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Michigan Technological University

Location:   Houghton, Michigan

Department:  Cognitive and Learning Sciences

 

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Directory of Graduate Programs


PROGRAM BACKGROUND

Title of program:

Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors Program (MS, PhD)

Year human factors/ergonomics
program was established:

2010

Accredited by HFES?

No

Contact person for more information, including applications:

 

Dr. Samantha Smith

Michigan Technological University

Cognitive and Learning Sciences

1400 Townsend Dr.

Houghton, MI 49931

906-487-3302

slsmith1@mtu.edu

   

Catalog:

Download Catalog

Academic calendar:

Semester

Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:

PhD Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors
MS Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors

The Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors Program's curriculum is designed to develop scholars and practitioners capable of improving sociotechnical systems through instructional and technological design, providing a strong scientific and technological basis in cognitive science and human factors. Master's and doctoral students enrolled in this program gain core competency in understanding human behavior, conducting human-subject research, and employing the concepts, tools, and applications of human-factors psychology.

Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the programs:

This research-intensive program unites the expertise of multiple disciplines toward optimizing performance, health, and safety at the interface of humans and technology. Participating scholars include both human experts and built-systems experts, including psychologists, engineers, computer scientists, and usability specialists. Scholarship emphasizes human attention, perception, memory, cognition, and action in the following areas:

  • Cognitive engineering and decision making;
  • Individual differences in human performance;
  • Physical ergonomics;
  • Human-centered design; and
  • Educational technology

Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:

     9 PhD, 14      MS

Can students attend part-time?

Yes

Are required courses offered through distance learning?

No

Does the university have an HFES student chapter?

Yes


APPLICATION PROCESS

Application deadlines:

January     15

 

Application Fees:

Free; submitted online

 


ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum requirements

  • GPA: 3.5
  • GRE:       recommended for PhD Program Applicants
  • Other: 3 letters of recommendation; CV; personal statement/writing sample; BA/BS in Psychology, Human Factors, Computer Science, Engineering, or related areas (rec); BA/BS (req); Pre-Req coursework for non Psychology graduates includes Research Methods, Cognitive Psychology, Statistics (req, although can complete first year in program)

Importance of other criteria as admission factors:

  • Research: high
  • Work experience: medium
  • Extracurricular activities: medium
  • Letters: high
  • Interview: high

Tuition and fees

Full time: $1,283     /credit (9 credits = full time)
Part time: $1,283     /credit


ADMISSIONS

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

89    

Number of students accepted into the program last year:

30    

Number of students entering the program last year:

6    

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

3-5 PhD students; 5-10 MS students


FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Percentage of students in program receiving financial assistance:

100%

Amount received per year:

M          inimum stipend rate for MS students or incoming PhD without an MS degree is $7881 per semester.  Minimum stipend rate for incoming PhD with an MS is $9,151 per semester. Full-Time Grad Assistantships also include full tuition.      .

Students in the MS coursework track are self-funded.

Types of assistance available:

Teaching and research assistantships

When should students apply for financial assistance?

With application; all accepted students are considered for assistance


DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Graduate degree offered:

MS (coursework and thesis tracks available) and PhD

Requirements:

See program website for details


CURRICULUM

Required Courses (units):

  • Applied Cognitive Science (3)
  • Human Factors Psychology (3)
  • Advanced Statistical Analysis and Design      (6     )

Electives:

  •      
  • Judgment and Decision Making (3)
  • Cognitive Task Analysis (3)
  •      
  • Research Methods (3)
  • Survey and Meta-analytic Methods (3)
  • Usability Assessment (3)
  • Cognitive Psychology (3)
  • Attention (3)
  • Memory and Learning (3)
  • Cognitive and Motor Aging (3)
  • Motor Learning and Control (3)
  • Human Factors Tools and Techniques (3)
  • Human Factors in Health Care (3)
  • Human-AI Interaction (3)
  • Sensation and Perception (3)
  • Ergonomics (3)

Number of courses outside department that are required:

none

Number of courses outside department that are recommended:

0–2+

Average or typical class size in a required course:

4     –20 students (6–8 average)


RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES

Research and support facilities available to students in the program:
Our state-of-the-art research facilities, located on the ground floor of the Meese Center, are equipped with innovative equipment, including a usability suite; a video-based simulation system; a driving simulator;      eye-movement and motion tracking systems;      a display wall (24 multi-visions);      ; driving simulator      (NADS miniSim     ); physiological devices (ECG, EMG, Respiration belt); neuroergonomic equipment (fNIRS, EEG); robots (i-Robot, Romo), and many more.

Teaching opportunities available to students in the program:
Qualified students with MA/MS degrees may teach undergraduate courses in psychology or human factors. Qualified students with BA/BS degrees may teach course lab sections or serve as teaching assistants/graders.

Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:
     Research focuses on bridging the gap between basic and applied science with an emphasis on addressing real-world problems. Current projects include:

  • Examining driving decision behavior in response to intelligent in-vehicle audio-visual warnings related to V2I.
  • Assessing whether subtle changes in the ability to learn new motor skills is predictive of cognitive impairment in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Investigating the impact of dark environments on reactive balance control in later adulthood.
  • Development and validation of the Intervention Usability Scale for Exercise (IUSE)
  • Developing a new Human Factors method that supports eye-tracking interpretation.
  • Integrating biopsychosocial dynamics to optimize ACL injury recovery: A longitudinal person-centered modeling approach
  • Investigating sustained attention performance under different environmental conditions, break conditions, and multitasking demands
  • Examining the effect of video game play on transfer and learning outside the game.
  • Studying sensemaking in a variety of contexts from maker spaces to analysts.
  • Developing models of decision making in real world environments.
  • Explainable AI
  • Evaluating effectiveness of different modes of interaction for Artificial Intelligence systems

 


STUDENT STATISTICS

Current number of active students in program:

20    

Current number of first-year students in program:

4


FACULTY

               

Briana Bettin, PhD, User Experience; Human factors; Human-Computer Interactions; Mental Models; Information Representation; Rural Digital Literacy; Education, Engagement, and Retention; Digital Anthropology

Shane T. Mueller, PhD, Computational Modeling and Recognitional Decision Making; Perceptual and Memory Processes; Representations of Cultural Knowledge

Erich Petushek, PhD, Injury/Illness Prevention; Implementation Science; Information Design; Risk Assessment and Communication

Samantha Smith, PhD, Cognitive Demand of Physical Tasks; Cognitive State Assessment; Multitasking; Sustained Attention

Kelly S. Steelman, PhD, Basic and Applied Attention, and Models of Attention; Human Performance in Aviation; Instructional Design and Display Design; Tech Adoption and Training

Kevin M. Trewartha, PhD, Cognitive Aging; Cognitive Neuroscience; Motor Learning; Sensorimotor Control; Memory; Cognitive Control

Leo C. Ureel II, PhD, Software Engineering; Computer Science Education; Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Elizabeth Veinott, PhD, Decision Making; Problem Solving; Learning and Video Games for STEM; CSCW; Structured Analytic Techniques

Jason Harman, PhD, Dynamic Decision Making; Cognitive Process Models; Gamification; AI Ethics, Explainability, & Model Selection; Applied Decision Science