University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Students from tons of different backgrounds flock to this program from across the nation (and the globe) – why? Perhaps it is because 98% of graduates of the School of Information report finding employment in their preferred field. The University of Michigan offers a Master of Science in Information (MSI) with a concentration in human computer interaction.
Title/Degree
masters
Duration
2 Years
Enrollment
fixed-date
Credits
yes
Selective
unknown
Language
English
The Master of Science in Information is a popular program, especially since graduates of the MSI program are qualified for a wide variety of interesting career paths. Information architects, business archivists, librarians of various types, digital preservation managers, application designers, web developers, business analysts, information specialists, user experience designers and researchers, and many more professions make up the careers of alumni from the School of Information at the University of Michigan.
The MSI program at the University of Michigan is managed by the School of Information, which is primarily responsible for the information management courses. From there, students in the MS in Information program can decide what they want to specialize in. For those interested in an information architecture program, the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Specialization makes the most sense.
For a full-time student, two years of courses will be taken. Students must complete 48 credits in total, which will include a variety of elective courses, a six-credit internship program requirement, and 3-6 credits done in cognate courses. Cognates are courses that do not have the School of Information as their home department, allowing for a cross-disciplinary IA education.
Students may choose one of three areas of interest: Data Science / Data Analytics / Computational Social Science, Digital Archives and Library Science / Preservation, or UX / HCI / Social Computing. Students interested in an information architecture education will want to focus on Human Computer Interaction (which is extremely relevant in an information architecture program).
Either a mastery course or a master's thesis will be completed during the second and final year of study. Students who opt for a master course will have to synthesize a variety of methods, techniques, and theories that will be needed for a professional career.
This information architecture program consists of 48 credits. This means a full two years for full-time students and 3 or 4 years for part-time students. There is a fair amount of flexibility offered in this program, allowing for the highest amount of accessibility to students of all kinds of backgrounds.
Students in the MSI program who specialize in HCI will choose to take mastery courses or do a thesis. If they choose mastery courses, they could take UX Research and Design, Civic Technology, or Developing Social Computing. Pathways of this focus include becoming an interaction designer or UX designer, UX researcher or engineer, app or web designer, mobile developer, etc.
The application deadline is January 15th (priority) or May 1st for domestic applicants, and January 15th for all international applicants. There is an application fee of $75 (which is sometimes subject to waiver), and the tuition for MSI students is $22,578 (unless they are Michigan residents), or $2,467 per hour after the initial hour's price of $2,843 for part-time students.
The School of Information at the University of Michigan is well-known across the nation. It is a smaller college within a big university. The college currently has 443 MSI students, 259 BSI students, 79 MHI students, and 92 other students (Ph.D. or HI certificate). It has 59 core faculty members.
The Master of Science in Information combined with a concentration in human computer interaction at the University of Michigan is the perfect blend of big university and small college. You’ll gain a firm foundation in information science combined with a state of the art UX education, making it one of the best preparations for a career in information architecture.
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from the U.S. or an equivalent degree, as well as a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Occasionally strong applicants with a GPA below 3.0 may still be admitted.
