BS HCI Degree Description

Human-computer interaction (HCI) combines disciplines within the fields of computing and information sciences (information systems, software engineering, artificial intelligence) and the behavioral sciences (cognitive science, cognitive psychology, sociology, organizational psychology, and social psychology) to study the design, implementation and evaluation of interactive computer-based technology. The primary objective of HCI is to solve real problems in the design and human use of computing technology. HCI principles are applied to designs found in smart phones, intelligent tutoring systems, virtual worlds (such as Second Life), wearable computers, emergency management applications, and highly interactive Web applications. 

The BS HCI provides necessary background to conduct design activities including: eliciting from the client, formulating, and articulating functional specifications; knowing how human factors and cognitive models influence design; knowing the principles of, and having experience with, communication design; understanding how implementation constraints influence design; and incorporating evaluation results into iterated designs.

Students implement their design knowledge by using their analysis and programming skills and demonstrating their computational literacy, such as knowledge sufficient for effective communication and decision making about interface construction tools and languages, multimedia authoring tools, data structures and algorithms and systems development. They also become proficient in evaluation activities, including experimental design, survey methods, usability testing and statistical analysis.

The BSHCI curriculum provides a strong foundation in key Information Systems and Computing courses, such as Designing the Multimedia Experience, Evaluation Methods for the User Experience, Web-Enabled Mobile Applications and Design Studio for Ubiquitous Computing.  In the Senior Capstone course, HCI students work on a team in a real-world environment with a corporate sponsor. As part of the BSHCI, students must choose four courses in one of the following options: Cognitive Psychology, Game Design and Production, Graphical Arts Design and Web & Multimedia Design.

All students majoring in HCI are required to prepare a Program of Study Form, an approved copy of which must be on file with the Department of Information Systems through the Academic Advisor. The form should be prepared as early as possible in the student's career, and changes should be made only in consultation with the Academic Advisor.

What is human-computer interaction (HCI)?

Human-Computer Interaction is a new field of computing that has the primary purpose of building human interfaces to computers such that they are easier to learn, easier to use, and cause the person using the computer to commit less errors. People who work in human-computer interaction (commonly called HCI) know how to measure groups of potential users and interpret the data collected from the users so that it can be applied to the interface design. Human-centered design techniques are used to build prototypes of the proposed user interface, and this interface is then tested with users and modified as needed to ensure that the interface meets ease of use criteria. People who work in HCI have backgrounds in design, psychology, and computer systems building. Many also have backgrounds in technical writing and sociology.

A classic example of the type of product an HCI person produces is the mobile telephone. HCI people had to come up with a design that worked with only a few menu selection buttons but still handled the multiple menu selections users felt were useful in a phone such as keeping a personal telephone numbers, updating the time, setting alarms, downloading and setting special rings, etc. In addition, they had to make the telephone work with no training whatsoever. Thousands of hours of HCI personnel time went into the development of the initial interfaces. Phone companies who did not do this initial HCI development lost a large amount of money in sales.

The field of Human-Computer Interaction also is responsible for inventing many of the new technologies that appear today. Because so much computing technology is a part of every day tasks, many HCI people work on appliance design, game design or even a car’s dashboard design. HCI is also involved in the presentation of television weather, much of electronic commerce and even surgery.

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What types of jobs can I get?

Usability Engineer – a usability engineer is typically involved in setting the criteria that user interfaces need to meet and in running the user testing that is carried out on prototypes of the interface.

Interaction Designer – an interaction design works on developing prototype interface designs from user specifications. This person needs to know a lot about design issues, e.g., what colors work best, what typography to use and how to organize menu items.

Information Architect – an information architect works with web pages, especially large web sites. Such a person specifies what information should be on what page, what should be on the sidebar panel and what links should be on each page. They also manage the database behind the web page.

Usability Specialist – a usability specialist is a more generalist type of job that involves the entire user-centered development life cycle. This is typically the name for a consultant who works in the field. Such a person may be called in to direct the development of a set of web pages from start to finish or to direct the design of a complex interface such as the mobile telephone.

User Experience Engineer – a user experience engineer is more likely to be focused on the early part of a user interface design. Such a person is an expert in gathering data from users with such techniques as focus groups, interview, unobtrusive observations or surveys. They gain their name from designing for what they perceive the user experience with the interface to be. This includes such experiences as feeling satisfied, secure, comfortable, supported, etc.

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Could you explain the joint program with Rutgers?

Because HCI is an interdisciplinary field, students will be required to take courses in psychology at Rutgers-Newark and courses in information systems and computer science at NJIT. Courses in human-computer interaction will be taught in the NJIT Information Systems department . The degree program is jointly administered by the Division of Information Systems and by the Rutgers University-Newark Psychology Department.

Students are admitted to the program by applying to either NJIT or to Rutgers-Newark. Those admitted to NJIT must satisfy the General University Requirements at NJIT and those admitted to Rutgers-Newark must satisfy the General Educational Requirements at Rutgers-Newark.

Information on the required courses for the BS-HCI degree program can be found in the university course catalog: link to BS-HCI degree description.

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