UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
Berkeley, California
School of Public Health/Bioengineering Graduate Program

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BACKGROUND:
Title: Ergonomics (MS, PhD)
Joint program: School of Public Health (Environmental Health Sciences) University of California, Berkeley; Department of Bioengineering University of California, Berkeley.
Est: 1990
Semester
Granted last 3 years: MPH 1, MS 4, PhD 2
Part-time: no
Distance learning available: no
HFES student chapter: 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 body loads and fatigue. 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.
Contact: David Rempel, Ergonomics Program, 1301 S. 46th St., Bldg. 163, Richmond, CA 94804; 510/665-3403; david.rempel@ucsf.edu.
Catalog: School of Public Health: http://ehs.sph.berkeley.edu/prospective/. Ergonomics Program: http://ergo.berkeley.edu.

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: medium

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 8
Accepted: 3
Entered program: 3
Openings/year: 3

TUITION AND FEES:
Resident: $21,642/year (MS or PhD, School of Public Health)
Nonresident: $33,990/year (MS or PhD, School of Public Health)

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 50
Amount: stipend plus tuition and fees
Available: fellowships, RA (exempt), TA, scholarships (nonexempt)
Apply: with application

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MS (Public Health [EHS], Bioengineering): For Public Health MS, 24 units, thesis, no languages, 1- to 3-month internship required, research per adviser's recommendations, 2 years. For Bioengineering MS, see UC Berkeley Bioengineering Web site.
Nonthesis option: no
PhD (Public Health [EHS], 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 (4), Occupational Biomechanics (2), Human & Organizational Factors (3), Behavioral Issues in Injury Prevention (2), Probability and Statistics (4), Safety (2), Ergonomics Internship (3), Industrial Design (3), Research (8)
Electives: Motor Control & Lab (3), Occupational Epidemiology (2), Advanced Statistical methods (4), Clinical Ergonomics (2), Engineering Design (3)
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 senior engineer and postdoctoral fellows with extensive bioinstrumentation, electromyography, motion analysis, and statistical software. Focus of lab research is on upper-extremity biomechanics and hand-intensive tasks (e.g., office/computer work, dental, pipetting, agricultural, construction, etc.). Epidemiologic field studies available in a variety of industries, such as construction, health, biotechnology, computer work, food manufacturing, and utilities.
Teaching: Doctoral candidates may become TAs for ergonomics courses.
Current research: Upper body posture prediction with use of multiple computer monitors or touch sensing screens; interventions for dental work; interventions for construction work; human factors for surgical robotics and endoscopy; hand modeling; and carpal tunnel syndrome. Epidemiologic intervention studies (construction, dental, garment, computer work).

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 2 men, 4 women
First-year students: 2
Mean scores: n/a

FACULTY:
Ellen Eisen, PhD; biostatistics
Fadi Fathallah, PhD; ergonomics, biomechanics
Ken Goldberg, PhD; human factors
Ira Janowitz, MPS; ergonomics
Steve Lehman, PhD; kinesiology, electromyography, lifting
Barbara Plog, MPH; safety
David Rempel, MD; occupational medicine, epidemiology, biomechanics, ergonomics, bioengineering, musculoskeletal disorders

[Updated May 2012]