Human-Centred and Creative Computing courses in 2027
Planning your 2027 enrolment? Here are the four core Human-Centred and Creative Computing (HCCC) courses that the lab and our colleagues in the ANU School of Computing are teaching next year. We made a short trailer to introduce them:
Each course has a website with the actual content (lectures, labs, and assessments) and an entry on ANU Programs and Courses, which is where you check prerequisites, semester, and whether the course fits your degree. Both are linked below.
The four core courses
Sound and Music Computing (COMP4350/COMP8350, Semester 1, Dr Charles Martin). Create computer musical instruments and new music works, and perform them in concert. Topics include digital synthesis, algorithmic composition, musical interface design, live programming, and machine learning. The semester ends with a laptop ensemble concert. Programs and Courses: COMP4350 / COMP8350.
Art and Interaction Computing (COMP1720/COMP6720, Semester 2, Dr Sungyeon Hong). Create expressive and interactive art with code, with the web browser as your canvas. This course covers p5.js, graphics, sound, and interaction design, and needs no previous coding or artistic experience. It is returning in 2027 for the first time since 2024 and is the natural starting point for the whole HCCC area. Programs and Courses: COMP1720 / COMP6720.
Human-Computer Interaction (COMP3900/COMP6390, Semester 2, Dr Charles Martin). Investigate new design situations, prototype novel computing ideas, and evaluate systems in use. You will sketch and prototype, gather data from people, do thematic analysis, and think about human-centred AI. This is the compulsory course for every HCCC program. Programs and Courses: COMP3900 / COMP6390.
Agentic Coding Studio (COMP4020/COMP8020, Advanced Topics in HCCC, Semester 2, Dr Ben Swift). A course about humans making things for other humans, using AI and other tools. You will design, develop, and deploy multiple full-stack web app prototypes with coding agents and present them in studio crits. COMP3900 (or COMP6390) is a prerequisite. Programs and Courses: COMP4020 / COMP8020.
Design courses in the HCCC programs
The HCCC major and minor also include courses from the ANU School of Art and Design. Two that pair well with the computing courses above are:
- Front-End Web: Crafting Online Experience (DESN2006 / DESN6006, Semester 2). A hands-on foundation in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, typography, layout, and information architecture.
- Making Creative and Critical Technologies: Physical Computing for Design and Art (DESN2010, Semester 1). Sensors, actuators, and wearables in creative practice, with no prior coding or electronics required.
New HCCC programs for 2027
The 2027 versions of our HCCC programs add more pathways for bringing these courses into your degree. All of them have Human-Computer Interaction as the compulsory core, then let you choose from the courses above (and others, including Game Development, Computer Graphics, and Computer Vision):
- Human-Centred and Creative Computing Major (48 units)
- Human-Centred and Creative Computing Minor (24 units)
- Human-Centred and Creative Computing Undergraduate Specialisation (24 units, for the Bachelor of Advanced Computing and Bachelor of Advanced Computing (R&D))
- Human-Centred and Creative Computing Master Specialisation (24 units, for the Master of Computing)
If you are interested in research in this area, these courses are the best preparation for an honours, masters, or PhD project in the lab. Have a look at our student projects and how to join.