(???/500 words) What experiences over the past five years have led to your interest in pursuing the Master of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington?
My undergraduate career was admittedly rather aimless; I had chosen to leave high school in the 10th grade and get my GED, and attending university was simply the next the thing to do. I 've been in love with writing since I was quite young and decided to chose it as my course of study. After a while, I realized that my passion alone could not carry me through a program that I did not find challenging or beneficial. By the time this occurred to me, I was too close to the end. I had a curiosity for other things--web development, graphic design, computer science--but had I chosen to leave Hollins to pursue these interests …show more content…
I believe the opportunity to pursue design engineering in a university setting will provide a suitcase of skills that would be as readily accessible through continuing my self-education: it would significantly improve my presentation skills, would teach me how to better work with a diverse team of engineers and designers and directors (and similarly provide a framework to provide and receive more valuable feedback), and teach me how to trust that team 's creative instinct. My certificate program was a great introduction,, but it critically lacked the collaborative component of a structured degree program.
HCDE is the only graduate program I 'm applying to for one very important reason: the breadth and diversity of talent engaged. Initially I was drawn to the program because of how many faculty members focus on design as a platform for social progress. In this regard, I find research like Dr. Hsieh 's exploration of the ethics of design and Dr. Kolko 's focus on creative solutions to accessibility problems exactly in line with my goals beyond
My undergraduate career was admittedly rather aimless; I had chosen to leave high school in the 10th grade and get my GED, and attending university was simply the next the thing to do. I 've been in love with writing since I was quite young and decided to chose it as my course of study. After a while, I realized that my passion alone could not carry me through a program that I did not find challenging or beneficial. By the time this occurred to me, I was too close to the end. I had a curiosity for other things--web development, graphic design, computer science--but had I chosen to leave Hollins to pursue these interests …show more content…
I believe the opportunity to pursue design engineering in a university setting will provide a suitcase of skills that would be as readily accessible through continuing my self-education: it would significantly improve my presentation skills, would teach me how to better work with a diverse team of engineers and designers and directors (and similarly provide a framework to provide and receive more valuable feedback), and teach me how to trust that team 's creative instinct. My certificate program was a great introduction,, but it critically lacked the collaborative component of a structured degree program.
HCDE is the only graduate program I 'm applying to for one very important reason: the breadth and diversity of talent engaged. Initially I was drawn to the program because of how many faculty members focus on design as a platform for social progress. In this regard, I find research like Dr. Hsieh 's exploration of the ethics of design and Dr. Kolko 's focus on creative solutions to accessibility problems exactly in line with my goals beyond