UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
Berkeley, California
School of Public Health/Bioengineering Graduate Program

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BACKGROUND:
Title: Ergonomics (MS, PhD)
Joint program: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley; and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
Est: 1990
Semester
Granted last 3 years: MPH 0, MS 3, PhD 5
Part-time: no
Distance learning available: no
HFES student chapter: no
Program: Program is NIOSH approved and supported. Emphasis in this program is placed on understanding how to design work tasks, tools, and workstations in order to minimize tissue load. Besides coursework in engineering, physiology, public health, statistics, and ergonomics, students will spend time in an occupational musculoskeletal disorder clinic and evaluate work tasks and tools of the patients. Students will also work in an ergonomics laboratory, where biomechanical evaluation of hand tools and tasks is performed.
Contact: David Rempel, Ergonomics Program, 1301 S. 46th St., Bldg. 163, Richmond, CA 94804; 510/665-3403; david.rempel@ucsf.edu.
Catalog: (free) School of Public Health, Student Services & Admissions, University of California, 19 Warren Hall MC7360, Berkeley, CA 94720; http://www.me.berkeley.edu/ergo.

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: 12/1
Fee: None at School of Public Health, but there is a $40 fee to the Graduate Division. Separate applications required for university and department.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: 3.0
GRE: v + q + a required
Other: Baccalaureate degree required. Engineering background recommended, but accept undergraduate degrees in biology, physical sciences, industrial health, psychology, and nursing.
Research: medium
Work experience: medium
Letters: high
Interview: high

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 6
Accepted: 2
Entered program: 2
Openings/year: 3

TUITION AND FEES:
Resident: $8440/year
Nonresident: $23,440/year

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 50
Amount: n/a
Available: fellowships, RA (exempt), TA, scholarships (nonexempt)
Apply: with application

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MS (Public Health): 24 units, thesis, no languages, 1- to 3-month internship required, research per adviser's recommendations, 2 years
Nonthesis option: no
PhD (Public Health, Bioengineering, or Mechanical Engineering): dissertation, qualifying and comprehensive exams, no languages or practical experience required, research per adviser's recommendations, 5 years

CURRICULUM:
Required courses (units): Ergonomics (4), Occupational Biomechanics (2), Physical Agents (3), Behavioral Issues in Injury Prevention (2), Probability and Statistics (4), Safety (3), Ergonomics Internship (3), Industrial Engineering Methods (4)
Electives: Neuromuscular Fatigue (2), Occupational Epidemiology (2)
Required courses outside department: 3
Recommended courses outside department: 8
Class size: 20

RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: Both laboratory and work site research opportunities are available. Laboratory space overseen by a senior engineer with extensive bioinstrumentation, computers, lab acquisition hardware and software, and statistical software. Focus of lab research is on upper-extremity biomechanics and hand-intensive tasks (e.g., computer work, dental work, pipetting, agricultural work, etc.). Epidemiologic field studies available in a variety of industries, such as electronics, computer work, food manufacturing, and utilities.
Teaching: Doctoral candidates may become TAs for ergonomics courses.
Current research: Upper body posture prediction, new methods of measuring muscle fatigue, effects of hand tool design on muscle activity, forces, and tissue loads. Effect of computer input devices on physiology. Epidemiologic intervention studies (construction, dental, garment, computer work).

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 2 men, 4 women
First-year students: 2
Mean scores: n/a

FACULTY:
Julia Faucett, PhD; behavioral issues in pain, injury control
Mark Hudes, PhD; biostatistics
Ira Janowitz, MPS; ergonomics
Fadi Fathallah, PhD; ergonomics, biomechanics
Robert Goldberg, MD; musculoskeletal disorders and guidelines
Niklas Krause, MD, PhD; low back pain epidemiology
Steve Lehman, PhD; kinesiology, electromyography, lifting
David Rempel, MD; occupational medicine, epidemiology, biomechanics, ergonomics, bioengineering, musculoskeletal disorders

[Updated Winter 2007]