Applicants to the HCC PhD are encouraged to submit GRE scores when applying to the program. While not required, GRE scores are an opportunity for applicants to strengthen their application.
For international applicants without a US degree, the University requires official TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic or Duolingo exam scores. For accepted exemptions, click here.
The objective of the Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing is to prepare our graduates for advanced research positions in industry and the academy. The program is designed for students who offer evidence of exceptional scholastic ability, intellectual creativity, and research motivation. The HCC Ph.D. is viewed as a certification by the faculty that the student has a solid foundation in human-centered computing and has performed original research in the area.
Graduates of the program:
Because the curriculum will be tailored to each student and students join the program with different degrees (e.g., bachelors, M.S.), the time needed to complete the degree will vary. In general, it is expected that students can complete the degree in five years or less. The HCC Ph.D. program includes opportunities for interdisciplinary and interdepartmental research.
HCC Ph.D. students typically study at Clemson University in Clemson, SC, but study at the Zucker Family Graduate Education Center in Charleston, SC and/or at One Research Drive in Greenville, SC may be possible.
This program cannot be completed online.
Coursework Requirements
The requirements for the Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing include 60 credit hours of coursework, of which 36 credit hours are graded coursework and 24 credit hours are research hours. The requirements for all HCC Ph.D. students, regardless of whether they enter the program with a bachelors’ or master’s, include the following categories:
Coursework (graded) | Credits |
---|---|
Fundamentals of HCC | 3 credits |
Graduate Level Computer Science Courses | 12 credits |
Courses in People/Human Condition/HCI | 6 credits |
Research Methods courses | 6 credits |
Cognate or Specialty Area Approved by Advisor | 9 credits |
Research | Credits |
Pre-dissertation Research (pre portfolio, HCC 8880) | 6 credits |
Dissertation Research | Credits |
Dissertation Research | 18 credits |
CPSC 6810/8810 MSCS Ready modules cannot be counted toward any HCC Ph.D. credit requirement.
In meeting the above requirements, students are also required to meet the Graduate School's minimum credit requirements, as outlined below:
Beginning Degree | Non-Research Coursework | Dissertation Research | Total Credits |
---|---|---|---|
M.S. | 12 | 18 | 30 |
B.S. | 42 | 18 | 60 |
Because of the Graduate School's policy on the independence of degrees, credit hours applied to previously completed degrees cannot be used to meet the Graduate School's minimum credit requirements.
Consistent with SACSCOC guidelines, the Clemson Graduate School requires that a doctoral degree comprise a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond the master's degree and 60 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree. Therefore, the Graduate School's minimum credit hour requirements for the Ph.D. will vary depending on whether the student enters with a bachelor's degree or master's degree.
The prerequisite computing requirement may be met by one of the following:
Note: no courses used to satisfy the computing requirement may be used to satisfy other HCC program requirements. For example, DPA 6000 or MSCS Ready courses (6810/8810) may NOT be used to satisfy the computing or cognate/specialty course requirements.
Full-time students in the HCC Ph.D. program are encouraged to take one seminar (HCC/CPSC 95x0 /9810) per semester.
Full-time students in the HCC Ph.D. program are encouraged to take one HCC course per semester until passing the comprehensive exam, and one per year until completion of the program.
To earn the Ph.D. degree, a student must take and pass three examinations:
To be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy a student must pass the Comprehensive Examination, which in the SOC is known as the Portfolio. The form of this examination is a portfolio review that is performed by the Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC) on behalf of the graduate faculty. This review is intended to certify competency in the core areas of Human-Centered Computing, which are computing, people and research methods. Also, the review is intended to promote scholarship, research, and professional skills.
Students entering the HCC PhD program with an MS must submit their portfolio before the beginning of their fourth semester; students entering without an MS, before the beginning of their sixth.
The student is solely responsible for the contents of the Portfolio, and so it is very important to begin the preparation of the Portfolio early and to solicit the help of your Major Advisor in its preparation. When the complete Portfolio is submitted it is reviewed by GAC, which serves as the examining committee for the comprehensive examination.
A student who is denied admission to candidacy may, at the discretion of the faculty, be given one additional chance to correct the deficiencies that were identified. Graduate School regulations require that a student who fails the Comprehensive Examination a second time be dismissed from the graduate program.
The Portfolio must demonstrate that the student has mastery of the HCC core areas and indicate that the student has the ability to conduct original research and make an acceptable written presentation of the results.
The GAC will be looking for evidence of specific research skills, including: the ability to identify a problem, evidence of scholarship, critical analysis, and communication skills (e.g., writing and speaking). Students are encouraged to include all such evidence in the Portfolio.
The Ph.D. Advisory Committee aids the student in developing a degree curriculum, which includes the selection of specific courses and their sequence. At Clemson University, a minimum of 30 credits past the masters and 60 credits past the bachelor’s degree are required for the doctoral degree. A minimum of 18 credit hours of doctoral research is required. Should the direction of study or research interest change, the student may request the appointment of a new Major Advisor. Coursework leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree is planned to give the student a comprehensive knowledge of his/her field of specialization and a mastery of the methods of research. The degree is not awarded solely on the basis of coursework completed, residence, or other routine requirements. The final basis of granting the degree is the student's grasp of the subject matter of a broad field of study, competence in planning and conducting research, and ability to express him/herself adequately and professionally orally and in writing.
Dr. Kelly Caine, HCC Ph.D. Program Coordinator
caine@clemson.edu