What is Human Factors Psychology?
Human Factors is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the systematic application of information about human performance and behavior in the design and evaluation of operational systems. "Applied Research" concentrates on methods for describing the performance characteristics of people, assessing the effects of technological and environmental variables on human performance, and evaluating human performance in human centered systems
Human Factors-Applied Experimental Psychology is not clinical, counseling, or personnel psychology. Emphasis is not placed on individuals and their psychological problems. Instead, the program stresses research methodology, systems analysis and design, environmental effects on behavior, and the measurement of human behavior and performance in actual environments.
Human Factors Specialists conduct research, perform analyses, and make recommendations to:
- design products for improved safety and ease of use
- improve information displays to reduce human error
- configure work environment and design procedures to increase productivity and reduce fatigue
- improve work environments to make them more acceptable to employees
What is expected for the M.A.?
| Required Courses (21 Units) | ||
Course # |
Course Name | Units |
| Psy 420 & 420L | Advanced Statistical Methods | 4 |
| Psy 482 | Human Factors in Design | 3 |
| Psy 656 A,B,C,or D (2 courses required) |
Seminar in Human Factors Principles and Applications | 6 |
| Psy 678A | Human Performance Research | 4 |
| Psy 682 | Subsystem Integration in Human Factors Design | 4 |
Representative Electives (7 Units) |
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| Psy 440 | Thinking | 3 |
| Psy 484 | Principles of Human Factors | 3 |
| Psy 487 | Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction | 3 |
| Psy 514 & 514L | Advanced Experimental Psychology | 4 |
| Psy 520 & 520L | Multivariate Statistical Methods | 4 |
| Psy 524 & 524L | Multivariate Analysis by Computer | 4 |
| Psy 686 | Human Factors in Complex Civil Systems | 3 |
| Psy 690A | Seminar in Sensation and Perception | 3 |
| Psy 691A | Seminar in Cognition | 3 |
| Psy 692A | Seminar in Research Methodology | 3 |
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Thesis (6 Units) |
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| Psy 698C | Thesis (3 units for two semesters) | 6 total |
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What kind of work do Human Factors Psychologists do?
Human Factors can be applied to virtually any area that involves people, technology, and environments. Human Factors Specialists contribute to the design and evaluation of everything from toothbrushes to personal computers, from automobiles to spacecraft, from hammers to robots. Human Factors Specialists are employed by the Federal Government in housing, transportation, space exploration, and defense, by private industry in the computer, consumer product, telecommunications, aerospace, automotive and interactive entertainment industries, and by research consulting firms in variety of contract work sponsored by private industry and all levels of government. Graduates from the program are employed by companies such as Sony, Medtronics, Hewlett-Packard, Apple Computers, Philips Media, Lockheed, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Symantec, Xerox, Digital Equipment, Texas Instruments, IBM, and Perceptronics. Our graduates have gone on to receive doctorate degrees from Claremont, North Carolina State University, VPI, Ohio State University, Cornell, Purdue University, and UCLA.
How do I apply to the Human Factors Program?
An undergraduate major in psychology and a strong overall grade point average are required. Normally, GRE scores should be above the 50th percentile and the grade point average should be no less than 3.00 in Psychology courses and 3.00 overall. Students with lower scores on the GRE or with somewhat lower grade point averages are occasionally accepted if they can provide alternative evidence of capability to perform successfully in the Human Factors Applied Experimental option. Non-psychology majors who would otherwise be acceptable to our program are urged to qualify themselves for admission by completing the requirements in our Graduate Handbook. Applicants whose background differs from that of the typical applicant to our program should ensure that at least two of the required three letters of recommendation are provided by faculty members from whom they took upper division courses in psychology.
Program Faculty
**Additional forms and information may be found on the Graduate Forms page.