CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
Northridge, California
Department of Psychology

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BACKGROUND:
Title: Human Factors/Applied Research Psychology
Est: 1968
Semester
Granted last 3 years: MA 18
Part-time: yes
Distance learning available: no
HFES student chapter: yes
Program: The program's two major emphases are interactive technology design and applied research methodology. Design skills are developed in classes dealing with cognitive task analysis, user experience design, and evaluation of real-world systems. Project-oriented courses require students to apply HF principles to realisitic environmental, facility, and product designs. Teamwork and subsystem integration are stressed. Research methodology emphasizes applied laboratory research, usability test and evaluation, internet/data mining, and field research methodology. A course in advanced statistical procedures is required. Students are provided with the flexible background required for employment as an HF specialist or for continued graduate study. Students are encouraged to develop a concentration in areas such as human computer interaction, medical systems, aerospace, advanced methodology, or other. Students either complete a research thesis or an applied graduate project. Many students find internships or employment in HF-related fields before graduation, although this is neither guaranteed nor required.
Contact: Shannon Morgan, Dept. of Psychology, CSUN, Northridge, CA 91330-8255; 818/677-2809; shannon.morgan@csun.edu, http://www.csun.edu/csbs/departments/psychology.
Catalog: (free) Dept. of Psychology, Grad Studies, CSUN, Northridge, CA 91330-8255

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: Fall 3/15, Spring 11/1
Fee: $55. Separate application required for university.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: 3.0 (course-by-course evaluation)
GRE: 50th percentile in verbal, quantitative, or analytical (1000 v + q)
Other: Undergraduate courses in experimental psychology and statistics are required. Undergraduate major in psychology, engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, design, or business is recommended. Nonpsychology majors may need to take prerequisite courses in methodology or cognitive processes.
Research: medium
Work experience: medium
Letters: high
Interview: high

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 22
Accepted: 10
Openings/year: 15

TUITION AND FEES:
Resident: $1161/semester for 0-6 units; $1812/semester for 7+ units

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 10
Amount: $750
Available: TA
Apply: with application

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MA: 36 units, oral defense of proposal and thesis, human performance research project, task analysis project, system design project, no languages, 2-2.5 years
Nonthesis option: yes

CURRICULUM:
Required courses: Seminar in Human Factors Principles and Applications A, B, and C, Subsystem Integration in Human Factors Design, Human Performance Research, Advanced Statistical Methods
Electives: Multivariate Analysis, Human-Computer Interaction, Advanced Experimental Psychology, User Experience Design, Seminar in Cognition, others
Required courses outside department: 0
Recommended courses outside department: 1-2
Offered: late afternoon, evening, Internet
Class size: 10-15

RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: A dedicated human factors laboratory is available in addition to a wide variety of research space assignable by the Psychology Department. The lab contains MORAE usability analysis software, multiple monitor systems to simulate workstations, driving simulation software, and other tools. The department has both PC and Macintosh computers and a variety of peripheral equipment for use in assessing physiological and work-performance criteria, conducting usability studies, developing user interfaces, and designing rapid prototypes. The Psychology Department maintains a technical support workshop with a full-time technician to support customized research configurations. There is a graduate student library containing reference texts and technical reports. Qualified students can apply for paid internships in CSUN's Distance Learning Systems Group, a center that designs and evaluates interactive methods for delivering master's degree programs online.
Teaching: Teaching introductory psychology as part of a teacher intern program sponsored by the Psychology Department. Teaching assistantships in experimental design, cognitive psychology, and statistics courses.
Current research: Technology-mediated instruction, human-computer interaction issues, user experience design techniques, medical systems error analysis, optimized methodology in studying hand-eye coordination, and mental workload measurement. Students are also encouraged to pursue their individual interests in the HF field.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 9 men, 16 women
First-year students: 12
Mean scores: MA: GRE 1145 v + q, GPA 3.2

FACULTY:
Tyler Blake, PhD 1977, North Carolina State U; human-computer communication, user interface design, user experience design, distance learning, interactive product design
Jay Holden, PhD 2000, U Michigan; hand-eye coordination in motor control, cognitive psychology of word recognition, multivariate statistics, research design
Howard B. Lee, PhD 1979, UCLA; systems analysis, psychometrics, statistics
Shannon Morgan, PhD 1997, UC Santa Barbara; instructional materials design, medical device design, human error, cognitive psychology, text comprehension
Jill L. Quilici, PhD 1997, UC Santa Barbara; applied cognitive psychology, problem solving, expertise

[Updated Winter 2007]