New Scholarships Available at The HIT Lab NZ

The HIT Lab NZ has several new scholarships available for its Master in Human Interface Technology program, in particular for international students. For a list of available projects and associated scholarships visit:

http://hitlabnz.org/index.php/jobs

The Masters Program

As New Zealand and international business moves to a more design centred future, there is increasing demand for Human Interface Technology skills. The design industry and the government have acknowledged this demand. The Master of Human Interface Technology (MHIT) program aims to improve interactive technology to meet users’ needs. The program directly engages with industry and offers students a mechanism for direct industry engagement through projects and scholarships. Human Interface Technology is useful in a wide range of areas such as medicine, rehabilitation, education and training, entertainment and business. Study in the field incorporates a diverse range of topic areas including User-Centred Design, the development of new interface devices and technologies (hardware and software), evaluating these technologies within the application context, and studying the broader impact of interface technology on human behaviour and society.

Structure

The master’s degree consists of a course and a thesis to be completed full-time over one year. The course and the thesis are offered in parallel and students can start in February and July. Graduates will have knowledge of key interface design principles, the ability to describe and evaluate interface hardware and software, and research and development skills. Admission into the master’s program is a Bachelor’s degree with honours, which is equivalent to a four-year undergraduate program. Suitable fields include Computer Science, Design, and Psychology. But also students from other related fields may qualify.

The program consists of an intensive 14 weeks taught course (HITD601) that teaches advanced topics of human interface technology and a thesis (HITD690). Students start considering their thesis topic already during their HITD601 course and dedicate their efforts to it after completing the HITD601 course.

The HIT Lab NZ

The Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ) is world leading research institutions developing and commercializing technology that improves human computer interaction. The HIT Lab NZ has over 50 staff and students and has extensive experience in Human Computer Interaction and Science & Visualization. The HIT Lab NZ is located at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. The University of Canterbury has the top Engineering School in New Zealand, including a highly ranked Department of Computer Science. For more information about the HIT Lab NZ see http://www.hitlabnz.org/.

Appointment and Scholarship Support

The MHIT scholarships are full time for a duration of one year. The research in the projects must be concluded with writing a thesis within the Human Interface Technology Masters program of the HIT Lab NZ. For more information about the PhD program in Human Interface Technology, please see http://hitlabnz.org/index.php/education/master-program.

Duties

International applicants will be required to arrange for their NZ student visa after an offer of a place. Please check http://www.immigration.govt.nz for information about what type of visa might be most suitable and the process of acquiring it. The university has various types of accommodation available on campus. Please check http:/www.canterbury.ac.nz/accom/ for information about the options and prices.