The Bachelor of Science in Human Computer Interaction, a joint degree program with Rutgers-Newark, provides the student with the necessary background to conduct design activities including: eliciting from the client, formulating, and articulating functional specifications; knowing how human factors and cognitive models influence design; knowing the principles of, and having experience with, communication design; understanding how implementation constraints influence design; and incorporating evaluation results into iterated designs.

Students implement their design knowledge by using their analysis and programming skills and demonstrating their computational literacy, such as knowledge sufficient for effective communication and decision making about interface construction tools and languages, multimedia authoring tools, data structures and algorithms and systems development. They also become proficient in evaluation activities, including experimental design, survey methods, usability testing and statistical analysis.

The program includes the following options, which are four courses selected from a list provided in each department: learning systems, human systems, applications development, publishing and multimedia, communications, networks, and the Web, or tailored options in computer applications.

All students majoring in HCI are required to prepare a Program of Study Form, an approved copy of which must be on file with the IS department (for NJIT students) or psychology department (for Rutgers students). The form should be prepared as early as possible in the student's career, and changes should be made only in consultation with the department advisor.

Students are admitted to the program by applying to either NJIT or to Rutgers-Newark. Those admitted to NJIT must satisfy the GUR at NJIT and those admitted to Rutgers-Newark must satisfy the General Educational Requirements at Rutgers-Newark.

The curriculum as described below is for students entering as freshmen in the fall of 2002 or after that date.

IS 118: Students who have completed IT 102 will have waived the IS 118 requirement.

Social Science GUR: Students also may take, with Advisor approval, an introductory course in basic social sciences at Rutgers-Newark to fulfill this requirement.

Cultural History GUR: Take two courses (6 credits) from among HUM 211, HUM 212, Hist 213, and 200-level history courses at Rutgers-Newark.

Lit/Hist/Phil/STS GUR: Students must take one 300-level course from any of the following fields: literature; history; philosophy; or science, technology, and society (STS); or an approved 300-level course at Rutgers-Newark.

Open Elective in Humanities and Social Science GUR: Students must take one 300-level course from any of the following fields: English (Eng); history (Hist); literature (Lit); philosophy (Phil); science, technology, and society (STS); social science (SS); or theater (Thtr). Students also may satisfy this requirement with Architectural History IV (Arch 382) or by taking an approved 300-level course at Rutgers-Newark. The department recommends HCI majors take either Eng 352 or Eng 353 .

Capstone Seminar in Humanities and Social Science GUR: All students, except those enrolled in the Honors College, take one of the following: HSS 403, HSS 404, HSS 405, HSS 406, HSS 407, HSS 408, HSS 409. Students enrolled in the honors college take one from HSS 491H-499H .

Physical Education GUR: Students who register as full-time undergraduates for two or more consecutive semesters must take two PE courses, one of which must be a 100-level fitness core course. Students are urged to complete the requirement as soon as possible.

Management GUR: Students take IE 492 or Mgmt 390 or AS 333, which is acceptable only for students taking the aerospace option.

Information Systems or Computer Science Electives: Three 300/400-level IS/CS electives as offered by the College of Computing Sciences.

Science: A two-course related sequence (8 credit minimum) of laboratory science in physics, chemistry, biology, or as approved by advisor. These courses fulfill the Natural Sciences GUR.

HCI Options:

Students choose, with Advisor approval, a coherent sequence of four courses, focusing on a discipline and/or subject area relevant to HCI methodologies and/or the design of computing applications from an HCI perspective, and chosen from one of the four HCI options given below:

Cognitive Psychology: Four courses from R830:335 (Social Psychology), R830:327 (Cognitive Development), R830:354 (Adulthood and Aging), R830:330 (Psychology of Learning), R830:405 (Psychology of Emotion), R830:417 (Theories of Interpersonal Conflict).

Game Design and Production: Four courses from AD 275 (History of Games), Arch 434 (Simulated Environments), IT 201 (Information Design Techniques), IT 265 (Game Development), IT 286 (Foundations of Game Production), COM 335 (3D Modeling and Animation), COM 345 (Character Modeling and Animation), COM 350 (Digital Video Production), COM 375 (Game Design Studio).

Graphical Arts Design: Four courses from Arch 155 (Modes of Design Communication I), Arch 156 (Modes of Design Communication II), AD 112 (Communication in Art & Design-Digital Media), AD 150 (Color and Composition), R081:101 (Artmaking-Design Fundamentals I), R081:102 (Artmaking-Design Fundamentals II), R080:121 (Introduction to Drawing Fundamentals I, R080:245 (Introduction to Computer Art), R080:351 (Interactive Design I), R080:354 (Interactive Design II, R080:231 (Graphic Design I), R080:232 (Graphic Design II), R080:331 (Graphic Design III), R080:332 (Graphic Design IV).

Web & Multimedia Design: Four courses from COM 350 (Digital Video Production), ENG 353 (Electronic Publishing), ENG 354 (Advanced Electronic Publishing), COM 390 (Electronic Writing Workshop), STS 347 (Music and Technology), STS 349 (Advanced Music Technology).