Human-Centered Computing Bachelor of Science Degree

Human-centered computing degrees are about leveraging technology, and exploring and adapting how people access and interact with it. Finding ways to integrate technology with our everyday lives—regardless of our physical capabilities, age, or location—is a key component of the program. HCC professionals are changing the world every day. HCC professionals have pioneered a range of development, including creating ways for computers to reproduce realistic animations of American Sign Language, designing the successor for the Fitbit, or building the next generation of speech recognition software. HCC students are the driving force at the center of the global accessibility effort.

RIT’s Human-Centered Computing BS

RIT's human-centered computing BS blends strengths from varied disciplines to understand how people use technology, and how technologies can be developed that are more intuitive and usable. This major prepares you for careers in industry or to pursue graduate study, offering options for you to specialize in different areas of computing depending on individual interests in computing, design, or psychology.

The skills that make up the core of the HCC degree include the ability to design, prototype, implement, and evaluate interactive computing systems. The program is unique in its foundation of courses grounded in psychology, design, and technology.

Human-Centered Computing Curriculum

The curriculum combines courses from three different RIT colleges to ensure students develop a firm understanding of these diverse subjects. Core courses include several foundational classes in:

• Technology
• Cognitive science and psychology
• Gestalt
• Color theory
• Creative thinking.

This is an interdisciplinary degree with six concentrations, allowing you to immerse yourself in two areas you find most interesting.

• Accessibility: Learn to develop systems that are equally accessible to all people, making the benefits of technology a reality for everyone.
• Design: Learn to integrate elements of imagery, type, actions, color, and more to form a unified graphical interface that is understandable to people everywhere.
• Front End Development: Master programming and development for desktop, web, and mobile computing interfaces, with a focus on efficient code and meeting user needs.
• Instructional Technology: Plan, organize and develop systems to effectively leverage technology to convey knowledge and skills to users.
• Natural Language Processing: Study the interactions between computers and human language. Learn about the latest advances in computational linguistics and how computers derive meaning via natural language processing.
• Psychology: Explore how humans perceive, process, and store information. Study best practices in research and evaluation, and learn how to implement them into your work.

The major also requires students to complete two blocks of cooperative education, which may begin after the second year of study.

Furthering Your Education in Human-Centered Computing

Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees

Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

+1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.