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BACKGROUND:
Title: Human Factors Engineering Option (MS, PhD). Contact: James W. Barany, School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, 315 N. Grant St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2023; 765/494-0829; jwb@ecn.purdue.edu, http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/IE/, or Graduate Admissions Committee Chair, 765/494-5425; uzsoy@ecn.purdue.edu. Est: 1956. Joint program: with Department of Psychological Sciences. Semester. Granted last 3 years: MS 7, PhD 13. Part-time: yes. Program: Physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects of the design of tasks, equipment, systems, and the work environment. Study of human-machine computer information and control systems. Instrumentation and analytic methods for the design and execution of human factors studies. Job design, training, safety engineering, and cognitive engineering. HFES student chapter: yes. Catalog: (free) Office of Publications, Bldg. D South Campus Courts, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1131.

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: 3/15 (fall), 9/1 (spring). Fees: $55.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: 3.5. GRE: 470 v, 700 q, 700 a. Other: 570 TOEFL, 5 TWE for international students. Mathematics through multivariate calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra; calculus-based probability and applied statistics; and proficiency in computer programming. Preference given to students with undergraduate degrees in engineering, science, and psychology. Research: high. Work experience: medium. Letters: high. Interview: low.

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 52 Accepted: 15. Entered program: 4. Openings/ year: 5-8.

TUITION AND FEES:
Resident: $3034/semester. Nonresident: $8374/semester.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 100. Amount: $11400/16000. Available: fellowships, TA, RA, all tuition exempt. Apply: with application.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MS thesis: 24 units, oral defense of thesis, research required, no languages or practical experience required, 1 1/2-2 years. Nonthesis option: yes: 30 units, no exams, languages, research, or practical experience required, 1 1/2 years. PhD: 24 units beyond MS, preliminary defense of proposal and defense of thesis required, research required, no languages or practical experience required, 3-5 years.

CURRICULUM:
Required courses (units): Design of Experiments (3), Human Factors in Engineering (3), Research Seminar in Human Factors (3). Electives: Job Design (3), Safety Engineering (3), Cognitive Engineering of Interactive Software (3), Human Aspects of Computing (3), Applied Ergonomics (3), Decision Theory in Engineering (3), Knowledge-Based Systems (3), Systems Simulation (3), Simulation Design and Analysis (3), Applied Regression Analysis (3), Sampling and Survey Techniques (3), Applied Multivariate Analysis (3), Psychology of Industrial Engineering (3), Occupational Analysis (3). Required courses outside department: 0. Recommended courses outside department: 2. Class size: 10-30.

RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: Research is conducted in both field settings and laboratories. Three laboratory facilities are available for the development of software for experimentations and for the development of experimental apparatus. Six laboratories exist for conducting experimentations, one of which is climatically controlled. The laboratories are networked, linked to the Internet and Internet2, and equipped with appropriate computing systems and a comprehensive set of cognitive tests and measures. Teaching: Teaching assistantships are available in a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses that match the student’s background and interests. Research assistantships are available as University Fellowships and opportunities to work on a variety of externally funded projects. Current research: Studies emphasize the cognitive and social aspects of designing and operating advanced technologies. These include designing human-centered home pages, key word searches, browsers, e-commerce, and distance learning. Other areas include cognitive task analysis, usability testing, design for special populations, consistency in the design of human decision processes, human factors and sociotechnical systems engineering, modeling human performance of multiple tasks, and design of warnings and warning systems.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 7 men, 9 women. First-year students: 4. Mean scores: MS: GRE 500 v, 760 q, 690 a, GPA 3.5; PhD: GRE 540 v, 780 q, 770 a, GPA 3.4.

FACULTY:
James W. Barany, PhD 1961, Purdue U; work analysis and design. Barrett S. Caldwell, PhD 1990, UC Davis; information technology. Ray E. Eberts, PhD 1983, U Illinois; human-computer interaction. Robert G. Feyen, PhD 2001, U Michigan; modeling of cognitive tasks. Mark R. Lehto, PhD 1985, U Michigan; safety engineering. James D. McGlothlin, PhD 1988, U Michigan; ergonomics. Robert W. Proctor, PhD 1975, U Texas-Arlington; human performance. Gavriel Salvendy, PhD 1968, U Birmingham (UK); cognitive engineering.