Graduate Research

The primary goal of the Delta Lab is to teach people how to be outstanding designers and researchers capable of building excellent theory and eloquent systems. To achieve this goal, Delta Lab faculty work closely with a tightly knit cohort of doctoral students who have access to Northwestern's entire human computer interaction community, which is one of the largest in the country. Students take classes in Computer Science, Engineering, Design, Education and Social Policy, Communities, Management, and Journalism to build a unique perspective on technology and social behavior. Upon graduation, students push the boundaries of scholarship as professors at universities and researchers in industry labs and develop radically new technologies as designers and entrepreneurs in the tech industry.

Students interested in joining the Delta Lab come from diverse backgrounds including Computer Science, Anthropology, and Learning Sciences. Students with interests in social computing, crowdsourcing, HCI, design, AI, machine learning, learning sciences, decision science, and organizational behavior can all find good fits. The ideal students are those who thrive at the intersections of disciplines. Those interested in joining the Delta Lab should apply through one of the following doctoral programs:

• Technology and Social Behavior Program
• Computer Science
• Learning Sciences
• Computer Science + Learning Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Media, Technology, and Society

Admissions decisions are based on the overall academic record, letters of recommendation, work and research experience, and match with faculty research interests. Other considerations include the quality of the school attended, Graduate Record Exam scores (GRE), and grade point averages (GPA). To apply, you must use the online application form at The Graduate School web site. To access the online application, go to The Graduate School Admission page, and click on the "Apply Online" link.

Undergraduate Research

We love to work with highly-motivated undergraduate students as they provide fresh perspective into the problems we are trying to solve. Many undergraduate students working in the Delta Lab participate through the Design, Technology, and Research (DTR) program. If DTR is not a good fit for you, you are welcome to email the faculty member with whom you'd like to work directly; please include your resume and transcript in your email. You can also reach us at delta@listserv.it.northwestern.edu.

Please note that a prerequisite for joining the Delta Lab is having taken and excelled in a design, learning science, or computer science class.

Industry Collaborators

Delta Lab engages with industry through academic partnerships and sponsorship.

Academic partners are actively involved with teaching and research programs. Partnerships are established based on shared interest in specific issues at the intersection of behavioral science, learning, and technology. Partners may participate as a research site, attend our speaker series, receive working papers, and attend partner workshops.

Sponsors receive the benefits of partnership but in addition, they work closely with the Delta Lab faculty to develop a program of applied research.