[IxDA Discuss] Cognitive Science degree a good option?

[Christopher Fahey]

> Hi Everybody,     I have been a Web designer for almost 6 
> years now and I want to move into the Interaction design 
> field. I am currently at University of Texas at Dallas and 
> working towards a BA in Arts and Technology. I would like to 
> get some opinions as to wether I should also get a BA in 
> Cognitive science ...

If you want to enter the interaction design field, study *design*. The Arts
and Technology program at your school looks perfectly appropriate. Of course
there's nothing wrong with any form of additional academic study, but a cog
sci degree is about as appropriate to interaction design as, say, an
industrial design or computer science degree (maybe less). Which is to say
that yes, it's applicable, but it's not at all something that you can't do
without. Study design and technology, design and build interactive things,
and talk about interaction design with your peers.

As a person who hires interaction designers from a huge variety of
backgrounds, I put almost no value on what kind of degree you have -- I just
want to see the things you've made.

-Cf

Christopher Fahey
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Behavior
http://www.behaviordesign.com
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