Degree Requirements

The required HCDE graduate courses include:

• HCDE 501: Theoretical Foundations of HCDE
• HCDE 502: Empirical Traditions in HCDE
• HCDE 505: Computer-Assisted Communication
• HCDE 516: Experimental Research Methods
• HCDE 518: User-Centered Design
• HCDE 521: Seminar-Current Issues in HCDE
• HCDE 593: Capstone

Course descriptions are available on the Courses page.

Other courses that fulfill requirements in the four categories (Theory, Research Methods, Society & Systems, and Media Design & Applications) must be approved by two HCDE faculty members. Note that no more than two non-HCDE courses may be applied towards the MS curriculum.

HCDE graduate students who wish to participate in an internship for credit may choose to register under HCDE 601. Before registering for these credits, graduate students must review the HCDE Internship prerequisites and approval pages. HCDE 601 credits will only be opened if a student plans to participate in an internship. This course, with corresponding SLN will not appear on the university Time Schedule until such a request has been made. A maximum of five internship credits can be applied to the 48 credits required for the MS in HCDE.

The following are guidelines to help students choose possible courses for completing their Course of Study. Please note that no more than two non-HCDE courses can count towards the MS curriculum.

Theory (8 credits minimum)
Required: HCDE 501: Theoretical Foundations of HCDE (4 credits)
Required: HCDE 502: Empirical Traditions in HCDE (4 credits)

Research Methods (8 credits minimum)
Required: HCDE 516: Experimental Research Methods (4 credits)
Other possible courses:
HCDE 517: Usability Testing
COM 501: Research Methods
COM 511: Content Analysis
COM 513: Fieldwork Research Methods
INSC 572: Qualitative Methods in Information Science
EDPSY 490: Basic Educational Statistics
EDPSY 593: Experimental Design and Analysis
EDPSY 586: Qualitative Methods of Educational Research
COM 517: Survey Research Methods in Communications
EDPSY 588: Survey Research Methodology & Theory
PSYCH 519: Statistical Methods in Longitudinal Research

Society and Systems (8 credits minimum)
Required: HCDE 505: Computer-Assisted Communication (4 credits)
HCDE 512: International User Experiences and Communication (4 credits)
HCDE 520: Design and Management of Complex Systems (4 credits)

Media Design and Applications (8 credits minimum)
Required: HCDE 518: User-Centered Design (4 credits)
Other possible courses:
HCDE 508: Visual Design (4 credits)
HCDE 511: Information Visualization (4 credits)
HCDE 536: Interaction Design (4 credits)
HCDE 537: User-Centered Web Design (4 credits)
INFO 447: Computer Supported Cooperative Work
EDC&I 551: Design of Computer-Based Training
EDC&I 581: Cognitive Systems Design

Up to 8 credits of HCDE 596 and 599 can be approved and used in Research Methods and Media Design & App. Up to four HCDE 599 credits can be counted towards society & systems if the project is relevant and approved by a student's faculty committee. HCDE 596 and 599 may count in these categories but may not substitute for an entire category. Please note that registration in courses other than HCDE graduate-level courses (500-level and above) may be subject to space availability and other restrictions.

In planning their degrees, students in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) Master's program should focus on identifying an area of specialization and relevant courses that can help them obtain that specialization. Students do this through elective coursework and directed research. Some students have chosen topic areas such as:

• Cognition
• Graphic Design
• Localization
• Research Methods
• Usability
• User-Experience Design

Things to Consider

• Once students have selected their elective coursework, they should consult with the Director of Student Services and/or their coursework committee for guidance and approval.
• In addition to non-core courses offered through HCDE, students can count up to two courses from outside the department towards their elective coursework (400-level and above).
• Registration in courses other than HCDE graduate-level courses may be subject to space availability and other restrictions. Students should contact the instructor for permission and add codes.
• A combined 8 credits of HCDE 596 and HCDE 599 may count in the electives category.

HCDE Course Options

HCDE 508 Visual Design
HCDE 511 Information Visualization
HCDE 512 International User Experiences and Communication
HCDE 513 Globalization & Localization Management
HCDE 514 Strategies for International Product Management
HCDE 517 Usability Testing
HCDE 520 Design and Management of Complex Systems
HCDE 523 DUB Seminar
HCDE 534 Designing a Human-Centered Venture
HCDE 536 Interaction Design
HCDE 537 User-Centered Web Design 
HCDE 596 Directed Research in HCDE
HCDE 599 Special Projects/Independent Study
HCDE 601 Internship
*See the Variable Credit Registration Policy for more information about taking HCDE 596 and HCDE 599.

Course descriptions are available on the Courses page.

Non-HCDE Electives

This list consists of courses previously taken by MS students. If students find a course not on this list, they can propose it to their course committee on their course of study.

ADMIN 510
ANTH 469 Contemporary Ethnography

COM 542 Historical Studies of Communication Technology
EDCI/HCDE 436 Design and Authoring of Computer-Aided Instruction
EDCI 551 Instructional Systems Design
EDPSY 501
HSERV 590
IMT 510 Human Aspects of Information Systems
IMT 530 The Organization of Information Resources
INSC 572L Qualitative Methods in Information Science
LIS 515/HCDE 515 Ecological Information Systems
PSYCH 421 Neural basis of behavior
PSYCH 460 Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYCH 507 Cognitive Psychology
URBDP 498 Emergency Management
URBDP-GIS

To maintain enrollment at the University of Washington, they must register for at least two credits per quarter (excluding summer quarter), unless they have officially obtained on-leave status. If students withdraw from the University, whether intentionally or by default, they must reapply for admission.

Some courses cannot be credited towards the MS degree in HCDE:

1. HCDE 310, 400, 401, and 402.
2. All 499 courses.
3. Some 498 courses.
4. Courses at the 300 level are not included in the calculation of GPAs and do not apply toward the minimum Graduate School requirement of 18 graded credits for the MS degree. In general, 300 level courses will not be approved as counting toward the required 48 credits for the MS by the HCDE graduate advisor or a student's Supervisory Chair.

Incomplete grades become a part of a student/s permanent UW transcript. Although they may be updated with a grade, the "I" remains as a permanent entry on a student's official transcript. Students must successfully complete the work by the last day of the next quarter in residence. This rule may be waived by the Dean of the College of Engineering. In no case may an incomplete be converted into a passing grade after a lapse of two years or more.

With the approval of the Supervisory Committee Chair or the Graduate Advisor, students may choose the Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory (S/NS) grade designation for up to 6 elective credits (but not prerequisite courses). Only a grade of 2.7 or higher will be considered satisfactory. Courses listed in the time schedule as credit/non-credit do not count toward the 6 allowable S/NS credits.

Up to eight total combined credits of HCDE 596 and HCDE 599 can be approved and used in the Research Methods, Society and Systems, and Media Design & Application categories; but these credits cannot substitute in an entire category. No more than 4 credits of HCDE 596 and 599 can be used in any one category.

HCDE 597 may not count toward the MS in HCDE degree.