Decisions and guidelines

SAMFAK 2011/85

Doss 3:1:1

The Master Programme in Human-Computer Interaction comprises 120 higher education credits.

GOAL DESCRIPTION/PURPOSE

To educate individuals so that they will have the competence to successfully and independently lead a user-centred IT development process and to work with usability issues throughout the life-cycle of an IT system as well as to pursue high-quality research in the field.

GOALS EXPRESSED AS EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The expected qualities a student will demonstrate upon successfully completing the programme are:

– Knowledge about the scientific base in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), its accepted practices and insight into the current research trends.

– A deep understanding of usability related methods for analysis, design and evaluation of IT-systems.

– An ability to take part in and guide development projects in the IT-sector and to perform usability evaluations.

– An ability to independently plan, and with adequate methods, analyse tasks, user studies and information obtained.

– An ability to independently plan, and with adequate methods, design a well-functioning interaction between users and systems in concordance with societal and organisational demands

– An ability to build and evaluate prototypes of user interfaces to IT-systems

– An ability to independently plan with adequate methods, and execute a minor research project.

– An ability to evaluate projects and activities based on relevant scientific, societal and ethical considerations.

– An understanding of the ethical issues involved in scientific research and systems development.

– An ability to identify your own need of further knowledge and to continuously improve your own competency.

– Insight into the role of usability in working life.

– Insight into the possibilities and limitations of IT-systems, their societal importance and the responsibility of humans regarding its use.

– Insight into the importance of teamwork and cooperation with many types of work groups in order to achieve usable IT-systems.

Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree equivalent to a Swedish degree of at least 180 credits (i.e. three years of full-time studies) containing IT-related course modules comprising the equivalent of at least 60 credits in total.

All applicants need to verify English language proficiency. This is normallty attested by an internationelly recognised test such as TOEFL or IELTS.

Layout of the programme

PROGRESSION IN THE PROGRAMME

Courses given in the first year provide a foundation that enables a meaningful exit option half-way through, with a one-year Master's degree. The second year courses are closer to the research front and are based to a great extent on the research being pursued at the two departments.

The programme covers the following areas:

First semester

Methods in HCI

Interaction design

Usability evaluation

Theories and models in HCI

Second semester

User-centred systems design

Advanced interaction design

User interface programming

Humans in complex systems

IT, ethics and organisations

Third semester

Electives, covering the areas:

Social media

Contextual usability

Universal design

Fourth semester

Degree project

If a student wishes to exit with a one-year Master's degree, three Term 2 courses can be replaced by a degree project worth 15 credits.

Instruction

Instruction consists of lectures, classroom sessions, seminars, project assignments, supervision, and laboratory sessions. Varying examination forms will be used as determined by the structure and content of each course. Our aim is to carry out instruction in project form for a majority of the courses, often with some sort of connection to the surrounding business community.

All or parts of the instruction will be in English.

Degree

The programme leads to a two-year Master's degree comprising 120 credits in the major field of human-computer interaction, at least 60 credits of which are in the major field, including an independent degree project worth at least 30 credits. The programme may be concluded with a one-year Master's degree comprising 60 credits in the major field of human-computer interaction, at least 30 credits of which are in the major field, including an independent degree project worth at least 15 credits.

Other directives

ADMISSIONS

Admission will be determined by an evaluation of the Bachelor's thesis or relevant work samples, possibly complemented by an interview. Well-documented knowledge of object-oriented programming will receive priority.