Need some advice for getting admission for the Master Of Science in Human Computer Interaction

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rochester Institute of Technology
1

Hello there,

I’m and International student trying to get admission for the MS program in Human Computer Interaction. I haven’t heard much about Rochester Institute of Technology but when I went through their program overview, I found it very interesting and I am actually planning to apply to that college once I take my GRE and IELTS. I have short-listed a couple of Universities that offer Master Of Science Programs in Human Computer Interaction (MS HCI). They are :

i) University of Washington (Course : MS in Human Centered Design and Engineering)
ii) Indiana University Bloomington (Course : MS in Human Computer Interaction Design)
iii) Indiana University Prude Univesity Indianapolis (Course : MS in Human Computer Interaction)
iv) Iowa State University (Course : MS in Human Computer Interaction Design)
v) Rochester Institute Of Technology (Course : MS in Human Computer Interaction Design)

However I am very confused as to which University I should apply to and which ones are easy to get into. I like an environment where there are not a lot geeks around as I am not a geek myself. I’m not sure which universities are famous for the MS HCI program but this above universities were short-listed after some research that I did.

I am not a geek but I am very fond of computers and smartphones and the technology that’s been used to built easy and understandable User Interfaces and that’s why I decided on doing this program. I am a Computer Science Engineer currently working as a front-end developer. I love designing and building simple and easy User Interfaces for the web as well as for the Operating Systems. I don’t do it that often but I just love it and I want to get into that industry as a User Experiece Engineer or an User Interface Designer or an User Experience Researcher.

I would really appreciate it if someone could advice me on the following questions :

  1. How difficult is it to get admission in RIT for MS HCI?
  2. If I have to aim for a certain score in GRE specifically for getting admission in this University or Indiana University (Bloomington and Indianapolis) or University of Washington, what should be minimum score?
  3. Is there any preference given for students who take TOEFL over IELTS?
  4. I'm from a middle-class family so I'm definitely going to need financial support in the form of scholarships or assitantships. How good are the scholarships offered by RIT?
  5. How competitive is the MS HCI program at RIT?
  6. Is there anything critical I should consider while applying for this course in RIT?
  7. Should I consider some other university such as University of Washington, or Indianna University (Bloomington & Indianapolis), over RIT?
  8. And as I have noticed all the universities require a minimum of 3 Letters of Recommendation and 1 Statement of Purpose. Could someone let me know how to get a Letter of Recommendation and from where?

Thanks in advance.