EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY
Daytona Beach, Florida
Department of Human Factors and Systems

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BACKGROUND:
Title: Human Factors and Systems (MS)
Est: 1997
Semester
Granted last 3 years: 30
Part-time: yes
HFES student chapter: yes
Program: The program has two tracks: human factors or systems. The human factors track focuses on the research and research methods of human factors including qualitative and quantitative procedures in experimental design for areas such as perception, cognition, physiology, ergonomics, teamwork, displays, and training. The systems track includes an appreciation of systems concepts and tools involving the total life cycle of any technological system including system design, development, evaluation and testing. These tracks are designed to meet the highest academic standards, fuly preparing students for doctoral-level studies while at the same time preparing students for immediate employment in the real world.
Contact: MSHFS Program Coordinator, Dept. of Human Factors and Systems, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900; 386/226-6790; humanfactors@erau.edu, http://daytonabeach.erau.edu/coas/human-factors/index.html.
Catalog: (free) http://www.erau.edu/degrees/catalog/index.html or Graduate Programs, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900

APPLICATION:
Deadlines: U.S. citizens and permanent residents: 30 days prior to start of term. International students: 90 days prior to start of term.
Fees: $50 ($50 international)

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
GPA: 3.0
GRE: required
Other: Work experience or steady increase in GPA during undergraduate years can mitigate lower GPA; course-by-course review, class standing, adequate behavioral science and math background, and familiarity with a computer language recommended. Relevant research, previous work experience, letters of recommendation, and a personal interview are considered as equal parts of a whole. Work experience may be the critical factor in an older student, whereas letters of recommendation and grades will be more important for a recent graduate.

ADMISSIONS:
Students applying last year: 33
Accepted: 33
Entered program: 28
Openings/year: 40

TUITION AND FEES:
Residents and nonresidents: $1230/hour

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
% receiving: 20
Amount: $9000
Available: 6 graduate assistantships
Apply: within the HF Department

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
MS: 36 units, oral/written comprehensive, exam, oral defense of proposal, oral defense of thesis, no languages or research, internships recommended, 2 years
Nonthesis option: no

CURRICULUM:
Required courses (units): Systems Concepts, Theory, and Tools (3); Human Factors (3); Research Design and Analysis I (3); Research Design and Analysis II (3); [Sensation and Perception (3); Memory and Cognition (3)] or [Systems I (3); Systems II (3)]
Electives: Ergonomics (3); Systems Psychology (3); Human Performance Assessment (3); Applied Testing and Selection (3); Cognitive Systems (3); Human Computer Interaction (3); Aviation Psychology (3); Team Resource Management (3); A/C Development (3); Operations Research (3); Aircraft Safety Certification (in France) (9)
Required courses outside department: 0
Recommended courses outside department: 0
Offered: day
Class size: 5-20

TEACHING/RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES:
Research facilities: A fleet of more than 100 single- and multiengine general aviation aircraft flying more than 100,000 hours/year on various levels of training missions; 20 dedicated procedures trainers and simulators including FRASCA 141s. The department has access to flight faculty/instructors with extensive background and experience and more than 1500 students enrolled at various levels of flight training as well as a traditional ATC training lab with 15 ATC workstations and access to ATC faculty/instructors with extensive background and experience in civilian and military air traffic control both in the United States and internationally. The Human Performance Lab has an FaceLab Eye Tracking System, several research simulators including an Elite single-pilot cockpit, and an eight-channel physiological data collection and analysis device. It also houses a variety of PC-based stimulus generation tools for the study of a variety of information display issues. The Human Computer Interface lab houses a variety of both Windows and Mac computers.
Teaching: Some teaching assistant assignments are available.
Current research: Effects of automation, development of selection tools, command and control problems, aviation security, future aviation systems, advanced display concepts, color vision, vection effects, bone conduction, safety, human performance assessment, human-in-loop simulation, air traffic management, and pilot training.

STUDENT STATISTICS:
Active: 35 men, 30 women
First-year students: 25
Mean scores: GPA 3.5

FACULTY:
Scott Shappell, PhD, Department Chair; human error, healthcare human factors, fatigue management, aeronautical decision making
Albert Boquet, PhD; commercial aviation accidents, physiological mechanisms of stress and fatigue
Elizabeth Blickensderfer, PhD; acquisition and assessment of cognitive skills , training effectiveness, team performance and simulation based training
Jessica Cruit, MA; testing & measurement, and child psychology
Shawn M. Doherty, PhD; navigation, control dynamics, visual displays
Christina M. Frederick-Recascino, PhD; motivation, sports psychology, cognition
Jon French, PhD; aerospace physiology, pilot performance, psychopharmacology, and stress from fatigue and vestibular disruption
Amy Bradshaw Hoppock, PhD; psychology, abnormal psychology, social psychology, personality, cognitive psychology
Jason Kring, PhD; spaceflight human factors and behavioral health and human performance in extreme environments
Dahai Liu, PhD; performance measurement theory, UAV control systems, and human and machine behavioral modeling and simulation
Kelly Neville, PhD; identifying and overcoming sources of breakdown in multidisciplinary system development teams
Eric Vaden, MS; training system design, performance measurement, and human-computer interaction