For more information

Costs for the current academic year can be found on the Bursar’s Office website. Tuition and fees for the next academic year are set each spring by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and are updated on the Bursar's website as soon as possible.>.

TWe do not provide financial scholarships, however we do try to help you find assistance when we can, mostly in the form of Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) and Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs). GRA and GTA positions provide a 12-credit tuition waiver, along with a monthly stipend that varies with the student’s academic home department (Interactive Computing, Industrial Design, LMC, or Psychology). With a GRA, students can expect to work 15 to 20 hours per week in addition to school work. Students are responsible for the mandatory fees and tuition supplement. These costs can be found on the Bursar’s Office website.

Not directly. You can count one directed study course (3 credits) toward the 36 credit degree requirement, possibly, but not necessarily, doing this under the supervision of the faculty member providing your GRA. You will likely do your six credit MS-HCI project with this professor as well. The GRA tuition waiver pays for a 3-credit GRA course (that does not count toward your 36 credits) needed to qualify as a full-time (12 credits) student.

Your statement of purpose should highlight your motivation for pursuing the MS-HCI program, your relevant experiences, and your career goals. You should also discuss why you are interested in human-computer interaction (HCI) and how this program aligns with your aspirations. Be sure to proofread and edit your statement carefully before submission.

Students will not be able to get a GTA their first semester, as no one will have had you in class or know much about you. When working as a TA, you are required to have completed the course you wish to TA and earned an “A” grade. Some MS-HCI students have GTA positions, almost always in their second year, based on doing well in a course during their first year.

No, international students (on visas) are not eligible to receive financial aid. However, they are eligible to work as a GRA (Graduate Research Assistant) or GTA (Graduate Teaching Assistant), and often do so.

Please refer to the graduate application process for current information regarding supporting documents for graduate admissions.

International students are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. The MS-HCI Program has a minimum TOEFL score requirement of 100; in practice, however, the minimum score of admitted students is closer to 108. Without a score of at least 100, you should not apply. The MS-HCI Program has a minimum IELTS score requirement of 7.5; in practice, however, the minimum score of admitted students is closer to 8 or above. Without a score of at least 7.5, you should not apply.

YNo, if you are an F-1 international student you must register for full-time course loads (12 hours each semester).

Yes.

You must submit an online application through our Graduate Admissions Office.

A few answers are given here -- for more information, consult the Graduate Admissions Office’s FAQ. Please do not contact the MS-HCI program directors or coordinator.

Applicants should refer to the Graduate Admissions Office’s FAQ to check the status of their applications.

We admit students to the HCI program only for the fall semester.

Such requests are handled on a case-by-case basis. In general, your application will be placed in the pool of applicants for the following year and will be reviewed with other applicants. Unfortunately, no guarantee of admission can be made. Please e-mail the Graduate Program Coordinator with your request.

You would not be automatically disqualified from consideration. We consider the strength of your overall application, including your educational and professional background, portfolio, statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation.

The GRE requirement has been waived for now. It may be reinstated in future years. Any changes will be announced on our website.

TUse the general GT code, 5248.

Yes, you complete two applications and pay two application fees.

Yes -- in fact, this is not unusual.

No, a four-year degree is required. If you have a 3-year bachelor’s degree from a non-US institution, please contact the Office of Graduate Education. See this FAQ for more information: https://grad.gatech.edu/faq/knowledgebase.php?article=13.

No.

Due to the large number of MS-HCI applicants and to the fact that admission announcements are centralized within the Graduate Office, the timing of when you will receive your admission decision will vary from year-to-year. Admitted students are typically told by mid- to late-March. Rejected students will receive word later.

The MS-HCI Program does not offer application fee waivers.

Both. The curriculum covers all the HCI basics, but also includes more future-looking, research-ish courses than some other programs. Many of the courses include individual or team projects -- these, and your summer internship, enable students to develop the portfolios that are expected by employers.

This is a very common question. The answer is "both." Practice comes in the forms of: The every-fall semester seminar "Professional Preparation and Practice" which includes speakers from companies, consultancies and digital agencies, The summer internship, Projects in many courses, some of which are done in collaboration with external clients. Research come in the forms of Courses on next-generation HCI areas, taught by faculty who do research in those areas. Look at this course list! Your MS-HCI project, done under the supervision of one of our MS-HCI faculty members Many one-credit pass/fail seminars, including the GVU Brown Bag seminar which has included HCI notables such as Gregory Abowd, Bill Buxton, Beth Mynatt, Don Norman, Ben Shneiderman and Thad Starner.

Not generally, as courses meet during the day. Also, some courses have group projects, requiring frequent face-to-face meetings. GTRI (Georgia Tech Research Institute) staff who work on campus sometimes attend part time, as they can easily come to daytime classes, have group meetings, and be part of the academic community by attending relevant talks and meetings of research groups. Part-time attendance is also not an option if you have a GRA or GTA or are an F-1 international student, as you must register for a full-time course load (12 hours each semester). Part-time students must register for a minimum of 3 semester hours.

No.

The program takes four semesters (18 months) to complete. So, students who enter the program in the fall of 2020 will graduate in the spring of 2022. Students complete an internship during the summer between Semesters 2 and 3

There are several excellent HCI Master's programs in the United States and abroad. Students who select Georgia Tech tell us they do so for reasons such as: The interdisciplinary mix of students, courses and faculty, which is very much like the real world of HCI/UX, The large number of courses from which to choose, The large number of faculty, and their research projects, Our many other HCI-related degree programs that create a rich intellectual environment with many activities and opportunities beyond the MS-HCI program itself. Top-notch, multicultural students provide a great diversity in campus. Speaking of which, we're located in the middle of Atlanta, with lots of great restaurants and fun things to do around campus with our well-networked student and professional presence. You can enhance your qualifications by being involved in labs and you can even work in different labs each semester to see different kinds of research. To learn more about our labs, check out our labs and projects page.

Yes. Many of the courses have full-semester projects; some in groups; some individually. For example, both the HCI Foundations and HCI Research Methods courses taken in the first semester requires four-person group projects, starting with user research, then sketching multiple alternatives, and finishing with prototyping and testing. There are many more examples. And your summer internship project will further strengthen your portfolio.

If you are not planning to get a car, you can stay at the Graduate Living Center (GLC) or at 10th and Home, both of which are adjoining to campus. There are also a number of apartment buildings within a few blocks of Tech. This Google search will point you at many other options!

Our students come from a variety of educational backgrounds and it is not a requirement for applicants to have a computer science degree. Each specialization (CS, ID, LMC, Psych) has different expectations. The courses that students take, and the jobs that they eventually seek are typically somewhat different among the specializations. In the Computing specialization, it is assumed that applicants have solid programming experience. In the LMC specialization it is very useful to have technical skills such as Photoshop, video editing, web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) which often but not always includes programming, especially for prototyping. In the Psychology specialization, programming experience is not a requirement, but is always beneficial; prototyping and experiment scripting experience are very useful. There are courses available to improve these skills once enrolled in the HCI program.

There are several differences. The first difference is the number of CS credits: typically 19-21 in the MS-HCI, 24-30 for the MSCS HCI Specialization. The MS-HCI includes 12 hours of non-CS electives, drawn from: Various usage/application contexts for HCI, such as aerospace, medical/health, music, international development, education, and entertainment. Deeper understandings of people, mostly via psychology courses Management of Technology (by taking the right 4 courses, students can earn the MOT graduate certificate. A second difference is that all MSHCI students do a 6-credit project, whereas, MSCS students typically just take courses, although they may do a 9-credit project or a 12-credit thesis. A third difference is the MS-HCI seminar, which meets each fall with a focus on professional practice and career development, as well as builds a sense of camaraderie amongst the MS-HCI students. Finally, MS-HCI students pay a tuition supplement which provides many benefits, including: Travel support to participate in professional conferences in order to present papers, posters as well as design and research competitions. Assistance of the MS-HCI Project Coordinator (a PhD Research Scientist) to help students identify, plan, conduct and report on their 6-credit MS-HCI project. Use of the MS-HCI student lounge / study area. Assistance from the MS-HCI director, MS-HCI Project Coordinator and MS-HCI Program Coordinator in finding GRA and GTA positions, summer internships, and full-time post-graduation jobs. Participation in Interactivity@GT, the annual student showcase and job fair for MS-HCI students. Consideration for several annual awards (with honoraria), such as the best MS-HCI project award and the GVU Distinguished Masters Student Award.

The MS-HCI focuses on developing practical and theoretical skills in the research, design/development and evaluation of human-computer systems and interfaces and the curriculum spans the digital media, design, computing and psychology disciplines that bridge the four schools. The MS in Digital Media offers arts and humanities based study in digital media in the School of LMC, focusing on digital media design and critique. MS Digital Media students pursue careers as interaction designers, game designers, interactive television producers and information architects.

The School of Psychology does not offer an MS program.

We do not have a PhD program in HCI, but the academic units participating in the MSHCI offer several relevant PhD programs: Computer Science with HCI specialization, from the College of Computing Human-Centered Computing, from the School of Interactive Computing Digital Media, from LMC Psychology with Engineering Psychology Specialization Psychology with Cognitive Science Specialization

Each entering fall class consists of 50 to 60 students. Typically half are in the computing specialization and half are distributed across DM, ID, and Psych.

It varies. The required first semester HCI class is typically 50-60 people. Many classes that you will take in your second year will have 20 to 30 students; some more

Classes are taught Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Distance learning courses are not available.

Yes. The courses that can be taken as elective courses are: MGT 6056-Electronic Commerce, MGT 6326-Collaborative Product Development, MGT/ISyE-6772 Managing Resources of the Technological Firm, and MGT 8803-Software Project Management. If you complete all four of these courses, you can earn the Management of Technology Certificate from the College of Management. (If some courses are not offered when needed, speak with your school's coordinator to find suitable alternatives.)

Yes, we offer an orientation program specifically designed for international students. It provides essential information about academics, immigration regulations, campus resources, and more. Details about the orientation program will be provided to admitted international students.

Yes, international students on F-1 visas are typically allowed to work on campus during their program of study. However, there may be specific regulations and limitations. Please consult the International Students Office for guidance on employment opportunities for international students.

Yes, up to 9 credit hours of graduate courses equivalent to those required by your specialization. For more details, go here.

Most of our graduates go to work in industry; some in research labs, more in development. A few go on to earn their PhD, often at GT. Our students take HCI positions with companies, government organizations and universities such as Centers for Disease Control, Apple, AT&T, Amazon, Google, VMWare, Humana, IBM, Intel, Research in Motion, Nokia, NVIDIA, Phillips Design Center, CNN, Yahoo, IDEO, Nielsen Norman Group, Schematic, Sapient, Digitas, Razorfish Health, Roundarch Isobar, Macquarium, User Insight, Northrop Grumman, Turner Broadcasting, Openstudy, Manhattan Associates, Southern Co., and Moxie Interactive. These jobs often result from their summer internship. Some students pursue Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science, Digital Media, or Human-Centered Computing at Georgia Tech or other schools including CMU, UC Irvine, Colorado, MIT, Simon Fraser, Central Florida, and Illinois.

You can, and current students do so. It may be possible to expand your work into your Master’s project. This has to be approved in advance, and must involve supervision by a faculty member, who then assigns a grade for the project.

The one-credit professional practice seminar includes discussions on resume and portfolio preparation, and job hunting. A favorite of current students is the panel discussion by HCI practitioners “What I know now that I wish I had known when I took my first job.

Career fairs, Interactivity@GT, join professional organizations both on campus and in the greater Atlanta community, talk to professors, alumni and second year students.

Join the Facebook group MS HCI @ GT: Students Past, Present, and Future, study in the HCI Lounge and around TSRB, or take a project studio course. Current students are quite friendly and willing to offer advice via the Facebook group.