Human-Computer Interaction

We welcome students with a wide variety of backgrounds. We favour everyone who is interested in improving the way technology is made available to people and intertwined with their lives. We favour:

• Developers
• Designers
• Anthropologists
• Psychologists

The HCI programme is an internationally accredited 2 year Master's programme (120 ECTS), fully in English, offered by the Tallinn University’s School of Digital Technologies.

The aim of the HCI programme is to prepare specialists, equipped with knowledge and skills for designing meaningful technology. You will undertake interdisciplinary courses, projects and research from the disciplines of design, technology, and cognitive psychology. The programme is organized in layers, from a very solid core to flexible of electives allowing you to fine-tune your education.

Our lectures and seminars usually take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, every second week during the semester, but lab work can be pursued every day as our labs are open 24/7. Occasionally some courses are organized in shorter, more intensive study cycles, or delivered via the Internet, as web-based courses. 

The Human-Computer Interaction curriculum is available here.

And if you would like to have a go at how we approach academic life and HCI, take look at our Experimental Interaction Design and Research Methods in HCI courses in Tallinn Summer and Winter Schools. It is an opportunity to get acquainted with Tallinn University and our team before committing to the long-term relationship we are sure you will never regret.

This is your chance to become a well grounded Human-Computer Interaction specialist, able to act as a scholarly design researcher, a knowledgeable interaction designer, or a discerning user experience professional. It’s an opportunity to mould your future, our future, and study in the most E of all countries, Estonia.

Not only will you be able to systematically go from an idea, opportunity or challenge, to a technology-based solution, you will also be able to do it based on sound theoretical grounds. You will:

• Combine computational thinking with design thinking
• Integrate academic and practitioner perspectives

Our programme starts with a sound and thorough introduction to the field of Human-Computer Interaction, moves on to a semester long integrated interaction design project and rounds up with topics such as:

• Ambient and ubiquitous computing
• Physiological and affective computing
• Perception and attention
• Cognition and emotion

The capstone is your master thesis. Research-based, practice-base, many configurations are possible but surely it will be a in-depth experience.

Study support facilities

The studies take place in one of the most modern university buildings, which was designed by Ignar Fjuk Architectural Office and was opened in 2013.

The main facilities are our Interaction Design and User Experience Labs. Here you can find all you need to bring your ideas to life and to further your knowledge in the field:

• From raw materials such as paper and clay to sophisticated prototyping environments such as Balsamiq Mockups, Axure RP, Arduino and Phidgets

• From raw media such as cardboard to computers, mobile devices, game consoles, virtual reality equipment and wearables

• From simple audio and video recording equipment to a full set of Wi-Fi and RF-enabled NeuLog sensors (for recording electrodermal activity, electrocardiogram, pulse, temperature, etc.), an Emotiv headset, a static Mirametrix eye-tracker, a set of Tobii eye-tracking glasses, Empatica wristbands, Muse headbands and a couple of Nautilus wearable BCI systems, and of course, all the software to process it all (NVivo, Mathematica, E-Prime, etc.)

Both labs are dedicated to research and to support this programme and as a student in this program, you are 24/7 access to these facilities.

Further, studies also take place in the school’s:

• Software Development Lab, featuring dedicated software development environments and tools

• Hardware and Robotics Lab, featuring a wide range of possibilities for physical prototyping, including a 3D printer

• Virtual Reality and Games Lab, featuring virtual reality and game development hardware and software

The students are also able to use the vast and diverse information resources (including electronical) of the Tallinn University Academic Library.

Take a walk around our campus via the virtual tour!

General requirements

• Completed Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent
• Proof of English Proficiency
  Please see the complete overview of admission and application requirements for Master's level applicants.

Entrance exams

• a digital portfolio with a sample of representative work by the candidate
• a motivation letter including a statement of research intentions
• an admission interview

The portfolio can be submitted by e-mail to hci-studies@tlu.ee, as a PDF file or as a web link. The motivation letter should be submitted through DreamApply.

Admission

Here’s what you need to know about the admission  to Master's studies:

Application Deadlines

Admission for the degree programmes at Tallinn University starts in January 7, 2019 and will be open until the following deadlines:

• Non-EU/EEA applicants (except applicants from Russia, Ukraine and Georgia):

                Deadline for submitting your application: 1 April, 2019
                Deadline for sending your documents by post: 20 April, 2019

• Applicants from Russia, Ukraine and Georgia:

                Deadline for submitting your application: 1 June, 2019
                Deadline for sending your documents by post: 20 June, 2019

• EU/EEA citizens:

                Deadline for submitting your application: 1 July, 2019
                Deadline for sending your documents by post: 15 July, 2019

Kristi Oikimus

study counsellor and specialist