Resources

Mississippi State University

Location:   Mississippi State, Mississippi (Starkville, Mississippi)

Department:  Industrial and Systems Engineering

 

Quick links:

 

Directory of Graduate Programs


PROGRAM BACKGROUND

Title of program:

Industrial and Systems Engineering with a concentration option in Human Factors and Ergonomics (MS, PhD)

Year human factors/ergonomics
program was established:

1962

Accredited by HFES?

No

Contact person for more information, including applications:

Mohammad Marufuzzaman, PhD, or Lesley Strawderman, PhD, PE
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Mississippi State University
P.O. Box 9542
479-2 Hardy Rd., 260 McCain
Mississippi State, MS 39762-9542
662/325-7216

maurf@ise.msstate.edu

or 662/325-7214
strawderman@ise.msstate.edu

Catalog ($3):

Office of Graduate Studies
P.O. Box G
116 Allen Hall
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39762
grad@grad.msstate.edu

 

Website:

http://www.ise.msstate.edu

Academic calendar:

Semester

Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:

MS and PhD both through the main campus in Starkville or 100% online

Athlete Engineering (AE) Graduate Certificate

Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the programs:

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Concentration in Industrial and Systems Engineering is designed for students who desire a comprehensive education in physical and/or cognitive ergonomics and human factors, and occupational health and safety. Students will complete additional hours in other aspects of ISE as well as from supporting disciplines to allow students to focus their degree towards their specific career objectives.

The Athlete Engineering Graduate Certificate provides students with exposure to both laboratory equipment and sport-specific wearable technologies to explore human performance across the sports, industry, and military sectors.  Students also complete courses related to HF/E as well as courses from Kinesiology and the School of Human Sciences.  Courses completed as part of the AE certificate program can be used to fulfill coursework requirements for the MS and/or PhD.

Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:

MS 48, PhD 32

Can students attend part-time?

Yes

Are classes offered during summer

Yes

Are classes offered at night?

Occasionally, but we do offer asynchronous online courses to accommodate various schedules globally

Does the university have an HFES student chapter?

Yes


APPLICATION PROCESS

Application deadlines:

May 1 (fall)
October 1 (spring)
March 1 (summer)

 

Application Fees:

$60 (nonrefundable)

 


ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum requirements

  • GPA (MS): 3.0/4.0 (junior and senior years)
  • Other: TOEFL of 54 and above (79 and above required for no additional university level requirements or restrictions) or IELTS of 4.6 and above (6.5 and above required for no additional university level requirements or restrictions)

Importance of other criteria as admission factors:

  • Research: medium
  • Work experience: medium
  • Letters: high

 

Tuition and fees

Subject to change and can be found here:  https://www.controller.msstate.edu/accountservices/tuition

Full-time enrollment (9-13 hours)

  • Resident (9-13 credit hours): $4,907.50/semester
    Nonresident: $13,290.00/semester
     

Part time enrollment or overload (less than 9 or more than 13 hours)

  • Resident: $545.34
  • Nonresident: $1,476.84
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ADMISSIONS

Student Acceptance Rate:

46%

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

3-5


FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Percentage of students in program receiving financial assistance:

80%

Amount received per year:

$1,800–$2,500/month depending on student level and funds availability

Types of assistance available:

Assistantship (tuition exempt); GTA and GRA (tuition exempt); fellowships

When should students apply for financial assistance?

With application for admission


DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Graduate degree offered:

MS, PhD, and graduate certificate

Number of units required:

MS: 24 course hours plus 6 hours of thesis
9-hour minimum enrollment (fall, spring)
6-hour minimum enrollment (summer)
PhD: 48 course hours post BS minimum
plus 20 hours of dissertation research

Certificate:  15 course hours

Exams required:

MS: thesis proposal and thesis defense or non-thesis exam
PhD: comprehensive exam (written and oral), dissertation proposal, and dissertation defense

Certificate:  N/A

Language requirements:

None

Research required:

MS: thesis research, summer internship or equivalent independent research
PhD: dissertation research

Certificate:  none though there are options

Practical experience required:

None

Typical number of years required to obtain degree:

MS: 2 (thesis)
PhD: 2–3 beyond MS

Certificate:  1 year

Is there a non-thesis option?

Yes (30 course hours and written and oral comprehensive exam)


CURRICULUM

Students must complete their curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or better. Course descriptions can be found at http://catalog.msstate.edu/graduate/colleges-degree-programs/engineering/industrial-systems/#coursestext.  Classes are added to this list periodically. 

Number of courses outside department that are required:

MS: 1 Statistics, 1 support area
PhD: 2 Statistics, 2 support area

Number of courses outside department that are recommended:

2–4

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 of Industrial and Systems Engineering has a well-developed laboratory that supports research and teaching in industrial and cognitive ergonomics (roughly 5,000 square feet) in McCain Engineering Hall. Additionally, research conducted in conjunction with the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems may be conducted in the CAVS Human Factors Laboratory or Driving Simulator Laboratory.

Teaching opportunities available to students in the program:
Graduate Teaching Assistants help faculty with course preparation, grading, laboratory exercises, group work, and lectures. Senior PhD students occasionally teach undergraduate courses, and in special cases graduate courses, under faculty supervision.

Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:
The laboratory currently supports research in many HFE areas: ageing, cognitive performance, construction safety and health, consumer project design, usability, human-computer interaction, industrial ergonomics, biomechanics, musculoskeletal disorders, occupational safety and health, sociotechnical (macroergonomics) systems, health systems, localized and global fatigue, thermal applications, workload, stress, virtual reality and augmented visualizations, worker training, work systems design, digital human modeling, standards development and evaluation, and transportation.


STUDENT STATISTICS

Current number of active students in program:

120

Current number of first-year students in program:

20

Based on current graduate students in the program, the mean score on admission tests and undergraduate GPA by degree being sought are:

GPA 3.5/4.0


FACULTY

Kari Babski-Reeves, PhD 2000, Mississippi State U.

Lesley Strawderman, PhD 2006, Pennsylvania State U.

Reuben Burch, PhD 2014, Mississippi State U.

Adam Piper, PhD 2009, Auburn University

Jessica Vargas-Gonzales, PhD 2023, Pennsylvania State U.

[Updated February 2024]