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Overview of M.S. Curriculum

The Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics (HFEE) program option is designed to provide interested individuals with the opportunity to explore this vast field while also allowing for specialization in a particular area of interest within HFEE. The program option requires the completion of 4 required courses, a minimum of 4 elective courses, and 6 hours of research/thesis to support the student's area of interest. A listing of pre-approved tracks with suggested programs of study is provided. Deviations from the suggested programs are possible with approval of the HFEE faculty.

Areas of Specialization

Degree Requirements (Effective Fall 2001)

31 hours graduate credits that includes the following:
  • 4 courses of required Human Factors Engineering/Ergonomics study (CORE)
  • 4 courses (minimum) from an approved list (ELECTIVES)
  • at least 2 of the elective course must be ISE courses; one of which must be a designated HFEE course
  • no more than 2 courses may be taken outside of the ISE department and must be identified as approved for that track
  • 6 hours (minimum) of research/thesis

Program of Study

CORE Course Title
Credit Hours
ISE 5604 Human Information Processing
3
ISE 5605 Human Factors System Design I
3
ISE 5614 Human Physical Capabilities
3
ISE 5615 Human Factors Research Design I
4
ISE 5994 Research Thesis
6
ISE 5024 Seminar
0
Electives -------------------------------------
12
Total  
31

Human Factors/Ergonomics Courses

4624 Work Physiology 5634 Training Systems Design
4644 Occupational Safety 5644 Human Audition and Auditory Display Design
4984 Principles of Industrial Hygiene 5674 System Safety Analysis
5604 Human Information Processing 5684 Industrial Health and Safety Engineering
5605 Human Factors Systems Design I 5694 Macroergonomics
5606 Human Factors Systems Design II 5714 Usability Engineering
5614 Human Physical Capabilities 6604 Human Factors in Visual Display Systems
5615 Human Factors Research Design I 6614 Human Computer Systems
5616 Human Factors Research Design II 6624 Advanced Topics in Human Factors

Pre-Approved Tracks (Electives)

Cognitive Ergonomics
Human-Computer Interaction
*ISE 5634 Training Systems *ISE 5634 Training Systems
*ISE 5694 Macroergonomics *ISE 5714 Usability Engineering
*ISE/CS 5714 Usability Engineering *ISE 6604 Visual Displays
*ISE 5794 Independent Study/Special Topics *ISE 6614 Human Computer Systems
STAT 4504 Applied Multivariate Statistics CS 4624 Multimedia, Hypertext, and Information Access
PSYC 5344 Cognitive Psychology CS 5734 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
  CS 5724 Models and Theories of Human-Computer Interaction
   
Macroergonomics
Methods
*ISE 5694 Macroergonomics *ISE 5616 Human Factors Research Design II
*ISE 5604 Human Factors System Design I ISE 5424 Simulation
*ISE 5634 Training Systems EDRE 6614 Qualitative Methods in
Educational Research
CS 5734 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work PSYC 5134 Advanced Psychometric Theory
PSYC 5125 Organizational Psychology SOC 6204 Survey Research Methods
STAT 4505 Applied Multivariate Statistics STAT 4504 Applied Multivariate Statistics
ENGR 5104 Applied Systems Engineering STAT 5644 Nonparametrics
   
Occupational Biomechanics
**Safety
*ISE 4624 Work Physiology *ISE 4984 Principals of Industrial Hygiene

ISE 5104 Operations Research

 *ISE 5644 Human Audition and Auditory Display Design
ISE 5405 Optimization-1 * ISE 4644 Occupational Safety & Hazard Control
ISE 5424 Simulation *ISE 5674 System Safety
HNFE 5814 Skeletal Muscular Function in Exercise *ISE 5684 Industrial Health and Safety
ESM 5984 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering  
ESM 4204 Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Biological Control  
HNFE 4844 Exercise and Neuromuscular Performance  
   
Sensory and Perception
Telecommunications
*ISE 5644 Human Audition *ISE 5714 Usability Engineering
*ISE 6604 Human Factors in Visual Display *ISE 5606 Human Factors Research Design II
*ISE 5606 Human Factors Research Design II EDCI 5604 Distance Learning
PSYC 5144 Sensory Processes CS 5516 Computer and Network Architecture
PSYC 4074 Sensation and Perception CS 5734 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
CS 5754 Virtual Environments ACIS 5514 Management of Information Systems
  ACIS 5594 Web-based Applications and Electronic Communications
   
Transportation
Work-Related
Musculoskeletal Disorders
*ISE 5606 Human Factors Systems Design II *ISE 4624 Work Physiology
*ISE 6604 Human Factors in Visual Displays
 *ISE 5694 Macroergonomics
*ISE 5644 Human Audition and Auditory Display Design
 *ISE 4644 Occupational Safety
*ISE 5674 System Safety

STAT 4504 Applied Multivariate Statistics
or STAT 5644 Nonparametrics
*ISE 5714 Usability Engineering
 HNFE 4984 Exercise and Neuromuscular Performance
*ISE 6614 Human Computer Systems
 ESM 5984 Physiology
ISE/CEE 5944 Human Factors in Transportation
 HNFE 5724 Epidemiology

*Denotes an HFEE course, **Special Certificate Degree

Non-Thesis Option

A coursework-only Master level curriculum is available, and will typically be selected by students pursuing an application-oriented degree and without an interest in continuing for a doctoral degree. Non-thesis MS students without thesis are required to complete at least 31 credit hours of course work.

Special comments on Safety Engineering

The Safety Engineering Track in the Grado Department of ISE at Virginia Tech is the only safety engineering program in the State of Virginia. A certificate is provided, indicating completion of the Safety Engineering Specialty requirements, which includes completing all courses in the Safety Engineering Track and a safety-related MS thesis. The Certificate is signed by the student's advisor and the ISE Department Head.

Special comments on Training Support

Funding to support MS students in Safety and Occupational Health is provided through a training grant from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which provides stipends and tuition. Dr. Nussbaum directs the NIOSH training grant and can be contacted for further information on the requirements or the grant.

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Last updated 3 September 2003. 4:00 PM
College of Engineering | Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
The Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (0118)
Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Center
250 Durham Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Phone: (540) 231-8748 Fax: (540) 231-3322