IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
Ames, Iowa
Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering

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BACKGROUND:
Title: Industrial Engineering with Specialization in Human Factors (MEng, MS, PhD)
Est: 1974
Semester
Granted last 3 years: MS 8, PhD 4
Part-time: yes
Online/distance education available: yes
HFES student chapter: no
Program: Areas of study include human factors engineering using biomechanics, work physiology, and engineering psychology; work design; industrial safety; and human-computer interaction. Supporting courses in psychology, physiology, computer science, statistics, biomedical engineering, and other elective areas. Students are free to choose an area of specialization. Each program of study is individually tailored to meet the needs of a given specialization. Typical areas of specialization include industrial ergonomics with emphasis in biomechanics and work physiology, safety engineering and reliability, biomedical engineering, and ergonomics in manufacturing and system design. Additional information can be found at http://www.imse.iastate.edu/ergolab.html
Contact: Richard T. Stone, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, 3004 Black Eng, Ames, IA 50011-2164; 515/294-3644; rstone@iastate.edu; Online application at https://www.applyweb.com/apply/isu/instruct-new.html.
Catalog: Online at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~catalog/.

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: 3/1 (for fall), 10/1 (for spring), 2/1 (for financial aid)
Fee: $40 for U.S., $90 for international.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: 3.00
GRE: V + Q 1200
Other: TOEFL 550, BS degree in engineering or physical science.

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 9
Accepted: 5
Entered program: 9
Openings/year: 8

TUITION AND FEES:
Resident: $4,424/semester
Nonresident: $9,969/semester

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
Amount: $18,000 - $22,000/12 months plus tuition and health insurance
Available: Teaching assistantships: Yes; Research assistantships: Yes; Tuition exempt: No (covered by department)

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MEng (non-thesis masters): 30 semester hours, typically two years to complete; available through online distance education
MS (thesis-based masters): 30 semester hours, thesis research & oral defense, typically two years to complete and preparation for the PhD
PhD: 72 semester hours, qualifying exam, comprehensive exam, oral defense of dissertation, dissertation, no languages or practical experience required, 4 years

RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: The Physical Ergonomics Laboratory conducts basic and applied biomechanical research. Major equipment includes a 16 channel Delsys EMG data collection system, two Lumbar Motion Monitors, an 8-channel Ascension magnetic motion capture system, two Bertec force platforms and a Kin/Com isokinetic dynamometer. The Human Performance and Cognitive Engineering Laboratory conducts research related to cognitive and physiological engineering for augmenting human performance and understanding human capabilities. Equipment includes biomedical and neurological sensors (EKG, EMG, EEG, HRV, etc.), goniometry, force and moment sensors, dynamometers, etc. Projects include Augmented Reality Interfaces, Tele-robotic Systems and Decisions support systems. The Virtual Reality Lab is available through the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Teaching: Opportunities exist in teaching laboratory sections of an undergraduate course in Applied Ergonomics and Work Design.
Current research: Current emphasis areas include 1) physical ergonomics with a particular focus on spine biomechanics, prevention of low back injury and hand/wrist disorders such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome and 2) cognitive engineering with a focus on augmented human performance and human computer interaction.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 6 men, 5 women
First-year students: 3
Mean scores: n/a

FACULTY:
Gary Mirka, PhD 1992, Ohio State U.; industrial & systems engineering; physical ergonomics, spine biomechanics, electromyography, ergonomic intervention effectiveness research.
Richard Stone, PhD 2008, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York; industrial engineering; human performance enhancement, cognitive engineering, augmented reality in multisensory devices, telerobotic control system development.

[Updated June 2012]