Resources

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Location:   Daytona Beach, Florida

Department:   Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology


Quick links:

Directory of Graduate Programs

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

Title of program:

Human Factors (MS)
Human Factors (PhD)

Year human factors/ergonomics
program was established:

1997

Accredited by HFES?

Yes

Contact person for more information, including applications:

Human Factors Graduate Program Coordinator,
Dept. of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology
, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University,
600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900
386/226-6790;

Catalog:

Graduate Admissions, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University,
600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900
Download Catalog

Academic calendar:

Semester

Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:

MS and PhD

Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the programs:

The objective of the ERAU Daytona Beach Campus graduate programs in human factors is to educate M.S. and Ph.D. students to become human factors specialists and researchers in academia, government organizations or industry. The core curriculum consists of research methods and statistics (e.g., experimental design and statistics, multivariate statistics, and applied human factors methods), as well as courses in the fundamentals of human performance (sensation and perception, cognition, physiology, ergonomics, and human-computer interaction). Electives include healthcare, teamwork, automation, aging, simulation, aviation psychology, entertainment, user experience and other topics.

Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:

MS: 45; PhD: 10

Does the university have an HFES student chapter?

Yes


APPLICATION PROCESS

Application deadlines:

U.S. citizens and permanent residents: 30 days prior to start of term.
International students: 90 days prior to start of term.

Application Fees:

$50


ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum requirements

  • MS/PhD: GPA: 3.0
  • GRE: MS - Not required
  • GRE: PhD - 300 (Combined Verbal and Quantitative)
  • 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.

Importance of other criteria as admission factors:

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

Tuition and fees

Residents and nonresidents: $1,433/hour


ADMISSIONS

Number of students applying to the human factors/ergonomics program last year:

MS: 20; PhD: 15

Number of students accepted into the program last year:

MS: 16; PhD: 5

Number of students entering the program last year:

MS: 15; PhD: 5

Anticipated number of openings per year for the next two years:

MS: 25; PhD: 3 to 5


FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Percentage of students in program receiving financial assistance:

MS: unknown
PhD: 100%

Amount received per year:

MS: unknown
PhD: Full tuition; $15K Stipend

Types of assistance available:

Research Assistantships

When should students apply for financial assistance?

For research assistantships, apply within the HF Department


DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Graduate degree offered:

MS and PhD

Number of units required:

MS: 36; PhD: 84

Exams required Graduate degree offered:

MS: None
PhD: Written and oral comprehensive exam after year 2, oral defense of dissertation proposal, oral defense of dissertation.

Language requirements:

None

Research required:

MS students are recommended to get involved in research labs in the department;
PhD Students are required to conduct research throughout the degree program.Internships recommended

Practical experience required:

Internships recommended

Typical number of years required to obtain degree:

MS: 2; PhD: 5

Is there a non-thesis option?

MS: Yes; PhD: No


CURRICULUM

Required Courses (units):

Human Factors and Systems (3); Research Design and Analysis I (3); Research Design and Analysis II (3); Multivariate Statistics (3); Sensation and Perception (3); Memory and Cognition (3); Ergonomics (3); Human Factors Methods (3); Human Computer Interaction (3);

Electives:

M.S.: three elective courses totaling 9 credit hours (e.g., Aviation Psychology, Automation, Team Performance, Human Factors and Medicine; Human Factors and Entertainment, Human Factors and Aging, User Experience, Advanced Statistical Modeling, and etc.)
PhD: 6 elective courses beyond the M.S. degree

Number of courses outside department that are required:

0

Number of courses outside department that are recommended:

0

Average or typical class size in a required course:

5 - 20


RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES

Research and support facilities available to students in the program:

The Department is currently housed in the College of Arts and Sciences building on Daytona Beach Campus. All laboratories and offices are connected to the internet through the campus network.

The following laboratories are directed by the faculty:

  • Aging, Perception & Performance Lab
  • Applied Cognition and Training Science Lab
  • Game-based Education and Advanced Research Studies Lab
  • Research Engineering and Applied Collaborations in Healthcare Lab
  • Research in User eXperience Lab
  • Systems and Human Applied Research Performance (SHARP)

Teaching opportunities available to students in the program:
Some teaching assistant assignments are available.

Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:

Healthcare human factors; User Experience; Human Factors and Gaming; Accident investigation; Human Factors of complex systems; Effects of automation; Aviation human factors; Color vision, Vection effects; Safety; Human performance assessment; human-in-loop simulation, Air traffic management; and Pilot training.

Please see our website:

https://daytonabeach.erau.edu/college-arts-sciences/human-factors/

STUDENT STATISTICS

Current number of active students in program, by gender:

MS: 35 (13 Female; 22 Male)
PhD: 20 (12 Female; 8 Male)

Current number of first-year students in program:

MS: 15; PhD: 3

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: GPA 3.25
  • PhD: GPA 3.5

FACULTY

Elizabeth Blickensderfer, PhD; Training effectiveness, simulation-based training, team performance; system design; Aviation weather displays and pilot training; Aviation and Healthcare domains.

Albert Boquet, PhD; Aviation accidents, physiological mechanisms of stress and fatigue .

Hugo Castillo, PhD; Radiation biology, microbial ecology, environmental microbiology. Role of ionizing radiation on cellular homeostasis.

Alex Chaparro, PhD; Driver Distraction, Perception, Aging, Cognition, Multitasking.

Barbara S Chaparro, PhD; Human-Computer Interaction, Usability Testing, User Interface Design, Mobile Computing, Eye Tracking & Usability.

Shawn M. Doherty, PhD; Human Factors and entertainment, navigation, control dynamics, visual displays.

Christina M. Frederick, PhD Motivation, sports psychology, cognition.

Jon French, PhD; Aerospace physiology, pilot performance, psychopharmacology, and stress from fatigue and vestibular disruption.

Joseph R. Keebler, PhD; training and teamwork in medical, military, and consumer domains.

Elizabeth Lazzara, PhD; Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Accident Investigation, Team Performance, Human Performance Evaluations, Training, Team Training, Training Assessment, Simulation-based Training.

James Novak, PhD; Data Analytics, Bioinformatics, Ecological Genetics, Radiobiology.

Stephen Rice, PhD; Aviation human factors, technology, society and education; consumer perceptions in aviation and driverless vehicles.

Scott Shappell, PhD; Department Chair; human error, healthcare human factors, fatigue management, aeronautical decision making.

Eric Vaden, MS; training system design, performance measurement, and human-computer interaction.