Admissions and Acceptance Information

Applications for the Additional Major in Interdisciplinary HCI are processed once a year in the spring.

Information Session

Our information session for students interested in applying to the undergraduate HCI Additional Major and Minor was held Thursday, February 6 from 5-6:30 p.m. in 6115 Gates-Hillman Centers (GHC).

Here are the PPT slides (pdf) used at the 2025 information session. Have questions? Email Amelia Baisley: abaisley@andrew.cmu.edu.

Application Window

The HCI Additional Major program application is currently closed. 

 

Acceptance Process

Admissions decisions are made by a committee and will be announced before the fall registration week in April. Once decisions are announced, we will hold another information session to help our newly admitted students with their fall registration.

Decisions are based on QPA, mid-semester QPA, the number of slots available, the statement of purpose, the feasibility of completing the major, the proposed schedule, and the discretion of the committee.

Admissions Statistics

Enrollment in the HCII's undergraduate Additional Major in Interdisciplinary HCI is currently limited due to space restrictions in the major’s required courses. Admissions statistics depend on the applicant pool of that year. Since HCI work involves multi-disciplinary teams that include designers, implementers, evaluators, and those with content expertise, each graduating year will be balanced in background and expertise. 

Students in any graduating class can apply to the major. Most admissions come from students who apply in their sophomore year, but juniors can be admitted if they are able to complete all remaining requirements for the major in the semesters they have before graduation.

Note to first-year students: We admit a small number of freshmen each year, provided they have strong grades and a good statement of purpose. We limit freshman admittance because we only have one semester of data about them and they can easily fulfill the major if they are admitted in their sophomore year. This way, we retain slots for students who have not decided to apply for the major in HCI until their sophomore year. If you apply as a freshman but do not get in, please reapply as a sophomore.

 

Application Details

Students must apply during the spring application window mentioned above, and during that time we will provide a link on this page where students can submit their applications. 

Application Materials

  1. Required on Google Form:  last name, first name, preferred name, Andrew ID, semester entered, graduation semester, primary major, other declared majors and minors, QPA
     
  2. Statement of Purpose: (Maximum 1 page, single spaced, include Andrew ID) In your Statement of Purpose, articulate why you want to pursue the HCI major. What is it about the major that attracts you and why? Communicate your vision for how the HCI major fits into your longer range educational and career goals. Do not exceed a single page.
     
  3. Proposed Schedule of Required Courses: In the Proposed Schedule of Required Courses, which is NOT a contract, you should specify a plan for when you can fit the courses required for the major into your schedule. Include your primary major obligations as well. The idea is to show that you have thought through, in some detail, whether you can actually do this major. You may make a spreadsheet or use the Stellic planner.
     
  4. Unofficial Transcript: including current cumulative QPA 
     
  5. Mid-term grades: from SIO of current Spring semester 
    (For spring 2025: First-year applicants MUST provide mid-term grades. Submitting mid-term grades is OPTIONAL for sophomores, juniors and seniors.)
     
  6. Optional (not mandatory): your portfolio and/or letter(s) of recommendation. While not mandatory, you may include a link to your online portfolio and/or any letters of recommendation. Since a letter of reference is not required, a generic letter from someone who does not know you very well will not be helpful to your case. However, we will accept a letter of reference from a faculty member or supervisor who knows you well.