Defining your electives

The HCDE PhD curriculum includes courses in Theory, Methods, and a third area defined by the PhD student, with guidance from the advisor, called Concentration. This page provides guidelines for students in the choosing of courses that make up their Concentration and how to document that procedure to ensure the degree requirements are met.

Theory Electives

Courses used to satisfy the theory requirement should support one or more of the following: 

• Recognize the most prominent epistemological frameworks (e.g., cognitive theory, social psychology, semiotic theory, actor-network theory) that inform research in HCDE
• Understand the intellectual implications of those different frameworks for the processes and results of scholarly inquiry in HCDE
• Explain how theory motivates and supports the practices of knowledge-making
• Apply theory appropriately and productively to the framing or analysis of research issues in HCDE

Methods Electives

Courses used to satisfy the research methods requirement should support one or more of the following:

1. Understand the many different research paradigms (e.g. experiments, ethnography, survey, qualitative, quantitative) that guide inquiry in our field
2. Articulate and identify appropriate criteria, particularly strengths and limitations, of different methodologies for producing knowledge
3. Formulate a question that is important in terms of the field and in terms of extending or critiquing theory
4. Formulate a research design that is manageable and executable
5. Articulate the practical and theoretical contributions that different methods can play in design research

A common question that arises is whether courses in a professional master’s program apply toward the research methods requirement. In general, they do not when they are focused on understanding or refining a particular design (e.g., HCDE 517 and 518 generally do not meet the methods requirement) or a particular skill that may be used in methods (unless the course is grounded in a research context), but courses that focus on methods for the production of generalizable or transferable knowledge may. 

There are courses that cover similar methods in the MS and PhD programs (e.g., HCDE 519 and HCDE 545 for qualitative methods; HCDE 516 and HCDE 544 for experimental/quantitative methods). These master's courses generally do not substitute for the PhD methods requirements, as they are designed and taught with different goals. If you have already taken an HCDE MS course (e.g., because you completed our master’s at HCDE before joining the PhD program), though, it may make more sense to take an advanced methods course rather than the similar course in HCDE’s PhD program.

Concentration

• ​What is a Concentration?
• What is the relationship between my Concentration and the General Exam?
• By when do I need to declare my Concentration and complete my coursework?
• How do I name and document my Concentration?
• Are there any classes that cannot count toward my Concentration?
• Can DRGs and Independent Study credits count toward my Concentration?
• Can classes I've taken before enrolling in the PhD program (e.g., in an MS program) count toward my Concentration?
• Examples of Concentrations

 What is a Concentration?

To allow for a diversity of perspectives and for customization to meet the educational needs of an interdisciplinary program, Ph.D. students are able to choose courses amounting to 12 credits to take that make up a concentration. A concentration constitutes 12 credits of a coherent program of study that is related to the student’s core research area and is defined by the student and their advisor. Courses can be from HCDE or from outside the department.

 What is the relationship between my Concentration and the General Exam?

The general exam consists of three areas: Theory, Methods, and Concentration - what you define for your concentration will relate to the third area of your general exam. You should define the name of your Concentration at the time of preparing for your General Exam, as it will guide the generation of your reading list and the committee’s General Exam charge.

 By when do I need to declare my Concentration and complete my coursework?

Concentration classes may be taken at any point in your Ph.D. studies. You can include classes in your Concentration that you have already taken, including transfer credits. You should have a named Concentration declared before you prepare to take your General Exam. You do not need to have completed all of the courses in your Concentration to take your General Exam, though it would be helpful, as these classes are intended to help you prepare for your General Exam. The strict requirement is that all Concentration classes must be completed before you graduate.

 How do I name and document my Concentration?

You can choose any name that seems appropriate to you and your advisor(s). You can name it before you take any courses, you can wait until you’ve completed all the courses, or you could do it part way through. You can name your Concentration on your Course of Study form form submitted with the annual review. Your advisor(s) must sign this form, which documents their approval of the name of the Concentration. It is okay to change your Concentration name.  

 Are there any classes that cannot count toward my Concentration?

Core classes (HCDE 541, 542, 543, 544, 545) may not cannot count as Concentration classes. Undergraduate classes that are below the 400 level also cannot count toward your Concentration requirement.

You may count an elective course toward both the concentration and methods; concentration and theory; or concentration and free electives.

 Can DRGs and Independent Study credits count toward my Concentration?

Yes, but your advisor(s) need to explicitly approve that the content of the DRG or Independent Study is suitable for completing the Concentration requirement. Credits taken toward a student’s concentration are meant to provide a learning experience to immerse the student into the concentration. In other words, a DRG or Independent Study deeply diving into readings may count. A DRG solely focused on a research project may not fulfill the type of growth we intend with the concentration requirement.

 Can classes I’ve taken before enrolling in the PhD program (e.g., in an MS program) count toward my Concentration?

Yes, but this again needs to be approved by your advisor(s). You should have a discussion with your advisor about whether the content of the course appropriately prepares you for your General Exam.

Examples of Concentrations

Below are some sample ideas of concentrations that a student in HCDE might take - these are just examples. You should feel free to come up with and define your own with guidance from your advisor(s).