There are 3 required courses that need to be passed with a B or better:
CIS 701: Communication/Information Theories of Society: A critical review of major theoretical and empirical traditions in communication and information sciences. Focus on European, American, Third World, and applied research.
CIS 702: Communication/Information Technologies: Technological concepts underlying data communications; information processing and computers; communication channels and networks, information storage and retrieval, and computer hardware and software.
CIS 703: Communication/Information Research Methods: Current research methodologies in decision sciences, computer science, library science, and communication. Emphasis on methodologies suitable for interdisciplinary analysis.
There is also a requirement to take CIS720, Interdisciplinary Seminar every semester while enrolled.
You are required to take 3 exams that you choose from a list of 7. 1 exam will be declared your "Primary" while the other 2 will be your "Secondary" exams. Each exam typically runs about 3 hours (6 for primary) and generally consists of a list of questions from which you choose three.
Exams I will likely take:
- Human Computer Interaction(discourse)
At least two courses from:
- ICS 464 Intro. to HCI Design: Application of concepts and methodologies of human factors, psychology and software engineering to address ergonomic, cognitive, and social factors in the design and evaluation of human-computer systems.
- ICS 469 Intro. to Cognitive Science: Introduces basic concepts, central problems, and methods from cognitive science. Identifies contributions from disciplines such as cognitive psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, and neuroscience.
- ICS 664 Human Computer Interaction: Studies of human performance in designing and using information systems. Emphasizes concepts and methodologies from human factors, psychology, and software engineering relating to human performance
- ICS 665 User Interfaces and Hypermedia: Advanced concepts in construction of interfaces between computers and their users. Hypermedia information structures, guidelines, problems, and tradeoffs. Discussion of selected readings, implementation of prototypes.
- ICS 667 Advanced HCI Design Methods: Advanced analytical and empirical methods for the design and evaluation of usable, useful, and robust human-computer interfaces. Students will apply selected methodologies to a major system design project.
- ICS 668 Social Informatics (also used for the Social Informatics area): An advanced introduction to the design of human-computer systems and other technological artifacts for supporting human collaboration in learning, work and social contexts, and to theoretical perspectives and empirical studies of collaboration that inform such design.
- LIS 677 Human Dimension in Information Systems: Lecture/discussion on human element in information systems, including physical, cognitive and affective behavior in interaction with information systems. Information retrieval, human-computer interaction and cognitive science research, quantitative and qualitative research methods. Research component.
- certain 491/691 courses, ask if they will count
- Communication and Information Theories
Requirement: CIS 701
Talk to the Chair of the exam committee to form a reading list.
- Social Informatics
Taken as a secondary, this requires one of the following courses:
- ICS 668: Social Informatics (one of the options for the HCI requirements)
- ICS 691: Social Computing
- COM 634: Social Media
Talk to the Chair of the exam committee regarding a reading list, the site has nothing listed.
Deadlines:- first year: you must attempt at least one area exam, take 720, take any courses required for the exams, and take whichever of 701, 702, or 703 that is offered
- second year: you must pass at least two area exams and submit a research paper for publication or review, take 720, take any courses required for the exams, and take whichever of 701, 702, or 703 that is offered
- third year: all area examination and research paper requirements should be completed, take 720, and take whichever of 701, 702, or 703 that is offered
- fourth year: you must have completed 701, 702, and 703, and complete the proposal defense
- seventh year: you must finish the dissertation
Plan of attack:- Sit in on any of the classes required for the exams whenever they are offered. Verify that sitting in will count and that I don't need to take it in an official capacity. Focus on getting the minimum set to take each targeted exam: 2 for HCI, 1 for SI (if I take ICS668 it covers both HCI and SI), CIT only requires 701 which is part of the CIS set of required courses. In theory, ICS 668 and one other will do the trick.
- Talk to the exam Chairs to work out reading lists and set up a schedule to work through them.
- Once the classes are completed and the reading list has been dented, officially apply for the program (target: Feb. 2013 enrollment deadline) and follow their timeline
- Keep sitting in on courses relevant to interests.
- Look for interesting papers at relevant conferences and start following the authors on twitter to get exposed to what the current topics of research are.
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