Location: Auburn, Alabama
Department: Industrial and Systems Engineering
Quick links:
Location: Auburn, Alabama
Department: Industrial and Systems Engineering
Quick links:
Directory of Graduate Programs
PROGRAM BACKGROUND
Title of program:
Occupational Safety, Ergonomics, and Injury Prevention
(MS, MISE, PhD in Safety and Ergonomics (only) in Injury Prevention)
Year human factors/ergonomics
program was established:
Joint program:
Program is part of the NIOSH-supported Deep South Education and Research Center (ERC), which includes programs in industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, and occupational health nursing.
Contact person for more information, including applications:
Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:
Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the programs:
Emphasis is placed on occupational safety engineering, ergonomics, and injury prevention applications. The goal is to provide students the capability to effectively and economically resolve, preferably by engineering design, occupational human performance problems.
Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:
Can students attend part-time?
Are required courses offered through distance learning?
All of the required coursework for master's degrees is available on DVD or in streaming video format from the Auburn Graduate Outreach Program (http://www.gop.auburn.edu).
Coursework for the safety and ergonomics PhD emphases are also available.
Are required courses offered during summer?
Does the university have an HFES student chapter?
APPLICATION PROCESS
Application deadlines:
July 15 (fall), November 15 (spring), April 15 (summer)
Application fees:
$25 domestic students, $50 international students
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Minimum requirements
- GPA: 3.0
- GRE: 1150 v + q
- Other: Undergraduate degrees in IE, other engineering fields, and the life sciences are preferred (in that order). Mathematics equivalent to calculus for undergraduate engineers, statistics through single-factor ANOVA, basic ergonomics/safety, and computer literacy required or must be obtained from nongraduate credit prerequisite courses.
Importance of other criteria as admission factors:
- Work experience: low
- Letters: medium
- Interview: n/a
Tuition and fees
Visit https://students.asu.edu/tuition for up-to-date estimations.
- Resident: $2,800/semester (est.)
- Nonresident: $8,400/semester (est.)
ADMISSIONS
Number of students applying to the human factors/ergonomics program last year:
Number of students accepted into the program last year:
Number of students entering the program last year:
Anticipated number of openings per year for the next two years:
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Percentage of students in program receiving financial assistance:
Amount received per year:
Types of assistance available:
NIOSH stipends/fellowships (for U.S. citizens), TA, RA, tuition exempt
When should students apply for financial assistance?
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Number of units required:
- MS: 30 units (38 for students receiving NIOSH support)
- MISE: 30 units (38 for students receiving NIOSH support)
- PhD: at least 48 hours beyond the bachelor's degree including an industrial systems and engineering core of 18 hours
Exams required:
- MS: oral exam
- MISE: oral exam
- PhD: general and oral exams
Language requirements:
- MS: none
- MISE: none
- PhD: none
Research required:
- MS: none
- MISE: none
- PhD: research plan of at least 12 hours
Practical experience required:
- MS: none
- MISE: none
- PhD: none
Typical number of years required to obtain degree:
- MS: 2
- MISE: 2
- PhD: 3 Minimum
Is there a non-thesis option?
- MS: yes
- MISE: yes
- PhD: no
CURRICULUM
Required courses (units)
Department core: 18 hours for all graduate degrees (includes either Ergonomics I-Work Physiology (3) or Safety Engineering I). Other required courses in addition to both of the previously mentioned for safety and ergonomics students include Ergonomics II: Biomechanics (3), Safety Engineering II: Systems Safety (3), Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Hazards (3), and Human factors Engineering (3). For Safety/Ergonomics PhDs only: Advanced Safety Engineering (3) and Research Methods (3). Injury Prevention PhDs are enocouraged to take the above course, though Industrial Hygiene is not required. Injury Prevention students also take courses in general public health and epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Number of courses outside department that are required:
Number of courses outside department that are recommended:
TBD depending on student's background
Average or typical class size in a required course:
RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
Research and support facilities available to students in the program:
State-of-the-art laboratory and computer facilities are available for research in safety engineering, ergonomics/human factors, and injury prevention.
Teaching opportunities available to students in the program:
Graduate students are encouraged to serve as teaching assistants or as the primary instructor in basic undergraduate courses in statistics, engineering economy, work measurement, and ergonomics.
Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:
Workplace assessment and design; safety communication in multilingual environments; evacuation modeling; patient handling in restricted spaces; evaluation and control of work-related musculoskeletal disorders; personal protective equipment design manpower studies; operations research applications to occupational safety; ergonomics/human factors.
STUDENT STATISTICS
Current number of active students in program, by gender:
On Campus:
- 5 Masters
- 5 PhDs
- 11 Outreach
Current number of first-year students in program:
Based on current graduate students in the MS in Human Systems Engineering program, the mean score on admission tests and undergraduate GPA by degree being sought are:
- MS/MISE: GRE 625 q, GPA 3.3
- PhD: GRE 675 q, GPA 3.5
FACULTY
Jerry Davis, PhD 2001, Auburn U.; systems safety, ergonomics, and manpower evaluations
Nathan T. Dorris, (visiting) PhD 2004, Auburn U.; human factors and warning systems
Leo A. Smith, (emeritus) PhD 1966, Purdue U.; safety and ergonomics
Robert B. Rummer, (adjunct) PhD, 1988, Auburn U.; safety and ergonomics with focus in forestry related applications
Robert E. Thomas, PhD 1988, Texas A&M U.; safety and ergonomics
[Updated January 2014]
Directory of Graduate Programs
PROGRAM BACKGROUND
Title of program:
Occupational Safety, Ergonomics, and Injury Prevention
(MS, MISE, PhD in Safety and Ergonomics (only) in Injury Prevention)
Year human factors/ergonomics
program was established:
Joint program:
Program is part of the NIOSH-supported Deep South Education and Research Center (ERC), which includes programs in industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, and occupational health nursing.
Contact person for more information, including applications:
Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:
Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the programs:
Emphasis is placed on occupational safety engineering, ergonomics, and injury prevention applications. The goal is to provide students the capability to effectively and economically resolve, preferably by engineering design, occupational human performance problems.
Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:
Can students attend part-time?
Are required courses offered through distance learning?
All of the required coursework for master's degrees is available on DVD or in streaming video format from the Auburn Graduate Outreach Program (http://www.gop.auburn.edu).
Coursework for the safety and ergonomics PhD emphases are also available.
Are required courses offered during summer?
Does the university have an HFES student chapter?
APPLICATION PROCESS
Application deadlines:
July 15 (fall), November 15 (spring), April 15 (summer)
Application fees:
$25 domestic students, $50 international students
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Minimum requirements
- GPA: 3.0
- GRE: 1150 v + q
- Other: Undergraduate degrees in IE, other engineering fields, and the life sciences are preferred (in that order). Mathematics equivalent to calculus for undergraduate engineers, statistics through single-factor ANOVA, basic ergonomics/safety, and computer literacy required or must be obtained from nongraduate credit prerequisite courses.
Importance of other criteria as admission factors:
- Work experience: low
- Letters: medium
- Interview: n/a
Tuition and fees
Visit https://students.asu.edu/tuition for up-to-date estimations.
- Resident: $2,800/semester (est.)
- Nonresident: $8,400/semester (est.)
ADMISSIONS
Number of students applying to the human factors/ergonomics program last year:
Number of students accepted into the program last year:
Number of students entering the program last year:
Anticipated number of openings per year for the next two years:
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Percentage of students in program receiving financial assistance:
Amount received per year:
Types of assistance available:
NIOSH stipends/fellowships (for U.S. citizens), TA, RA, tuition exempt
When should students apply for financial assistance?
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Number of units required:
- MS: 30 units (38 for students receiving NIOSH support)
- MISE: 30 units (38 for students receiving NIOSH support)
- PhD: at least 48 hours beyond the bachelor's degree including an industrial systems and engineering core of 18 hours
Exams required:
- MS: oral exam
- MISE: oral exam
- PhD: general and oral exams
Language requirements:
- MS: none
- MISE: none
- PhD: none
Research required:
- MS: none
- MISE: none
- PhD: research plan of at least 12 hours
Practical experience required:
- MS: none
- MISE: none
- PhD: none
Typical number of years required to obtain degree:
- MS: 2
- MISE: 2
- PhD: 3 Minimum
Is there a non-thesis option?
- MS: yes
- MISE: yes
- PhD: no
CURRICULUM
Required courses (units)
Department core: 18 hours for all graduate degrees (includes either Ergonomics I-Work Physiology (3) or Safety Engineering I). Other required courses in addition to both of the previously mentioned for safety and ergonomics students include Ergonomics II: Biomechanics (3), Safety Engineering II: Systems Safety (3), Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Hazards (3), and Human factors Engineering (3). For Safety/Ergonomics PhDs only: Advanced Safety Engineering (3) and Research Methods (3). Injury Prevention PhDs are enocouraged to take the above course, though Industrial Hygiene is not required. Injury Prevention students also take courses in general public health and epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Number of courses outside department that are required:
Number of courses outside department that are recommended:
TBD depending on student's background
Average or typical class size in a required course:
RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
Research and support facilities available to students in the program:
State-of-the-art laboratory and computer facilities are available for research in safety engineering, ergonomics/human factors, and injury prevention.
Teaching opportunities available to students in the program:
Graduate students are encouraged to serve as teaching assistants or as the primary instructor in basic undergraduate courses in statistics, engineering economy, work measurement, and ergonomics.
Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:
Workplace assessment and design; safety communication in multilingual environments; evacuation modeling; patient handling in restricted spaces; evaluation and control of work-related musculoskeletal disorders; personal protective equipment design manpower studies; operations research applications to occupational safety; ergonomics/human factors.
STUDENT STATISTICS
Current number of active students in program, by gender:
On Campus:
- 5 Masters
- 5 PhDs
- 11 Outreach
Current number of first-year students in program:
Based on current graduate students in the MS in Human Systems Engineering program, the mean score on admission tests and undergraduate GPA by degree being sought are:
- MS/MISE: GRE 625 q, GPA 3.3
- PhD: GRE 675 q, GPA 3.5
FACULTY
Jerry Davis, PhD 2001, Auburn U.; systems safety, ergonomics, and manpower evaluations
Nathan T. Dorris, (visiting) PhD 2004, Auburn U.; human factors and warning systems
Leo A. Smith, (emeritus) PhD 1966, Purdue U.; safety and ergonomics
Robert B. Rummer, (adjunct) PhD, 1988, Auburn U.; safety and ergonomics with focus in forestry related applications
Robert E. Thomas, PhD 1988, Texas A&M U.; safety and ergonomics
[Updated January 2014]