<p>Are there any Computer Science/Human Computer Interaction dual majors on this board? I am attending CMU (SCS class of 2014) because they have the one of best HCI programs in the country, and was hoping for some tips on what types of classes I should be taking my Freshman year in order to maximize my chances for acceptance at the HCII as an undergrad. I really want to get into the HCII, and I know they only take 25 students per graduating class (and only a few of them from SCS).</p>
<p>I'd also love to hear about your general experiences in the program. What's your personal fav for HCI classes? What cool research have you done? How is doing so much interdisciplinary work?</p>
<p>I’m not SCS but I’m applying to additional major in HCI,
definitely the best classes to take if you plan on doing HCI is:
Cognitive Psychology and Communication Design Fundamentals. </p>
<p>Cognitive Pysch shouldn’t be too difficult to register for, however CDF is a design class so you need to get permission from design, which requires a simple form. However CDF is highly requested with few seats so most people get waitlisted. If you do really want to take the class and are waitlisted you should go to the class anyway.</p>
<p>These classes also can count for CS humanities requirements too as well. </p>
<p>The other two prereqs are Intro to Programming and a Stats class. You’ll have to take a programming class anyway so you don’t have to worry about that. </p>
<p>I had planned to take cognitive psych (I really liked AP psych in high school), but thanks for the tip about design communication. I don’t know if I can fit that into my freshman schedule, but I’ll wait until I get assigned an adviser to see.</p>
<p>I applied for the double in HCI too. Cog Psych is definitely a good class to take as a first semester freshman-- the professor, Charles Kemp, is awesome and a really fair grader on homework/exams/etc. The workload is minimal and the course is full of interesting info. Comm. Des. is a little more difficult to get into, but if you go and sign up the first day of registration for Spring semester you should get in with no problem. </p>
<p>Also: If you want to learn the most in Intro Programming, take it with Kosbie. If you want an A, take it with Feinberg. Stats is a simple, low-stress class, so I’d advise trying to fit that in if you can. I think it counts as an elective for CS, too (?)</p>
<p>Any 36-xxx courses except 36-303 which counts as a category 2 elective cannot be used as your humanities elective. </p>
<p>There is a mandatory probability class that CS majors have to take one of the following.
15-359 Probability and Computing
21-325 Probability
36-217 Probability Theory and Random Processes
36-225 Introduction to Probability and Statistics I
36-625 Probability and Mathematical Statistics I</p>
<p>These are the ones suggested for HCI
36-201 or 36-207 or 36-247 or 36-220 or 36-225 & 226 or 70-207</p>
<p>Note it says suggested so from what I hear if you talk to the HCI advisors they might allow you use the the stats class that you need for CS depending on whether they think it overlaps enough</p>
<p>Also you can’t choose who you take Intro to Programming with if you do take that class. CS majors have to take with their advisor Jacobo. They might even being getting rid of it for CS majors. In the summer they will have a placement test.</p>
<p>Then again all what we’re saying might not be applicable because there definitely is going to be an overhaul in the undergrad CS curriculum. There are whisperings that java will be replaced with python.</p>
<p>Honestly, once you learn one programmign language, you can learn them all rather quickly (except ones like Haskell, but you should get there eventually). Besides, python is way easier than Java and way more concise.</p>
<p>I’m pretty handy with PHP, Javascript and Perl already so I don’t think python will be too bad, but I was just getting the hang of Java and in my intended career field (game design) Java is one of the main languages you need to know to be of any use.</p>
<p>It’s like you spend your life learning French, and then all of a sudden the French decide they like Italian better. Screw programming, I’ll stick with art electives from now on.</p>
<p>@completelykate
I took Intro to Programming with Kosbie during Pre-C. That course was actually the reason I chose SCS over CIT. Good tip though
The Cognitive Psych class is sounding better and better. I really like psych in general (one of the reasons HCI appeals to me.</p>
<p>@Cahier
Do you know when HCI students need to have taken statistics by? Because I definitely won’t have room my freshman year if I want to take Comm Design.</p>
<p>@both
So you’ve both applied for the double major-does that mean you haven’t heard back yet? When do you hear back? Did you apply as Freshmen or as Sophomores?</p>
<p>And weighing in on the language debate- Python is really easy to pick up and is object-oriented…so it isn’t a terrible choice for Intro. I know at many other schools I looked at they taught Python in their intro classes. (Harvey Mudd for example). It’s not like switching to python means forcing students to learn some obscure language that nobody else ever learns</p>
<p>For some reason object oriented programming and I are unable to be really good friends. It takes me a while to soak up new languages. This may have something to do with me being an English major. Either way, we’re supposed to hear back about HCI before the week of Fall course registration, which for us is in just a few weeks. I’m currently a freshman. :)</p>
<p>i’ve decided to procrastinate finishing my 15-251 homework and break down and type up my application for hci before the deadline. good luck when decisions for that come out ;)</p>
<p>With regards to programming languages it’s really not that bad once you get a few under your belt… I learned java thoroughly in high school, and after 15-123 and 15-213 i’m pretty proficient in C, and working on a C++ project randomly the other day I was able to pull it off mostly by just applying Java’s object oriented ideas to what I know about C.</p>
<p>I know for CIT you just need to take statistics before you graduate, so I imagine it’s similar in HCI. I guess I took the Statistics for Engineers class so the numbers were a bit biased, but I’d say it was 45% seniors, 45% juniors, and 10% sophomores.</p>
Stats is a simple, low-stress class, so I’d advise trying to fit that in if you can. I think it counts as an elective for CS, too (?)</p>