school, school, school

[wispfox]

As you may or may not know, I'm trying to figure out what I want to do for grad school, slightly more specifically than psychological research.

So far, I've determined that I don't feel like I have enough of a background in Psychology to _know_ what I want to do enough. Except possibly for HCI/usability, since that is a crossover between Computer Science & Psychology (or at least can be).

So my current school-related activities are trying to find places within Massachusetts (preferably Boston area) which have HCI PhDs or are something that I could convince to become such, which is not about coding (my CS undergrad degree means that I know that I do not actually _like_ coding much), and general master's programs (in case I don't get into the PhD programs, so that I can at least get a better idea of what I would like to do and how to do it).

Finding HCI graduate degree programs at _all_ has been... complex. Lots and lots and _lots_ of conversation with metahacker has helped quite a bit, both in my better understanding that I really don't have any idea what I'm doing with this search, and in pointing me at places that may be right.

I would like to be trying to apply for the 2010-11 school year, which means applying to schools this fall. And financial aid. And such.

I do at least have recent classes in psych stats and some minimal research experience, and a psych research professor at umass lowell who is utterly happy about being a reference for me.

But right now, I'm a bit (not totally) stuck on figuring out where to apply for PhD stuff relating to HCI in eastern MA. Suggestions are welcome, although much of why I feel stuck is that I was overwhelming myself by trying to figure this out in, well, February and January.

Comments

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

People have definitely picked what to study by far more absurd methods :) A masters has certain advantages in terms of not needing well-defined research interests, although that can also be true of a Ph.D. program. I also find a Ph.D. something it's easier to wrap my head around having already done research and significant writing my in area of interest during my master's degree, so I would also call that an advantage.

Here's an idea I've used successfully but that would never have occurred to me until someone pointed it out: find someone whose career path you admire, and then write them an email saying "hi! you don't know me, but I was really interested by your paper about X. I also really admire how you've been able to carry out important research in fields as different as foo, bar, and flub! I'm thinking about pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology and have interests in A, B, and C and wondered if you had any advice to pass on about the best preparation at the doctoral level for a far-ranging research career" or something. I am still shocked every time this works, but nurturing younger researchers is a part of the job for which many faculty have enthusiasm, especially younger ones, and it has netted me excellent advice about how to pursue the career I currently think I want :)