Human-Technology Interaction

Digital communication is fundamentally changing the world in which we live, transforming how people relate to one another and society as a whole. Digital technology is not only visibly present in communication media; we wear it on our bodies and it is integrated into the buildings in which we live, work, and play and in our cars, buses, and bicycles. Whether in education, healthcare, transportation, politics, sports, or entertainment, our lives are laced with technology. This is sometimes highly simple and recognizable, while other times, it is almost invisible and incredibly complex – consider artificial intelligence, for instance. All of this technology is involved in our lives, opportunities, and dreams; it ultimately changes who we are.

It is therefore of the utmost importance that we think about this technology from the perspective of the people who will use it. As a result, understanding and supporting the interaction between humans and technology is both a practical and socially relevant issue.

In the HTI master’s program, we study this interaction between people and technology. In doing so, we integrate key knowledge domains – such as psychology, ergonomics, biology, and sometimes philosophy – with technical domain knowledge (in ICT, AI, architecture, or robotics, for instance) and teach you methods to generate new knowledge about this interaction or to use existing insights to design new, better technical applications and environments.

In the HTI master’s program, we focus on fundamental technical and societal issues that need to be solved. How should we deal with robots? How do you design recommendation systems for music? What effect does office lighting have on burnout? How can we regain a user’s trust when an algorithm fails to work? Does generative AI like ChatGPT change the work of writers and artists? How do you design a brain-computer interface? Can you increase street safety with smart street lighting? Do students perform better when their abilities are regularly assessed online? What happens to you when you immerse yourself in the Metaverse with a VR helmet?

The master’s in HTI is a logical continuation of the Psychology & Technology bachelor’s program, but we also welcome students with a technical degree or just a psychology bachelor’s degree. In the master’s program, we don’t just go deeper into the knowledge domains: knowledge about the human/social sciences is even more integrated with or focused on technology. We also establish a closer relationship with the field in cases, in the possible internship or international semester and your graduation work. In addition, the tracks are different than in the bachelor’s. Take a look!

If you’re keen to tackle these kinds of problems with like-minded people in an inspiring environment, the Human-Technology Interaction degree is for you.

Combining social sciences with technology
In the multidisciplinary master’s program in Human-Technology Interaction (HTI), you gain fundamental knowledge of the psychosocial sciences. Examples include:

• perception and experience
• cognition
• decision science
• social psychology
• environmental psychology
• usability
• consumer behavior
• ergonomics

You then apply this knowledge in a technological specialization of your choice. We offer four tracks in this master’s program:

• Behavioral and Social Computing
• Environmental Psychology
• Human-Centered AI
• Robots for Humans

The program focuses on the new opportunities and problems arising from these rapidly changing technological domains. This requires in-depth technological knowledge. A significant part of the program therefore consists of technical courses that fall within your area of interest.

After your master’s degree, you will be able to assess the feasibility of new technological developments in relation to human constraints and possibilities. This knowledge will allow you to play an important role in designing new technologies in which the user is central.

The program always remains an HTI master’s program; the tracks help you to choose the most relevant and appropriate courses for your master’s projects from the very beginning. Combinations or partial overlaps are also possible.