As a student of Human-Technology Interaction, you acquire knowledge and skills to enable you to assess the feasibility of new technological developments in view of human values, goals, constraints and capabilities. As with all master’s programs at TU/e, this is structured with a mix of core courses and elective tracks so that students can tailor their education to their own interests and ambitions. In the second year, you may also opt for either an international semester or an internship and additional electives before you start your graduation project.
Core courses
The Human-Centered AI track is embedded in the Human-Technology Interaction master’s program. During the first year of this degree, students are introduced to the overarching content of the program with core courses on UX design, advanced data analysis and metascience. These courses are accompanied by a dedicated challenge-based project in which you enter the field and apply the methods learned. Fundamental knowledge, which is further developed in the Human-Centered AI track, is imparted through a mix of interactive lectures, engaging assignments and group work covering topics related to state-of-the-art research by TU/e professors.
Human-Centered AI track courses
Students who choose the Human-Centered AI track follow a mix of compulsory courses and electives. Visit the education guide to find more information about the curriculum of this track. The core courses for this track are:
- Advanced Cognition, which gives a further understanding of research questions and methodologies of cognitive science, including experimental and theoretical work in psychology, computational modeling, associations, similarity, mental representations, working memory and attention.
- Philosophy and Ethics of AI, which introduces philosophical and ethical questions about artificial intelligence. These include questions about the nature and possibility of machines with minds and about the ethical development and use of digital technologies.
- Human-AI Interaction, which helps students to comprehend and anticipate the current and future impacts of AI on human-technology interactions and human-technology relations and familiarizes them with principles and tools to engineer AI systems that benefit human well-being.
- Super Crunchers, which gives an in-depth understanding of the literature on model-based versus human decision-making with an emphasis on the way in which humans and models deal with large amounts of information (‘big data’).
- A challenge-based project in which you design and evaluate an AI-driven system in an application domain of your choice.
While this master’s track shares some common elements with the Robots for Humans track, it focuses more on human interaction with AI models and algorithms that underly a broader spectrum of AI-driven applications, with robotics as one application area.
Students of Human-Centered AI also have the option to choose electives from elsewhere in the Human-Technology Interaction program or other TU/e master’s programs, including both technical and non-technical courses. However, students with a limited knowledge of machine learning are strongly recommended to follow the Machine Learning Engineering course of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. Other technical courses that can help to build your competence in one or more specialized areas of AI methods and applications include Data-Driven Artificial Intelligence (IE&IS), Creativity and Aesthetics of Data & AI (ID), Implementing and Adapting to Artificial Intelligence in Organizations (IE&IS), Design of AI-driven Business Operation (IE&IS) and Generative AI Models (M&CS).
Graduation project
Master’s degrees at TU/e conclude with a graduation project that takes up two quartiles of the program and is often conducted within an organization in the relevant domain. Given that Brainport boasts over 5000 high-tech and IT companies, the region provides a wide array of options to find a place that suits you. Together with their company supervisor and academic supervisors, students formulate a practical, scientific and relevant research question. This always involves a high degree of freedom to choose a topic that appeals to them and matches their career vision.
Studying abroad
In an increasingly interconnected world, the opportunity to spend part of your program elsewhere can provide valuable experience for an international career in (technological) innovation, including human-centered AI. A master’s degree in Human-Technology Interaction therefore offers the option to go abroad in the first two quartiles of the second year of the program.