This program requires both strong technical and social science skills.  Since individuals in this discipline are involved with all stages of the software development lifecycle, students must show evidence of solid computing skills - gained through prior academic study and/or extensive work experience - before entering the program.

Specifically we require the following computing background prior to admission:

• At least 1 year of object-oriented programming (OOP) experience .  No specific OOP language is required; however, the Java language is currently recommended.  (Completed prior to admission.)
• Experience in interactive-multimedia programming, ideally in Adobe Flash.
• Knowledge of quantitative statistics equivalent to a graduate course on inferential parametric and non-parametric data analysis techniques.

To produce fully functional professionals for the HCI field, this program emphases both design and technical writing.  Therefore, solid writing and verbal communication skills are vital.

Additional information about prerequisite details and available bridge courses is available in the MS/HCI program handbook.