Accelerated Masters Program

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The HCI Institute currently offers a three semester (12-month), 15 course Masters in HCI. Undergraduate HCI majors who have taken the three core HCI courses (05-410: HCI Methods, 51-422: Basic Interaction Design, and 05-430 or 05-431: Interface Programming), and an elective on the 400 level or above, will be considered eligible for the Accelerated Masters program. HCI Minors are not eligible for the Accelerated Masters program.

These students, who include all undergraduate HCI majors, will be allowed to complete the Masters degree in as little as two semesters (8 months) after their undergraduate degree, instead of the usual three (12 months).

The bottom row in the table below describes how to move from the CMU undergraduate program into and through the Masters program. Students who want to be considered for the accelerated Masters program should apply to the HCII by November 1st of their senior year. Decisions will be made in time for Spring Registration week.

Accelerated Masters Option

Undergraduate seniors in their last semester begin the Masters program by taking HCI Project I which is the first half of the Masters level two-semester project course. They then take Project II course in the summer. The program is finished in the fall semester by taking the Pro Seminar and 4 electives. Students who have already taken courses as undergrads that would satisfy the Masters elective list must nevertheless enroll in at least 4 electives while enrolled as a Masters student.

How to Apply:

The Master of Human-Computer Interaction program must receive a completed application package and a $75 application fee no later than November 1 of your senior year.

Admission decisions will be mailed before Spring registration begins in November.

To apply for admission to the Accelerated Master of Human-Computer Interaction program, please read the following instructions carefully and make certain that you have met all requirements when you submit your application.

A Graduate Orientation Program is held during the week before fall classes begin and accepted Accelerated Masters students are expected to attend.

All necessary forms are with the application. Please feel free to attach additional sheets and/or photocopy forms as necessary.

We would appreciate if you would enclose all materials (including letters of recommendation and transcripts in signed, sealed envelopes) with your application, but they may be sent separately if this is not possible.

1. Application Form. Complete the application form included in this packet; type or print clearly. Please use black ink.
2. Statement of Purpose. Type or print a concise statement containing the following information:
   1. Your objective in pursuing a Master of Human-Computer Interaction degree, including your career goals, and your reasons for choosing to apply to Carnegie Mellon.
   2. Your background in Human-Computer Interaction or other fields relevant to your objective. Describe how your academic, industrial or commercial experience prepares you for admission to the HCI program. Please verify that your description here is consistent with your resume. You may want to outline the areas of Human-Computer Interaction with which you have experience or exposure.
   3. Any additional details you wish to give the Admissions Committee, including any projects on which you have worked.
3. Résumé. Provide a complete up-to-date résumé. Order the relevant work experiences chronologically with the most recent first. Clearly distinguish part-time, co-op, or intern work from full-time positions.
4. Transcripts. Submit official transcripts (photocopies are not acceptable) from all undergraduate and graduate institutions that you have attended.
5. Recommendation and Evaluation (3). This recommendation has two parts. Part 1 is an evaluation form that assesses group work and interpersonal dynamics. Part 2 is a letter of recommendation. The admissions committee wants to know about your ability to do graduate-level coursework at CMU and to work in interdisciplinary teams at a professional level. You should select letter writers who can best speak to these points. Professors who interacted with you extensively in small classes are a good choice. Employers are appropriate if they can speak to your ability to work in a group at a professional level, but letters that are simply character references will not provide good support for your application.
6. Application Fee. A $75 application fee is due with your application. Applications which are not accompanied by the application fee will be considered incomplete. Please enclose a $75 check made payable to “Carnegie Mellon University” with your application.

Mail all materials, including application fee, to

Nicole Willis, Graduate Program Coordinator—Masters
Human-Computer Interaction Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
300 South Craig Street, Suite 206
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA

2011 Deadline: November 1st before 5 PM

For information, contact

Graduate Program Coordinator
Phone: 412.268.7971
Fax: 412.268.9433
Email: nicolewi [at] cs [dot] cmu [dot] edu