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BACKGROUND:
Title: Human-Computer Interaction/Cognitive Systems Engineering (ME, MS, PhD). Contact: Stephanie Guerlain, University of Virginia, PO Box 400747, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4747; 434/924-4438; guerlain@virginia.edu, http://www.sys.virginia.edu/hci. Est: 1991. Semester. Granted last 3 years: ME 1, MS 4, PhD 1. Part-time: yes. Program: The program focuses on human-computer interaction and cognitive systems engineering. Research is in the areas of developing decision support systems, visualizing data and models, ethnographic research and methods, patient safety, systems for the disabled and intelligent learning environments. Research is conducted in the medical, military, and aviation domain areas. There is also an extensive research program in the design of ERICA, the Eyegaze Response Interface Computer Aid, along with associated analysis software, which is used both as assistive technology and as a research tool for examining the usage patterns of Web sites and other computer-based systems. HFES student chapter: yes. Catalog: ($6 + shipping) University Bookstore, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904; http://www.sys.virginia.edu/.

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: rolling admissions. Fee: $40.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: 3.1. GRE: 1800. Other: An undergraduate degree in systems engineering, industrial engineering, cognitive psychology, computer science, or other relevant field is recommended. Research: medium. Work experience: medium. Letters: high. Interview: high.

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 15. Accepted: 4. Entered program: 4. Openings/year: 4-6.

TUITION AND FEES:
VA Residents: $6393/year. Nonresidents: $19482/year.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 100. Amount: $12000/$18000/$22000 (+ tuition exemption). Available: TA and RA tuition exempt, fellowship and scholarship not tuition exempt. Apply: with application by 2/1 for full consideration.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
ME: 32 units, project, 1 year. MS: 32 units, thesis proposal and defense, thesis research, 2 years. PhD: 26 units beyond master's, comprehensive oral and written exams, dissertation proposal and defense, dissertation research, 3 years beyond master's.

CURRICULUM:
Required courses: ME and MS 3. Electives: ME total 30 credits, MS total 24 credits, PhD total of 24 credits beyond MS. Required courses outside department: ME, MS 0, 6 credits of graduate math required for PhD. Recommended courses outside department: 3. Offered: night, summer. Class size: 20.

RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: Human-computer interaction laboratory, video observation and editing equipment, eye-tracking hardware/software system, speech recognition software, networked computer lab with extensive software, scanners, printers, phones, email, etc. Research assistantships, graduate student offices, and computer labs are available to graduate students. Teaching: Teaching assistantships are available. Current research: Visualization of genome/protein sequences; patient safety research; computer-based training; supervisory control and decision support systems design; eye gaze development and analysis; cognitive modeling of individual and team performance; usability testing.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 6 men, 2 women. First-year students: 2. Mean scores: n/a.

FACULTY:
Ellen Bass, PhD 2002, Georgia Tech; aviation human factors, cognitive systems engineering, dynamic decision making, human-automation interaction, intelligent decision support systems, intelligent learning environments. Stephanie Guerlain, PhD 1996, Ohio State U; cognitive systems engineering, human-automation interaction, HCI, computer-based training, data visualization, decision support. Thomas E. Hutchinson, PhD 1961, U Virginia; physics, HCI, eye gaze control, assistive technology.