Human-Computer Interaction in the Informatics Major

Collaboration tools that reflect and support the ways people actually work together. Mobile devices that are easy to use on the go. These tools are the product of scholarship and research being conducted in the area of human-computer interaction (HCI). The Informatics HCI option allows you to blend your technical skills and expertise with a broader perspective on how design and development work impacts users. This ability to connect technology with its impact on people is a hallmark of the UW iSchool, and unique among the 149 majors on campus.

The iSchool’s work in human-computer interaction strives to make information and computing useful, usable, and accessible to all. Courses explore the design, construction, and evaluation of interactive technologies for use by individuals, groups, and organizations, and the social implications of these systems. This work encompasses user interfaces, accessibility concerns, new design techniques and methods for interactive systems, collaboration, and information systems for medicine and health. Coursework also examines the values implicit in the design and development of technology.

Choosing the Human-Computer Interaction Option

An option is an area of study recognized by the University of Washington. On completion of their degree, students will see Bachelor of Science in Informatics as well as the designation "Human-Computer Interaction" on their UW transcript.

INFO 360 is the foundational course for the HCI option, and all Informatics students are required to take it.

To meet the requirements for the HCI option, students must take 16-20 credits (beyond the INFO 360 requirement) from the approved list of courses below. In addition, to complete the option you must cover at least two of the subject areas below outside of "Foundations" and you must take at least one course outside of the iSchool.

1. Foundations (5 credits each)

• ART 383 Fundamentals of Interactive Design
• CSE 440 Introduction to HCI: User Interface Design, Prototyping and Evaluation
• INFO 360 User-Centered Design
• HCDE 419 Survey of Concepts of Human-Computer Interaction (formerly HCDE 319)

2. User Interface Software and Technology (5 credits each)

• CSE 441 Advanced HCI: Advanced User Interface Design, Prototyping and Evaluation
• INFO 344 Web Tools and Development
• INFO 463 Input and Interaction
• HCDE 438 Web Technologies

3. Design (5 credits each)

• ART 483 Fundamentals of Interface Design
• ART 484 Projects in Interaction Design
• HCDE 455 User Interface Design
• INFO 424 Information Visualization and Aesthetics
• INFO 461 Cooperative Aspects of User Centered Design

4. Usability and User Research (5 credits each)

• INFO 310 Individual Perspectives on Information Systems
• HCDE 417 Survey of Usability Research Techniques (formerly HCDE 317)
• HCDE 418 Survey of User Experience Design (formerly HCDE 318)

5. Social and Ethical Dimensions (5 credits each)

• INFO 444 Value Sensitive Design
• INFO 447 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work

Notes:

• Special Topics courses, such as INFO 498, HCDE 490, and HCDE 496, may be allowed on an individual, per-course basis, depending on subject matter, in any of the HCI subject areas.
• Because HCI is a multidisciplinary area, students must take at least one of these courses from a participating department outside the iSchool (ART, CSE, or HCDE).
• Out-of-department courses in the Foundations area, including ART 383, CSE 440, and HCDE 319, can count toward the remaining 16-20 HCI credit requirement.

Speak with an Adviser

The Informatics Academic Adviser is available to answer your questions about the major. You can reach the adviser by emailing informatics@uw.edu. You can also schedule an appointment to speak with the Informatics Academic Adviser by calling the iSchool's Student Services office:

Information School Office of Student and Academic Services
470 Mary Gates Hall
Seattle, WA 98195-2840
Hours: 8am-5pm Mon-Fri
206-543-1794