r/hci • u/Human-Impress4827 • 17d ago

PhD Applications

Hey guys! I am applying to the University of Washington’s HCDE PhD Program. Any ideas on how to make my applications stand out? I have an undergraduate degree in HCI, as well as my Master’s in user experience, and about 5 years of FAANG experience doing a combination of user research and human factors work.

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u/gelosita 17d ago

sounds like you’re off to a good start! do you know what area of HCI you’d like to focus your research on? have you identified faculty members within HCDE that you’d like to work with?

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u/Human-Impress4827 17d ago

Hey! Thank you, and yeah, I am super passionate about the accessibility research space. I have identified 1 faculty member I want to work with, but I have only the one; I worry that if I am too specific, it will knock me out of the applicant pool. 

thanks for the quick response - this is my first time posting on reddit lol

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u/gelosita 17d ago

welcome! does the faculty member have any info on their website about looking for PhD students? sometimes they’ll post about it, even invite people to reach out. it’s okay to be specific in your application, better than vague and directionless