Independent Study
What projects are currently available?
Here is a list of current HCII Independent Study opportunities.
Our available research projects change each semester. Projects encompass a variety of HCI-related subject areas, ranging from human-centered AI, computational fabrication, data visualization, design research, educational technology (ed tech) research, IoT, interaction design, privacy and security, virtual reality, and more!
Why should I complete an Independent Study?
Conducting research through an Independent Study course is a great way to explore a topic that interests you, work closely with our HCI faculty, and get hands-on experience with academic research.
An Independent Study is a unique, faculty-guided research project that a student (or occasionally a small group of students) can usually complete in one semester. Students can receive academic credit or financial compensation for their work.
Who can participate in an HCII Independent Study?
Our field is interdisciplinary, and we welcome all undergraduate and graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University to work with Human-Computer Interaction Institute faculty on their Independent Study projects. You do not need to be an HCI major in the School of Computer Science to express an interest in collaborating with us.
How can I register for an HCII Independent Study?
The Independent Study is a CMU course, and therefore registration must be completed within a timely fashion at the beginning of each semester. All proposals must be submitted and approved by the CMU Course Add Deadline. Please follow the steps below to complete the process.
HCII Independent Study course registration steps:
- Identify the project(s) that interest you this semester
Review our list of current projects. The link is at the top of this page. - Reach out to potential project sponsor(s)
Express your interest in any of the project(s) that you want to work on by reaching out to the contact person provided. You may have some back and forth conversation with the project leaders to determine if you will be a good fit. If you are selected to work on their project, you will then need to fill out the PDF form below, so that the HCII academic program coordinator can register you for this course. - Fill out and submit the registration form *only if selected for a project*
Fill out the proper project proposal form below, obtain the necessary signatures, and submit it to your contact. In order to complete the form, you must include a description of the proposed project, including details such as important milestones, deliverables, course units, meeting days/times, etc. Students, be sure to discuss expectations with your project advisor(s) and collaborate with them on your plan.- Form for Ph.D., MHCI and undergraduate students: HCII Independent Study Proposal Form (PDF)
- Form for METALS students: METALS Independent Study Proposal Form (PDF)
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact one of us at the HCII:
- General HCII Independent Study questions: Ashley Kosko
- Undergraduate students: Amelia Baisley
- MHCI students: Nicole Willis
- METALS students: METALS program
- PhD students: Leah Buffington