In the 2017-2018 academic year, HCDE launched a new Data Science specialization for undergraduate students, and several new elective courses

New Data Science Specialization

A Data Science specialization is now a transcriptable degree option for HCDE undergraduate students.

The emerging field of Data Science encompasses a broad set of interdisciplinary skills including data management, programming, statistics, machine learning, visualization, and human-centered design. In today’s workforce there is increasing demand for a new class of data scientists with expertise in managing, modeling, and visualizing the massive, noisy, and heterogeneous datasets that arise across many areas of science and industry.

The University of Washington has become a leader in the inclusion of human-centered skills in Data Science curriculum. The new Data Science degree option will educate students in all aspects of the field of Data Science, increase their marketability in the workplace, and enable them to contribute to solutions to the many critical data-intensive problems in the world today.

Students have the option to specialize in either the Human-Computer Interaction or Data Science degree option. 

Inclusive Technology Design

New Course
This course is an introduction to designing, prototyping, and evaluating inclusive user interfaces that meet the needs of a diverse range of users—such as older adults, users with visual, cognitive or motor impairments, and users who are deaf or hard of hearing. Building on basic concepts in human-centered design, students learn about design exclusion and barriers to use, and methods by which these can be overcome. 

Introduction to Computational Concepts

New Course
This course introduces students to the basics of programming and computing. It gives students hands-on learning experiences with the fundamentals of programming using a combination of demonstrations and exercises. Students learn how to create standalone, interactive programs using the same computational concepts and techniques used by development teams. 

Communication with Video 

New Course
This course introduces students to the basics of storytelling and video prototyping for design projects. The course includes basic technical instruction on video editing and assignments that help students gain technical skills, however, the emphasis of this class is on the conceptual side of constructing compelling stories to convey design ideas.