and design-methods alongside industry leaders.

The master’s in human computer interaction recommends electives like Interface Design for Business Innovation and Informatics Research Design, but they also open it up to other possibilities. Other electives that can fit into the overall degree include:

• Health informatics
• Data Science
• Game Design
• Digital Media
• Video Production
• Art History

You have some say in how it all wraps up. A capstone project involves two sections of professional practice. You can also choose to complete a traditional thesis. The emphasis on this degree is the human centered design aspect of the computer relationship. You’ll enter the workforce with a network of alumni behind you who understand the importance of continued enhancement in our experience with devices. 

Michigan State University also presents its human-computer interaction focus through a Master of Arts. The program’s focus is on interactive design for a human experience and the importance of information architecture for designing it. Classes will explore HCI topics, such as:

• Interaction design
• User research
• Human behavior
• HCI theories of media and technology

Human computer interaction courses look at the experience through everything from traditional media and networked environments to mobile computing and virtual environments.

To truly get the hands-on human centered design experience through this HCI program, project experience is integral to the success of the program. In total, there are 30 credit hours required, and half of these need to be at or above the 800-level. This leaves plenty of opportunity to explore other elective options of your choosing. 

Gamers, rejoice! Many of the opportunities within this degree are focused on game design. You can even opt for a certificate in Serious Game Design and Research. It only requires three courses:

• Theories of Games and Interaction for Design
• Understanding Users
• Foundations of Serious Games

At SUNY College at Oswego, those with a passion for design and technology can fuse the two with a Master of Arts in human computer interaction. You aren’t restricted to a once-a-year application timeline. Students enjoy the flexibility of rolling admission and start dates throughout the year, starting you on your course to a master’s when you’re ready.

The HCI program itself offers its own elements of flexibility. You can choose from the typical thesis or project tracks, but there’s a third option. The professional track also requires 33 credit hours, but builds in business courses to prepare you for professional roles. The project track gives you hands-on experience, while the thesis track prepares you to immediately step into a role. All tracks take two years to complete. The HCI program is also available 100% online.

Communication technologies are at the core of this human computer interaction program. You’ll explore methods of computer science and graphic design and how they are integral to creating software for websites, apps, and games. A few of these required classes include:

• Graphical User Interfaces
• Software Design
• Contemporary Topics in HCI
• Interaction Design

Electives span other topics like:

• Conceptual Science
• Computer Science
• Web Design
• Artificial Intelligence
• Systems Simulation
• Art History

To apply to this HCIM program, your package needs to include transcripts, a resume, two letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. It’s recommended to submit GRE scores. It’s expected that you have upheld at least a 3.0 GPA in prior coursework. 

Stanford’s School of Engineering offers several different areas of concentration for their Master’s in Computer Science, including human computer interaction. During your first quarter of study, the HCIM program expects you to have completed courses in:

• Logic
• Probability
• Algorithmic Analysis
• Principles of Computer Systems

These courses help to pave the way for lessons in UX design. 

Design Thinking for User Experience Design, Prototyping & Evaluation, for example, is one of the classes that will help teach you how to optimize the experience for nearly any user. Courses outside of the computer science major will also help round out these concepts. Students have the opportunity to enroll in Art History, Design, Mechanical Engineering, and Psychology to improve their thinking for becoming user experience researchers.

The focus here is the user. Stanford’s human computer interaction program highlights collaboration and visualization of human-computer interaction throughout the spectrum of massive computer screens to the virtually invisible. 

Stanford’s HCIM program and efforts as a whole are anything but invisible. The staff here, like professor James Landay, are active within the industry. The podcast The Future of Everything is released by the Stanford School of Engineering. As its name suggests, it often tackles the ways that technological advancements will further, and ideally improve, the human experience. 

At Drexel, you’ll build on topics of human-computer relations while also looking into how systems can be designed to maximize user experience. The program is aptly called human-computer interaction & user experience (MSI-HCI/UX), which is part of the Master of Science in Information (MSI). Collaboration with MSI students and related departments builds a strong community of peers with similar principles. 

The MSI-HCI/UX involves eight courses that develop the foundation and core of the work. In addition, you will complete five electives and a final capstone project. Coursework will guide you through everything from user design for social and collaborative systems to data analysis skills and ethics training. The capstone can be completed either by conducting research or a “production-oriented” project.

Drexel is an outstanding place to learn these progressive concepts. Attendance here provides access to research labs and internships with impressive partners in the arts, healthcare, and industry. You can also hone into your specific interests and career goals through a certificate in:

• Human-Computer Interaction & User Experience
• Applied Data Science
• Computational Data

Carnegie Mellon holds the superlative of the “longest-running and most impactful Master of Human-Computer Interaction in the world.” As educators that recognized the increasing reliance humans have on computers, this HCI graduate degree prepares students to become professionals in the field. 

To be a true professional, your understanding of technology has to be as heavily focused on computers as it does on humans. As a result, this human centered design master’s degree teaches cognitive psychology and behavioral science in conjunction with computer science. All of this is taught by seasoned faculty who are professionals in the HCI field.

The program kicks off with seven core classes through the school’s Human Computer Interaction Institute. These courses explore the foundational methodology of HCI. The interdisciplinary aspect follows as students choose elective courses to fulfill the requirement. There’s no specific number of credits necessary, but students need to complete a minimum of five electives to graduate. 

The options of electives span various industries. Some notable favorites are in art, architecture, and psychology. The opportunity to choose electives helps to customize your education towards your specific career goals. The capstone is a shared experience among students. It’s a hands-on project working with an external client using research ability and interaction design to produce results. This project is part of the curriculum, and spans seven months.

At Rice University, you can earn your Master of Human Computer Interaction & Human Factors. Rice University students learn many ways that the relationship between human and computer is integral to the success of our civilization. Voting, driving, and healthcare are just a few primary examples of how we, as humans, put our faith in computing to make our decisions, store our data, and keep us safe. 

You’ll learn about human attention and memory, dive into the study of speech and reading, and explore human behavior in the workforce. You’ll also take courses in artificial intelligence, user research, and other computer applications in relation to psychology. 

The HCIM degree format is full-time, and it takes two years to complete the necessary training in research and application. This HCI program is presented through the Department of Psychological Sciences proving just how important it is to monitor the human centered design side of computer interaction. Of course, it still heavily pertains to computer technology.  

Rice University is based in Houston, Texas, where this human-computer relationship flourishes. The city is home to the world’s largest medical center, Texas Medical Center, and NASA’s Mission Control, to which astronauts report both problems and successes. These out-of-this-world advancements in technology serve as strong examples to students of just how far we’ve gone, and how far there is to go. Furthermore, Rice maintains relationships with these institutions, opening the door to possible internships and careers to graduates. 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is practically synonymous with technological advancements. Programs here aren’t just intended to educate students, but the students are held to a standard of developing breakthroughs that enhance the human experience. The Media Lab, in particular, is devoted to purposeful research.

The Media Lab, ultimately, is for people who want to find ways that new technologies can transform our lives. To enter the program, you first opt for the research group that fits your goals best. It’s about exploring how connections between several fields can birth beautiful ideas. Essentially, it’s the ideal place to explore human computer interaction. 

Classes explore how to engineer interactive technologies, multimodal user interfaces, and interactive data visualization. Seminars are important, drawing on expertise from successful and devoted members of the field. Inherently, faculty research projects help to push your exploration further and bring you to the apex of an emerging technology. 

The HCIM program is called “Media Arts and Sciences,” and allows you to take your interest in human-computer interaction and give it legs. You interaction design prototypes for software based on existing technology and developing theories. Most importantly, you’ll be part of an international team of researchers devoted to the same common cause. 

DePaul University offers a traditional Master of Human Computer Interaction in a non-traditional way. Though it still covers the range of disciplines necessary to become a successful professional, the HCI program is strongly rooted in the areas:

• User research
• Interactive design
• Prototype development

Unlike most other HCI rankings, it can also be completed entirely online. 

The three pertinent disciplines involved are computer science, graphic design, and the social sciences. Courses covering the computer science element include:

• Statistics and Data Analysis
• Foundations of Human-Computer Interaction
• Information Architecture
• Content Strategy

You encounter these classes throughout introductory, foundational, and advanced sections. 

An example of graphic design courses include:

• Website Design for HCI
• Introduction to User-Centered Design
• Digital Interaction Design

Psychological theory inherently crops up throughout many classes. It helps to illustrate the way that decisions based in theory and translated through design improve the end-user experience.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, offering four start-dates throughout the year. The program breeds successful UX Designers. The school reports that it took six months or less for 93% of recent HCI graduates to find a role or an advanced program to continue education. 

Tufts University is known to exist on the cutting edge of technology. They have several programs that help to advance our human relationship with advancing technology. The Master of Science in Human Factors Engineering falls in line for students looking to learn about engineering psychology or ergonomics.

Ideally, students with a background in math and computer science will enter this program equipped for what comes next. Courses include:

• Human Machine Systems Design
• Interaction Design
• Behavioral Statistics for Engineering
• Visualization
• Interaction Design

You can opt to choose the thesis track, or you can take professional development credits as a capstone.

This HCI program also presents the opportunity to earn a certificate in human-computer interaction. It requires four additional courses. Introduction to Engineering Psychology or Human Factors and Human Computer Interaction are both mandatory. The last pair of classes can be chosen from options including:

• Human-Machine System Design
• Computer Interface Design
• Human Factors in Product Design

Tufts has also taken the traditional study of computers and evolved it into something with a more human centered design. The MS in computer science: human-robot interaction combines computer and mechanical engineering with sociology, psychology, and philosophy to see what makes these connections work and how they will evolve over time. It’s easy to foresee how much more prevalent human-computer interactions are going to become, and both of these programs put you in position to be part of this landscape. 

Desktops are now practically antiques. The new ways we use technology introduce vast new ways in which we interact with it. At the Rochester Institute of Technology, the Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction is all about emerging technologies, interaction design, and even affords you the opportunity to learn online.

Interactive computing takes two to tango. Both human centered design and program design are essential to successful interaction. Every student in the program begins with core courses covering fundamentals concepts and methods of HCI. The program builds from this foundation with two required courses in the application domain, program electives courses, and a final project. 

You can fulfill the applications domain option however suits you best. Available topics cover:

• eLearning technologies
• Geographic information science and technology
• Smart device application design and development
• Web development

Electives courses help to further individualize your experience. These can touch on everything from biomedical informatics to geographic visualization–and plenty in between.

The HCI program wraps up with your choice of a capstone project or a thesis. If you choose the thesis option, you’ll devote your entire second year of study to this. The capstone option involves hands-on experience designing a solution to a problem and presenting the outcome, in addition to an elective. The program can be self-paced, but you must finish the program within seven years.