Overview

The Department of Informatics currently offers six graduate degrees. This page provides a brief description of each.

Ph.D. Informatics: This degree enables students to pursue groundbreaking research in informatics at the highest level. It offers students the opportunity to study many different aspects of living, working and building in a digital world. Some of our students come directly out of undergraduate programs in computer science, social sciences, arts, and many other fields; others have already earned a Master’s degree. People completing the degree take on positions in academic or corporate research, policy-making and leadership roles in industry, and a range of other careers.

M.S. Informatics: This degree offer students a strong introduction to research. It is aimed toward students who seek to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between people and technology. Students in this program have previously earned bachelor’s degrees in a variety of disciplines (e.g. computer science, social science, the arts). This program is for people who might not be sure about research yet, but are at least considering it. Many go on to PhD positions, but others move directly into the workforce.

Master of Human-Computer Interaction and Design: This is a professional degree that prepares students to be the leaders of the future in human computer interaction, user experience design and research, product management, and more. This degree should be undertaken by early and mid-career professionals and executives looking to take the next step in their careers.

Ph.D. Software Engineering: This degree enables students to pursue groundbreaking research in software engineering at the highest level. Students engage in research on a wide range of software engineering topics, such as designing new tools, performing studies of developers and teams at work, or developing new theories about software and how it is developed. Some of our students come directly out of undergraduate programs, usually in technical fields such as computer science or engineering, but sometimes from a range of other disciplines; others have already earned a Master’s degree. People completing the degree take on positions in academic or corporate research, leadership roles in industry, and a range of other careers.

M. S. Software Engineering: This degree offers students a strong introduction to research. It provides students with the opportunity to study a range of theories, tools, methods, and approaches of software engineering. Students in this program have previously earned bachelor’s degrees, typically in a technical discipline such as computer science or engineering, but sometimes from a range of other disciplines as well. This program is for people who might not be sure about research yet, but are at least considering it. Many go on to PhD positions, but others move directly into the workforce.

Master of Software Engineering: This is a professional degree that prepares students to continue in or enter the workforce and become leaders in the booming field of software engineering. MSWE is designed for a diverse set of students. While many students with backgrounds in computer science will be interested, the program also targets students from other majors such as the sciences, arts, and humanities, as well as local IT professionals whose careers could benefit from formal training in software engineering.