Personally, I'm finding that I'm able to apply what I learn in the classroom (part-time grad business program) directly to my job. My experience with a full-time grad program in HCI was the same as others (i.e. I loved having time to really ruminate on things), but there are plenty of full-time options for HCI / IxD study already.
I get the sense that a lot of experienced folks working as designers already would be interested in an executive-type MFA (IxD) program to hone their skills and boost their resume to let them apply for those "advanced degree" jobs without destroying their wallet or leaving their stable job in this economy. I may be overlooking something from the educational side, but I can't imagine that the overhead costs to add a part-time option would that high for these institutions. If the demand is there (and it seems to be), they may be overlooking a potentially large source of revenue. But I'm not in educational administration, so I could be missing a part of the business equation. Maybe requiring students to come on campus for a few sessions (even midterm crits) would be a major deal breaker for some, such as Michael brought up regarding the RPI program. ________________________________ From: j. eric townsend <j...@flatline.net> To: disc...@ixda.org Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 12:42:31 PM Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why are there no "Executive MFA / IxD" programs? (response to RPI online HCI program phase out) (No research here, just my personal experience/opinion....) I worked my way through college for my first undergrad degree (BA Journalism/CS, took me 7 years) and tried to work while going to school for my second degree (BFA ID). I finally gave in and took unpaid leave to get a Master's, and I'm very glad I went this route. I'm getting so much more out of classes now that I can focus %100 of my time and energy on learning/trying/doing instead of having work interruptions and continual context shifts. Also, I've taken classes with people in the MFA Interaction Design program at CMU, and I think part of the value is that you focus on nothing but school and research for two years. I know that some of the students keep part-time jobs, but I honestly believe they're missing out on some important experiences in the studio when they're not doing assignments. IMHO, if you have the choice of not working and living on loans and getting the degree in 2 years, do it. Having the mental freedom to think wide and deep is worth it in the long run. Phil Chung wrote: > Interesting, I didn't know online HCI grad programs even existed. > > On a related note, I do wish that a premier design school (e.g. RISD, Art > Center, SVA, New School, CMU) would step up and address the need for online / > part-time IxD "executive MFA" program for practitioners, along the executive > MBA model with a mix of online learning and on campus sessions. Forgive me if > I've overlooked an existing program, but it seems (just based on this > discussion list) that there is a significant demand for this option, > particularly with the current economic pressures. Employed designers could > leverage company sponsorship to work towards their "executive MFA" using > online materials with infrequent on campus (2-3 all weekend sessions per > semester) crits / intensive workshops to address the need for face-to-face > interaction. It seems like the field has matured to a point where programs > like this should exist, does it not? > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Becky Reed <br...@healthwise.org> > To: sharon <sharongreenfi...@gmail.com>; IxDA <disc...@ixda.org> > Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 11:45:52 AM > Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute phasing out > online HCI program > > I wonder how much of it goes back to findability and information architecture > (but I can be a little biased thinking most problems come back to these > things). > > Placement in search engine isn't really high (and didn't even seem them for > "online hci program" and the like) and then the description provided seemed > accidental and had an odd subdomained URL that didn't give you the > university's name or program in it. > > When you go to the program site you arrive at from some of the more obscure > search terms, I didn't see a mention of format (online vs oncampus). There > was a link for "working professionals". Mmmm...here's the mention: "live > on-campus and, by electronic means". I guess in the months I spent searching > for an online program I never Googled for "masters program HCI electronic > means". > > In my experience, disambiguating on-campus only programs from distance ones > was a challenge. Trying to winnow them down via search engine alone was > impossible and even as noted above...it was kind of a treasure hunt on their > program sites. > > I went with an barely online Human Factors program through U of Idaho last > year and would have certainly looked at Rensselaer's HCI program as I could > have taken it "by electronic means". > > Becky > > -----Original Message----- > From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com > [mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of sharon > Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 4:23 PM > To: IxDA > Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute phasing out online > HCI program > > Why is noone interested in this program? > There are only two online HCI programs to my knowledge - Rensselaer's and > Brigham Young University. > RPI's name has cachet and prestige. I know some nuclear engineers who > graduated from RPI - smart school for smart people. > > I think they are phasing the online HCI program out because they didn't have > enough applicants. > Does no one have an interest in working while getting a degree remotely? > > Just checking the temperature here... > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > -- J. Eric "jet" Townsend, CMU Master of Tangible Interaction Design '09 design: www.allartburns.org; hacking: www.flatline.net; HF: KG6ZVQ PGP: 0xD0D8C2E8 AC9B 0A23 C61A 1B4A 27C5 F799 A681 3C11 D0D8 C2E8 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
