Doctor of Philosophy in Human-Centered Computing (HCC)

The Ph.D. program in Human-Centered Computing (HCC) is a research program. HCC is the discipline that explores human interaction with information technologies and the use of these technologies to improve lives. The HCC program will focus on the design, implementation, and evaluation of interactive information technology systems that are both usable and accessible.

The program is designed for students with a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a variety of disciplines. However, additional courses may be required based on the student's educational history. The doctoral program is intended for serious students who desire to make significant scientific research contributions to the field of Information Systems. Students are admitted to the Ph.D. degree program in the Fall and Spring semesters.

While course work is required, it is important to understand that satisfactorily completing course work is not the goal of a doctoral program. A doctoral candidate is required to produce a publishable doctoral dissertation based upon the candidate's original research. The dissertation must necessarily advance the body of scientific knowledge that underlies the discipline of Information Systems.

Consequently, it is essential for doctoral candidates to develop a rapport and mutual interests with a member of the faculty. It is expected that doctoral students develop their own research agenda or become intensely involved with a faculty member's research. The latter may include assisting a professor in planning and conducting research as well as analyzing the results.

A critical component of a doctoral candidate's development is the dissemination of scientific information. Doctoral candidates are routinely expected to author by themselves or co-author with their professors and fellow students scholarly papers for submission to scientific journals and conference proceedings. Doctoral candidates should also be prepared to present these research results at various national and international conferences.

In addition to Graduate School time limits for entering candidacy and completing the degree, the Information Systems Department requires that all PhD students complete the course requirements* and comprehensive review by the end of their sixth semester in the PhD program. Normal progress, as illustrated below, would result in both the course requirements and comprehensive review being completed during the fifth semester of study. In the case of medical or other unexpected situations, students may petition the Graduate Committee of the Information Systems Department for an extension that would allow the completion of these requirements to be delayed beyond the sixth semester.

The deadlines for the Ph.D. Program are February 15 for Fall and September 15 for Spring. All application materials must be on file in the IS department for expeditious review - incomplete files will be kept open for the following semester admission decisions.

To apply online: (Only degree-seeking applications are available on-line.)

Complete the UMBC on-line Application.

Academic Admission Requirements:

1. The majority of successful applicants have an undergraduate GPA well above 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
2. All applicants must submit GRE Aptitude Test or GMAT scores.
3. All applicants are expected to read, speak, write, and understand the English language fluently. Those whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable combined TOEFL score is 550 (written) or 213 (computerized). Students who have received post-secondary degrees from an U.S. institution and whose native language is not English may be required to demonstrate proficiency in English. (The TOEFL code for UMBC is 5835. The Information Systems Department does not have a designated code.)

Admission prerequisites for the doctoral program are:

The HCC PhD builds on an understanding of design, computing, and people. Successful applicants will have demonstrated aptitude and/or interest in one of more of these areas as well as a clear interest in others. In addition, applicants should have or be willing to acquire the necessary competence in statistical analysis and experimental design in order to conduct sophisticated research at the doctoral level.

Program Requirements:

An admitted doctoral student is strongly encouraged to identify a mentor by the end of the first semester in the program. All doctoral students must have a mentor and a tentative committee by the end of their second semester in the program. During the student's first year of doctoral work, if they have not already identified a mentor, all course scheduling must be approved by the Director of the Graduate Program to ensure compliance with the program. The Director of the Graduate Program will function as an advisor to first year doctoral students unless they have already designated a faculty mentor.

Doctoral students are also expected to attend all research seminars, doctoral proposals and dissertation defenses, and any colloquia with guest speakers as part of their learning experience.

At the end of the doctoral student's first year, a dossier must be prepared which includes all significant work/papers written that year, a statement of learning specific to the program of doctoral study and a statement describing future plans: areas needing more course work and preliminary dissertation areas, if available. The dossier should include a list of all courses, grades received, and the name of the student’s advisor who may or may not chair ultimately the student’s dissertation committee. The dossier should be submitted electronically to the Graduate Program Director. The dossier will be evaluated by the Graduate Program Director. The purpose of the review is to assess the student's progress in the program, and to determine if the student should proceed into the second year of doctoral study. The student will be informed by email if their progress is satisfactory, not satisfactory and needs specific improvement, or is not satisfactory to continue.

After completing three offerings of the HCC 810 reading seminar but before the end of the student’s sixth semester of studies, the student must complete the Comprehensive Review. As part of the review, the student has to take a written exam and prepare a comprehensive dossier. The dossier includes a statement that details the student's intellectual and scholarly growth as well the student's research directions and intentions, all papers written to satisfy course requirements, including the independent study courses and all papers published in conference proceedings and scholarly journals, a list of all courses and grades, and the name of the student’s advisor. A three-member committee evaluates the student's dossier and overall progress, and determines whether the student should continue toward the doctorate. For a detailed description of the Comprehensive Review, see the link below. Ph.D. students who have successfully completed 30 credits are awarded an MS degree.

Comprehensive Review Policy

Ph.D. Requirements (48 credit hours):

Required foundation Courses (9 credit hours):

• HCC 810 Reading Seminar: to be completed as a series of three (3) one-credit seminars during the first three semesters of the student’s doctoral studies.
• Two (2) Methodology Courses: Most students would take IS 804 (Advanced Experimental Design Methodology) and IS 805 (Advanced Field Research Methods), but other courses may be approved by their advisor as appropriate.

Required Core courses (15 credit hours):

• IS 629 - Human Factors in Information Systems
• IS 729 - Human-Centered Computing
• IS 760 - Human-Computer Interaction

• PSYC 605 - Learning and Cognition
  • Prerequisite: PSYC 210 (Psych of Learning) or PSYC 317 (Cognitive Psych)
• or PSYC 651 - Cognitive Development
  • Prerequisite: PSYC 200 (Developmental Psych) or PSYC 317 (Cognitive Psych)

• HCC 710 - Graphic Design for Interactive Systems

Advanced Required Core courses (24 credit hours):

• IS 801 - Independent Study (3 credit hours)
• Three (3) Electives (9 credits total. At most one of these electives can be satisfied by taking IS 801. At most one of these electives can be an additional methodology course. All courses must be approved by the student’s advisor)
• IS 899 - Doctoral Dissertation Research (12 credit hours)

Notes:

1. Doctoral students with previously earned masters degrees may be excused from a maximum of six (6) courses, but must complete at least two courses at the 700/800 level at IS. The student's mentor must approve the course waivers.
2. Doctoral students must maintain a B average, (i.e., 3.0 GPA).
3. Graduate students may be recommended for dismissal after earning three Cs, one D or one F in any graduate level course.
4. Doctoral students may not count courses that are audited as part of the Ph.D. program and may not take courses under the Pass/Fail option with the exception of the HCC 810 Reading Seminars.
5. All graduate students should also consult the University Graduate School Catalog which contains the University's regulations and procedures for earning degrees.
6. Doctoral students should especially note the Graduate School's regulations on University residency requirements.
7. A PhD dissertation proposal must be pre-approved by the mentor and submitted to the dissertation proposal committee at least three weeks prior to the proposal defense.
8. A PhD dissertation must be pre-approved by the mentor and submitted to the dissertation committee at least one month prior to the final defense.

A typical doctoral program might appear as follows:

If you need any further information, please contact Shannon Keegan (keegan@umbc.edu).