1-year professional program or 2-year research-oriented program (HCI)?

Graduate School
1

Hi folks,

I have been accepted to CMU’s 1-year professional MS in HCI program and also Georgia Tech’s 2-year research-oriented MS in HCI program. I am new to the field and am doing a slight career change from IT.

I am having a hard time deciding between the two. Because I am new to the field, I want to be able to learn the concepts and also get the experience and time to work on real-world problems, perhaps trying my hand at research as well. Would the two-year program give me more time to learn and apply concepts? I fear the one-year program is a bit too rushed. However, CMU is a phenomenal school and it is hard to pass that up (because believe it or not, name-recognition is still quite important).

Thank you for your help.

2

What’s your next step after MS?

If you plan to go for Ph. D., I recommend Georgia Tech. In 2 years, you’ll have a better chance to strengthen your Ph. D. application.

If you plan to work full-time afterwards, CMU does have a slight edge in name recognition; and you have 1 more year to make more money.

3

I’m not sure that Carnegie Mellon has more name recognition than Georgia Tech in tech and HCI.

I think it really depends on your career goals. A professional program is, not surprisingly, directed towards people who want to work professionally after the program. That doesn’t mean you can’t later get a PhD with that MS; it just means that the program is going to be oriented towards preparing you for the professional world of HCI. If you think you want to work after you finish the MS then CMU’s program is probably the best bet.

A research-oriented program is going to give you broader prep. You’ll get more time to do research, probably more opportunities, closer connections with professors. If you think you want to do a PhD - even a few years down the road - this program might be better for you.

4

Thank you for your responses. The problem is, I don’t quite know yet whether or not a PhD is in my future. Having more options is always nice, I suppose but because this is a career change and new field for me, I don’t know whether I am cut out for research/will enjoy research as a career.

5

If you don’t know and are trying to decide, the research-oriented program might be a good choice. You can still get professional training and a job - GT is a respected tech school and likely has the best recruiters there. There’s still the opportunity for internships and part-time jobs in the field. But you will also get the research training and experience that you will need to help you make a decision, and perhaps help you get into PhD program in the future.

6

How do these options compare financially?

7

CMU is ~ $61,000 for one-year, three-semesters (fall, spring, summer). GT is ~ $68,000 for two years.