UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL
Lowell, Massachusetts
Department of Work Environment

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BACKGROUND:
Title: Occupational Ergonomics (MS, ScD)
Est: 1987
Semester
Granted last 3 years: MS 3, ScD 3
Part-time: yes
HFES student chapter: yes
Program: The master's degree program is designed to give the student a broad education in the protection of health and safety in the workplace. Occupational ergonomics is concerned with occupational safety and health and, specifically, the prevention of injuries, upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders, and low back injuries, as well as the effects of psychosocial stress through design of the workplace, tools, and environment. A student concentrating in occupational ergonomics is also required to take introductory courses in industrial hygiene, epidemiology, and work environment policy to complete this education. The doctoral program is built on the substantial didactic training gained with the master's degree, with advanced courses selected from biomechanics, human factors, work methods analysis, and others. Research possibilities include development and application of biomechanical models, work analysis through laboratory simulations and field studies, injury surveillance and epidemiological techniques, and studies of psychosocial stress and work organization.
Contact: Bryan Buchholz, Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 1 University Ave., Lowell, MA 01854; 978/934-3241; bryan_buchholz@uml.edu, http://www.uml.edu/Dept/WE/
Catalog: (free) Martha Burns, Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 1 University Ave., Lowell, MA 01854; 978/934-3255, martha_burns@uml.edu

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: for financial aid consideration: 4/1 (fall), 10/1 (spring)
Fee: resident $20, nonresident $35

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: n/a (course-by-course review)
GRE: required
Research: medium
Work experience: medium
Letters: medium
Interview: low

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 10
Accepted: 10
Entered program: 7
Openings/year: 15

TUITION AND FEES:
Resident: $2300/semester
Nonresident: $4800/semester

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 50
Amount: $2300/$11000/$21000
Available: fellowship, TA, RA (all tuition exempt)
Apply: with application

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MS: 45 units, oral defense of thesis, research required, no languages or practical experience required (but assistance is provided to obtain field internships if desired), 2 years
Nonthesis option: yes ScD: 18 units beyond master's, qualifying exam, oral defense of proposal and oral defense of dissertation; no languages or practical experience required; dissertation; 3 years beyond master's

CURRICULUM:
Required courses (units): Introduction to Ergonomics and Industrial Hygiene (3), Occupational Biomechanics (3), Human Factors (3), Methods in Work Analysis (3), Design for Injury Prevention (3)
Electives: Physical Agents: Evaluation and Control (3), Occupational Biomechanics Lab (3), Advanced Biomechanics (3), Healthy Work Organization (3), Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Disorders (3)
Required courses outside department: 0
Recommended courses outside department: 0
Offered: night
Class size: 7-25

RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: The program's Occupational Biomechanics Lab, which is continuously being expanded and enhanced, has a video camera and playback system for observational job analysis, strain gauge load cells and hand dynamometers for static strength measurement, electromyographic equipment, anthropometers and goniometers, including various electrogoniometers and a lumbar motion monitor, accelerometers for both segmental and whole-body vibration, vibrometer for sensory nerve function testing, heat stress monitor, and noise dosimeter. The lab has microcomputers dedicated to analog-to-digital data conversion and collection, as well as data loggers and telemetry devices for data collection in the field. The department has six personal computers available for general coursework.
Teaching: TAs may serve as guest lecturers, lab instructors, and graders. Also available are opportunities for attending and presenting papers at professional conferences and providing consultative services to local industries.
Current research: Development of a biomechanical model of the hand for predicting the grip posture and grip force capabilities as a function of the hand anthropometry and size and shape of the object grasped for the evaluation of tool design and usage for performance and safety; evaluation of work-related musculoskeletal disease risk and development of ergonomic interventions in automobile manufacturing, large appliance manufacturing, and the construction industry; identification of production, ergonomic, and work organization factors associated with psychological stress; and lab studies of bioinstrumentation to determine applicability for ergonomic exposure assessment.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 14 men, 9 women
First-year students: 7
Mean scores: MS: GRE 530 v, 580 q, 525 a, GPA 3.2 ScD: GRE 550 v, 650 q, 530 a, GPA 3.5

FACULTY:
Bryan Buchholz, PhD 1989, U Michigan; biomechanics, ergonomics
Robert Karasek, PhD 1976, MIT; psychosocial stress, work organization
Laura Punnett, ScD 1985, Harvard School of Public Health; ergonomics, epidemiology