Master's in HCI : Is cost worth it?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi All,</p>

<p>I'm getting very worried as it becomes time to make my decision whether to go to grad school or not. I'm about to graduate with my undergraduate degree and I've been accepted to two schools, Indiana University and Michigan University in Ann Arbor, for their HCI Master's programs. </p>

<p>Here are the numbers: Michigan recently offered me a half tuition scholarship. This brings the cost down to about 18K/year for MI (36K total), and Indiana is about 15K/year (30K total). Then there's room and board which I will comfortably assume to be no more than 12K/year (24K/total). Also, I have about $36K currently saved up, though I'd like to save some of it, ideally 8-10K. I also have $15K in student loans. </p>

<p>It seems that starting salaries are fairly high, and generally 70K+ for Interaction Design, UI Design, or UX type roles. Ideally, I'll also be able to get scholarships, an internship, and plan to work part-time while I attend, and Michigan has a match program for scholarships up to $10K. I'm also a fairly thrifty spender. As far as job satisfaction goes, I believe I will be much happier getting an HCI degree in the long run (and in the short run once I graduate), but I want to figure out how much debt is acceptable.</p>

<p>All in all, I want to know weighing all these factors is, will it be worth it?</p>

2

<p>Update: I have decided to go to Michigan, assuming I am going for certain. Assuming I have to pay 36K for tuition, 24K for room and board, it’s going to be 60K+ (however, I believe I can get by with <12K a year for room and board). I’m currently trying to see if it’s possible to do the degree within 3 semesters, which would reduce my debt worries significantly. I am also trying to get an internship this summer and the following, though of course there are no guarantees. </p>

<p>In summary, what would be the max recommended debt to take for an HCI Master’s degree?</p>

3

<p>Surely you know how to use a TVM website. ???
Finaid. DOE. Any mortgage house. FAFSA. CollegeBoard.</p>

4

<p>Hey there,</p>

<p>I was wondering if you decided to head to Michigan. If so, could you tell me a bit about the program, what your undergrad GPA and achievements were, what school you completed undergrad at, etc. I currently go to UC Irvine so I would have to pay out of state tuition at Michigan. Also, do you know anything about the tailored MSI program? I would like to combine the HCI specialization with some courses in UM’s graphic design program. I am more interested in Interface and Identity design. Let me know, thanks.</p>