Human Aspects of Information Technology - MA Specialisation in CIS – (M.A.)

We live in a time where more and more automated systems provide us with access to enormous amounts of information, through search engines, websites, digital helpdesks, and speaking computers, for instance. How can you make sure that people get the exact information or (access to) knowledge that they require? How can this be organised? What technologies do we have at our disposal to effectuate this? How can users´ demands and wishes be catered for most adequately? How can all this be translated into smart information systems?

These questions are central to the one-year English Master´s specialisation of Human Aspects of Information Technology (HAIT), a heavily internationally oriented specialisation in the Master´s programme of Communication and Information Sciences.

Natural Communication

HAIT´s central point of departure is the way in which people communicate naturally. How do people ask questions, and to what purpose? What is the meaning of the words that are used and what kind of answers do people expect to get? When does miscommunication occur, and how can it be solved in a natural way? With this focus on the human element, HAIT clearly distinguishes itself from comparable programmes offered elsewhere in this country and abroad.

In the HAIT Master´s specialisation, you will learn how to organise information systems in such a way that they can communicate with the user in a natural way. A search engine will have to `understand´ what results an inquirer is looking for; an automatic telephone service helpdesk will have to be able to enter into a dialogue with a caller through speech recognition and artificial speech. By making use of the unique combination of information and language technology you actively contribute to the accessibility and the categorisation of information.

The programme trains the students to be professionals with an excellent understanding and knowledge of the field. A well-balanced combination of theory and skills guarantees optimal conditions for acquiring expertise in the many potential building blocks that advanced information systems are made up of.

We teach you to handle these blocks like an architect, with the wishes of clients and/or users in mind. Each problem connected to a specific need for information requires its own approach. You know which specific building blocks need to be combined to arrive at the best possible solution. You know how to use them.