Human-Computer Interaction (HCIM)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Information Studies

Abstract

In the HCIM program, students learn to design, evaluate, and implement new information technologies that are understandable, usable, and appealing to a wide variety of people. Our students develop a fundamental understanding of the technology design process, tool-building technologies, evaluation techniques, application areas for users, and the social impact of technology on the individual and community. The program prepares students to become human-computer interaction (HCI) leaders in industry and government, or to become successful in doctoral work in a particular specialization of HCI.
 
Our 30-credit program is typically completed in two years by full-time students, while offering flexibility to accommodate part-time and professional students. Our core curriculum grounds students in the fundamentals of HCI perspectives and methodologies, while electives offer in-depth insight into specialized areas of the field. A required internship experience provides a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in industry or research environments, and the choice of an individual thesis or a client-based team capstone project allows students to demonstrate the skills they’ve acquired in the form best suited to their career goals.

Financial Assistance

The HCIM program is not able to offer applicants financial aid on admission. Many of our students apply for and secure graduate assistantships after being admitted to the program, but these positions are administered by individual faculty, departments, and offices, not by the program itself. For more information about scholarships and financial aid offered by the College of Information Studies, please see here.

Contact 

For more information about applying to the HCIM program, please contact the iSchool Student Services Office at ischooladmission@umd.edu.
 
Please visit the College of Information Studies website for details on upcoming Information Sessions or Open House programs.

iSchool Student Services Office
4110 Hornbake Building, South Wing
4130 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2038
Email: ischooladmission@umd.edu

Website: http://www.ischool.umd.edu/hcim
 
Courses: INFM INST

Relationships: Information Management (INFM)     Information Studies (INFS)     Library and Information Science (LBSC)     Library and Information Science (online) (LBSO)

General Requirements

• Statement of Purpose
• Transcript(s): Uploading unofficial transcripts is sufficient for the purposes of the application review process. However, if you are offered admission and choose to enroll in the University of Maryland, you will need to provide an official and unopened transcript.
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)

Program-Specific Requirements

• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE): GRE scores are optional for domestic applicants, and required for international applicants. Any requests to waive the GRE requirement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the program committee. Applicants may also submit GMAT scores instead of GRE scores. GMAT scores may also be submitted instead of GRE scores (please notify the department if you will be sending GMAT scores). Please send any requests to hcim@umd.edu.
• CV/Resume
• Supplementary Application

All applicants to the College of Information Studies must meet the minimum requirements set by the University of Maryland Graduate School.

• Applicants must have earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution.
• Applicants must have earned a minimum 3.0 average GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all prior undergraduate course work.
• Applicants must provide an official copy of a transcript for all their post-secondary work.

Admission to the HCIM program is competitive. Applicants are evaluated for admission to the program based primarily on academic achievement (GPA and prior coursework) and admissions essays. TOEFL score should be 100 or higher. GRE should be in the 40th percentile or higher for Verbal scores and in the 60th percentile or higher for Qualitative scores.
 
For more admissions information or to apply to the program, please visit the Graduate School website.

Application Deadlines

Other Deadlines: Please visit the program website at http://www.ischool.umd.edu/hcim

The College operates six research centers: the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL), the Information Policy and Access Center (iPAC), and the Center for Advanced Study of Communities and Information (CASCI), the Cloud Computing Center (CCC), the Trace Center, and the Digital Curation Innovation Center (DCIC).

iSchool faculty and doctoral students also participate in or have affiliations with the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH), and the Computational Linguistics and Information Processing Laboratory (CLIP), as well as the Departments of Computer Science, English, and Sociology, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, the College of Education, and the Philip Merrill College of Journalism.