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BACKGROUND:
Title: Ergonomics (MS, PhD). Contact: David Rempel, Ergonomics Program, 1301 S. 46th St., Bldg. 112, Richmond, CA 94804; 510/231-5720; rempel@itsa.ucsf.edu. Est: 1990. 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. Semester. Granted last 3 years: MPH 0, MS 6, PhD 5. Part-time: 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. HFES student chapter: no. Catalog: (free) School of Public Health, Office of Admissions and Records, University of California, 19 Warren Hall, 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: $4466/year. Nonresident: $16888/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 (3), 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 lab manager, with extensive bioinstrumentation, computers, lab acquisition hardware and software, and statistical software. Focus of lab research is on upper extremity biomechanics, evaluation of computer input devices, and other hand-intensive tasks. Epidemiologic field studies available in a variety of industries, such as wood manufacturing, electronics, VDT work, food manufacturing utilities. Teaching: Doctoral candidates may becom e teaching assistants for ergonomics course. Current research: Upper body posture prediction, new methods of measuring muscle fatigue, effects of tool design on tissue physiology, EMG force measurements, tissue pressure measurements. Effect of computer input devices on physiology. Lab uses computers and Labview software for data collection.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 3 men, 3 women. First-year students: 1. Mean scores: n/a.

FACULTY:
Julia Faucett, PhD; behavioral issues in pain, injury control. Mark Hudes, PhD; biostatistics. Ira Janowitz, MPS 1976, Cornell U; ergonomics. Fadi Fathallah, PhD 1995, Ohio State U; ergonomics, biomechanics. Karen King, PhD; tissue biology. Steve Lehman, PhD; kinesiology, electromyography, lifting. David Rempel, MD; occupational medicine, epidemiology, biomechanics, ergonomics, bioengineering, musculoskeletal disorders.