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BACKGROUND:
Title: Human Factors in Information Design (MS). Contact: William M. Gribbons, Bentley College, 175 Forest Street, Waltham, MA 02452; 781/891-2926; wgribbons@bentley.edu; http://www.bentley.edu/. Est: 1998. Semester. Granted last 3 years: MS 21. Part-time: yes. Program: The Master of Science in Human Factors in Information Design (MSHFID) program prepares working professionals to meet the requirements of the changing marketplace for technology products, with the ultimate goal of improving product usability and promoting a successful user experience. Specifically, this distinctive program emphasizes human behavior relative to learning, understanding and effectively using new technologies; defines information design broadly to include user support, the user interface, training systems, the World Wide Web, and e-commerce; develops localization strategy, emphasizing design, communication, and training; and the integration of user centered design practices in the larger development and business organization. The Design and Usability Testing Center is the technological centerpiece for the MSHFID program. This facility exemplifies the philosophy underlying all of our programs: to build "real world" bridges between the theory of human factors and the practice of information design. HFES student chapter: no. Catalog: (free) Sharon Hill, 175 Forest St., Waltham, MA 02452.

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: June 1. Fee: $50.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: 3.2. GRE: 600 q. Other: MSHFID candidates must have one or more of the following: relevant work experience in technical writing, information design, software, web or hardware development, or usability testing; a post-baccalaureate certificate, engineering or psychology; a bachelors degree in technical communication, engineering or psychology; or permission from the program director. Research: medium. Work experience: high. Letters: high. Interview: medium.

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 40. Accepted: 27. Entered program: 25. Openings/year: 60.

TUITION AND FEES:
$2,563/three-credit course.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 10. Amount: $15,000. Available: RA, tuition exempt Apply: with application.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MS: 30 units, thesis 200 hour internship, no languages, 2.5 years. Nonthesis option: yes for part-time students.

CURRICULUM:
Required courses (units):  Foundation in Human Factors (3), Usability Testing and Assessment Programs (3), Managing a User-Centered Design Team (3). Elective courses (units): Globalization (3), Visualizing Information (3), Expert Systems (3), Field Methods (3), Universal Accessibility (3), Information Architecture (3), Prototyping (3), Internship (3). Required courses outside department: Two selected from either management, statistics, or computer science departments. Two electives chosen from CS, management, and statistics. Recommended courses outside department: none. Offered: nights/summer. Class size: 24.

RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: Students are able to work on research projects in the Design and Usability Testing Center. The Center contracts with leading high tech, healthcare, and financial services groups around the country to consult on development projects and to conduct usability tests of existing products. This provides students an unparalleled experience to see first-hand the intersection of human factors and technology design. Teaching: None. Current research: This past year the Center worked with over twenty high tech firms on a variety of development projects. We are currently working with two healthcare groups on projects related to the effects of aging and low literacy.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 25 men, 50 women. First-year students: 25. Mean scores: GRE 600, GPA 3.2.

FACULTY:
William Buchholz, PhD 1976, U of Illinois; Web design, information architecture. Joseph S. Dumas, PhD 1970, SUNY Buffalo; HCI, evaluation, human factors engineering. William Gribbons, PhD 1986, U of Maryland; human factors engineering, HCI, usability engineering. Meena Kothandaraman, PhD 1995, Syracuse; user-centered behavior, field methods. Beth Loring, MS 1994, Tufts U; product design/safety, test/evaluation, usability testing. Tom Tullis, PhD, Rice U; human-computer interaction, human factors engineering, cognitive psychology. Chauncey Wilson, PhD 1972, U of Pittsburgh; user-centered design, prototyping, usability engineering.