Program Overview

Introduction to the HCI Concentration for SCS Majors

The Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Concentration for SCS Majors is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on understanding how interactions with digital technologies and services can augment human capabilities. This concentration aims to provide students with the techniques, processes, principles, and theory of HCI, enabling them to design and evaluate innovative digital technologies and services that fulfill human needs.

Program Description

The HCI Concentration for SCS Majors consists of 5 courses, including 2 required courses and 3 electives. The concentration is designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of SCS majors by addressing how digital products and services can be designed and evaluated to benefit individuals, small groups, organizations, larger networks, and societies.

Course Requirements

Prerequisites

• 15-122: Principles of Imperative Computation
• 15-150: Principles of Functional Programming

Required Courses

• Select One From:
  • 05-391: Designing Human-Centered Software
  • 05-380: Prototyping Algorithmic Experiences
  • 05-431: Software Structures for User Interfaces
• Select One From:
  • 05-360: Interaction Design Fundamentals
  • 05-315: Persuasive Design
  • 05-317: Design of Artificial Intelligence Products
  • 05-362: Transformational Game Design Studio
  • 05-418: Design Educational Games
  • 05-452: Service Design
  • 05-470: Digital Service Innovation

Electives

• At least one of the electives must have strong technical content and must be selected from the following list:
  • 05-318: Human-AI Interaction
  • 05-333: Gadgets, Sensors and Activity Recognition in HCI
  • 05-434: Machine Learning in Practice
  • 05-499: HCII Special Topics
  • 05-839: Interactive Data Science
  • 15-464: Technical Animation
  • 15-466: Computer Game Programming
  • 15-494: Cognitive Robotics: The Future of Robot Toys
  • 16-467: Introduction to Human Robot Interaction
  • 17-422: Building User-Focused Sensing Systems
  • 17-428: Machine Learning and Sensing
  • 17-437: Web Application Development
  • 17-537: Artificial Intelligence Methods for Social Good
  • Other courses as approved by the concentration director
• The remaining two electives must be courses in HCI offered by the Human-Computer Interaction Institute, meaning they have an 05 prefix number, or be included in this pre-approved list of electives.
• Of the three HCI elective classes, at least two must be 05-xxx courses.

Double Counting

At most 2 courses can be double counted with any major, minor, or other concentration being pursued by the student.

Learning Objectives

Students will learn skills and methods for:

• Eliciting and understanding human objectives, preferences, and needs through qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis
• Generating and imagining possible solutions and design concepts that involve human/technology partnerships
• Basic visual design, including typography, grids, color, and the use of images
• Design of interactive systems, experiences, and technologies
• Developing and evaluating interactive prototypes as a way of iteratively refining designs
• Evaluating interactive technologies to assess and improve their functioning through data-driven redesign, including discount and empirical evaluation methods

Students will also learn about:

• Digital technologies, such as web and mobile platforms, conversational technologies, wearable computing, gadgets, digital fabrication, virtual reality, and mixed reality
• Human psychology, regarding individuals, groups, organizations, societies, and cultures, as it relates to interactions with digital products and services

HCI Undergraduate Programs

The Human-Computer Interaction Institute offers various undergraduate programs, including:

• Primary Major - B.S. in HCI
• Additional Major in HCI
• Minor in HCI
• HCI Concentration

These programs provide students with a comprehensive education in HCI, preparing them for careers in design, development, and research of interactive systems and technologies.