If you’re curious about how people interact with technology, studying human-computer interaction (HCI) allows you to explore this field from various backgrounds such as design, psychology, and programming. You’ll develop skills to create intuitive and effective technologies that improve the way humans and machines connect, helping to shape better user experiences across many industries.
Explore the future of human-computer interaction
At a glance
Format
Online, On-campus
Start dates
Fall, Spring, or Summer
15credits
5courses
What you'll learn
Students earning the Human-Computer Interaction Certificate will gain a solid foundation in usability principles, user-centered design, and interactive product development. You will learn to design and prototype software and web interfaces while applying evaluation techniques to test and improve usability.
Basic human-computer interaction theory and usability terms, principles and practices:
- Understanding of human-computer interaction and usability terms, concepts, principles and practices
- Problem space definition and conceptual models of interactive products
- User-centered approaches to interaction design as applied to software and the web
- User profiling, needs and requirements
- Interface design principles and processes; including related areas of visual design
- Cognitive and information processing
- Processes and life-cycles of interactive product design
- Interactive product evaluation and testing methods, both qualitative and quantitative
Ability to understand and demonstrate basic design and evaluation of interactive products up to the high fidelity prototype stage:
- Interactive product interface design and prototyping based on user/needs assessments
- Human-computer interaction principles and a user-centered approach to interaction design as applied to software and the Web
- Apply evaluation and usability testing methods to interactive products to validate design decisions
Careers
Human-computer interaction focuses on the user experience. It’s the branch of informatics charged with developing technology that’s empowering, inherently usable, and socially relevant.
Human-centered computing draws from the human and the machine sides of the equation. Computer graphics, operating systems, and development strategies are all relevant. So are communication theory, graphic and industrial design disciplines, linguistics, social sciences, cognitive psychology, and user satisfaction.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Human-Computer Interaction may prepare you for such positions:
- User experience designer
- User interface designer
- Information architect
- User experience architect
- UI/UX interactive designer/developer
- Interaction designer
- Web designer
- Usability specialist
Certificate requirements
The Undergraduate Certificate in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a 15-credit-hour program allowing students to become certified in the fundamental theory and application of human-computer interaction.
- INFO-I 270 Introduction to HCI Principles and Practices (3 cr., may count towards the social sciences general education requirement)
- INFO-I 275 Introduction to HCI Theory
(3 cr., may count towards the social sciences general education requirement) - INFO-I 300 Human-Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
- NEWM-N 450 Usability Principles for New Media Interfaces (3 cr.)
Choose one:
- NEWM-N 328 Visualizing Information (3 cr.)
- INFO-I 467 Internet-of-Things Interface Design for Business Innovation (3 cr.)
- INFO-I 480 Experience Design and Evaluation of Ubiquitous Computing (3 cr.)
- INFO-I 481 Experience Design and Evaluation of Access Technologies (3 cr., online option available)
- INFO-I 482 Assistive Technology (3 cr., online option available)
- INFO-I 483 Conversational User Interfaces: Experience Design and Applications (3 cr., online option available)
Students must earn a C- or higher in each course and maintain a 2.0 GPA to graduate.
This plan of study is subject to revision.
Getting started
You can earn this as a stand-alone certificate, or as part of an undergraduate degree. To get started, you’ll need to be admitted to IU Indianapolis as an undergraduate student.
Current students
Contact your advisor to add this certificate to your major.
New students
You will need to apply to IU Indianapolis as an undergraduate student.