The Human-Computer Interaction Design program at the School of Informatics and Computing has been ranked as one of the top 25 Best Value UX Design Gradate Programs in the country.
ValueColleges.com, an independent site compares quality with affordability for programs at U.S. colleges, ranked SoIC's HCI/d program ahead of the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Iowa State University among others.
"We're delighted to be ranked among the best graduate computing schools in the world," said Martin Siegel, a professor of informatics and the director of graduate studies for informatics. "Our Human-Computer Interaction Design Master's Program is one of the few programs that specifically integrates design practice, strategy, and scholarship. We welcome highly motivated students from technical and liberal arts backgrounds who wish to become UX leaders."
Schools were ranked according to early career pay, rankings from U.S. News & World Report, and actual tuition as reported by the schools. The User Experience Professionals Association, the Interaction Design Association, and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society provided Value Colleges with its initial list, and the website made its selections from there. IU ranked No. 25 on the list.
"A top public research university and a perpetual best value Indiana University - Bloomington has some of the finest business and engineering programs in the Midwest, distinctions that show in IU's School of Informatics and Computing as well," Value Colleges wrote. "IU's informatics and computing program is recognized as one of the best in the nation with one of the most productive faculties in the field. Graduate students can earn a Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction Design, a two-year graduate program that prepares students for work in a variety of fields."
SoIC is one of just a handful of schools in the United States to offer an M.S. in HCI/d, and the intensive program helps students learn how to shape new media, interactive tools, artifacts, and systems in ways that enhance usability, augment learning, facilitate communication, and enrich the lives of the people using them.
UX design is a fast-growing field, and the job market is expected to grow 18 percent over the next 10 years according to CNNMoney. For more information on SoIC's HCI/d program, visit the program's website.