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BACKGROUND:
Title: Human Factors (MA, PhD). Contact: Jan Berkhout, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069-2390; 605/677-5295; berkhout@usd.edu, http://www.usd.edu/hfnews/. Est: 1963. Semester. Granted last 3 years: MA 3, PhD 8. Part-time: no, for first year. Program: Trains PhD-level professionals to serve as human factors/human engineering specialists in industry, government, the military, and academia. Apprenticeship-style training combines classroom instruction in core areas of human factors with individualized development of competency in research and problem solving. HFES student chapter: yes. Catalog: (free) Graduate School, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390.

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: 2/15 (late applications accepted). Fee: $35.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: 3.0. GRE: 1000 v + q. Other: All of the following are recommended: introductory psychology, experimental psychology, statistics, calculus, computer programming. Research: medium. Work experience: medium. Letters: high. Interview: low.

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 15. Accepted: 8. Entered program: 4. Openings/year: 3-5.

TUITION AND FEES:
Resident: $146 per credit hour ($1755/semester). Nonresident: $325 per credit hour ($3900/semester).

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 90. Amount: $4100/$4100/$8200.  Available: Reduced tuition for RA and TA positions: $1025/semester. Apply: with application.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MA: 30 units, no exams, oral defense thesis research, no languages or practical experience required, 2 years. Nonthesis option: no. PhD: 54 units, 12 hours written exam, oral defense dissertation research, no languages, internship recommended, 2-3 years.

CURRICULUM:
Required courses (credits): Seminar in Sensation and Perception (1), Seminar in Physiological Psychology (1); Seminar in Developmental Psychology (1); Seminar in Social Psychology (1); Seminar in Personality Theories (1); Quasi-Experimental Design (1); Learning, Memory, and Cognition (3); Research Design and Statistics I & II (6); Master's Thesis Research (6); Human Performance (3); Human Engineering (3); Seminar in Sensation and Perception (3); Human Factors Psychology (3); Methods and Instrumentation (3); Multivariate Statistics (3); Doctoral Dissertation Research (12-18). Electives (all 3 credits): Information Processing, Cognitive Psychology, Psycholinguistics, Physiological Psychology, Psychobiology of Substance Abuse, Psychology of Aging, Psychology of Safety, Industrial Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, Human Factors in Computer Systems, Psychoacoustics, Psychological Tests and Measurement, Program Planning and Evaluation, Seminar in Personnel Selection and Training, Seminar in Human Engineering, Seminar in Human Factors Research, Seminar in Human Information Processing, Seminar in Artificial Intelligence, Seminar in Statistical Topics (may be repeated), Seminar in Survey Research Methods. Required courses outside department: 6 credit hours (typically 2 courses). Recommended courses outside department: minimum 2. Offered: night, summer. Class size: 7-15.

RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: Some graduate students are supported as graduate research assistants. The Heimstra Laboratories include an HCI/Applied Cognitive Psychology suite with 4 testing rooms, an acoustically shielded lab, an electrically shielded lab, a driving simulator, and a vision alley. Students have 24-hour/day access to computing equipment. Two eye-tracking devices available, one vehicle mounted. Teaching: Opportunities are available both as lab and lecture instructors. Current research: Driving safety, aging and ergonomics, visibility and glare, keypad design, flashing lights on emergency vehicles, VDT data layouts, 3D terrain displays for aircraft, geographical knowledge and retrieval, decision making and assessments of risk, acoustic warning signals.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 12 men, 7 women. First-year students: 3. Mean scores: PhD: GRE 1100 v + q, GPA 3.40.

FACULTY:
Jan Berkhout, PhD 1962, U Chicago; vision, safety, psychomotor performance. Michael M. Granaas, PhD 1986, U Kansas; data displays, modeling. Doug Peterson, PhD 1998, Kansas State U; aviation psychology. Frank Schieber, PhD 1985, U Notre Dame; aging, vision, driving. Holly R. Straub, PhD 1989, Texas Tech U; cognitive geography, labeling. Xiao Tian Wang, PhD 1993, New Mexico State U; cognitive psychology, decision making.