There is a growing demand within industry for workers with expertise in human-computer interaction (HCI), with titles such as interface designer; usability researcher analyst; usability engineer; user experience specialist; and information architect. HCI specialists bridge the gap in organizations between groups who build the technologies and groups who use the technologies. The qualifications for these positions generally fall into the following categories:

• A general knowledge/background in human-computer interaction;
• Skills in collecting user requirements
• Skills in developing prototypes, both low fidelity (e.g., paper) and high fidelity (e.g., html mock-up); and
• Research skills in evaluation of the impact of technologies on humans

The Information Science and Technology department at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in Human-Computer Interaction. These programs prepare students for positions as HCI specialists, and provide working IT professionals with additional skills to aid in the design and evaluation of usable systems. The IST department at Missouri S&T includes some of the leading researchers in the field of HCI, with strong ties to industry usability professionals.

Curriculum
A student may receive a graduate level HCI Certificate from the Information Science and Technology department at Missouri S&T by completing four courses, consisting of three required core courses and one advanced HCI course.

The core courses are:

• Human-Computer Interaction (IST 385)
• HCI Prototyping (IST 386)
• HCI Evaluation (IST 387).

The advanced HCI course may be either of the following courses:

• Research Methods in HCI (IST 487)
• or Social Informatics (IST 480)

Entrance into IST master's degree graduate programs:

Students admitted to the HCI Certificate program will have non-matriculated status. If they complete the four certificate courses with a grade of “B” or better in each of the courses taken, they may be admitted to the M.S. program in IST if they so choose. A student must, however, follow the normal application process. The Certificate credits will count toward the student’s M.S. degree.

Courses
The following three courses are required.

• IST 385: Human-Computer Interaction
  Introduction to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Students examine issues and challenges related to the interaction between people and technology. In particular, the class explores the social and cognitive characteristics of people who use systems. Students learn techniques for understanding user needs, interface prototyping, and interface evaluation.
• IST 386: Human-Computer Interaction Prototyping
  This course covers designs, methods and tools for creating low and high fidelity prototypes of information technology systems. The different prototyping approaches are examined as part of the iterative design cycle that is commonly used for developing usable information technologies. Prerequisite: IST 385 taken previously or concurrently
• IST 387: Human-Computer Interaction Evaluation
  This course covers research and analysis methods for evaluating the impact of information technology systems on humans and organizations. During the course, students will use different technical and non-technical tools to evaluate various information technologies. The goal of the course is to teach students to conduct practical evaluations of systems with the goal of providing recommendations for improving system functionality and usability Prerequisite: IST 385 taken previously or concurrently

You must choose one course from the following

• IST 480: Social Informatics
  The course introduces students to the field of social informatics. We examine the impact that information technology has on organizations and society. We study the relationship between the social world and technical systems from a sociotechnical perspective. The goal of this course is to provide students with a greater understanding and appreciation of the complex role that technology plays in human settings. Prerequisite: IST 38
• IST 487: Research Methods in Human-Computer Interaction
  This course covers advanced skills necessary for conducting research within the area of human-computer interaction. The course will cover techniques and tools for carrying out literature reviews; forming research goals; designing appropriate research methodology; conducting data analyses; and preparing manuscripts and presentations of findings. Prerequisite: IST 387

Contact
Information Science and Technology
101 Fulton Hall
1870 Miner Circle
Rolla, MO 65409
(573) 341-4184
Email: smis@mst.edu