COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Science in Human Factors/Ergonomics is a 30-unit interdisciplinary graduate program designed to prepare students for advanced professional practice in the design and evaluation of human-centered systems. The program focuses on improving the interaction between humans and systems such as machines, software, environments, tasks, and organizations, with the goal of enhancing safety, usability, performance, and overall system effectiveness. Students gain expertise in areas such as human-machine interaction, cognitive ergonomics, perceptual and motor learning, experimental design, and human-system performance analysis.The core curriculum consists of 17 units. Students begin with ISE 210 (Human Factors/Ergonomics), which introduces foundational concepts of the field. They also take ISE 212 (Human Factors Experiments, GWAR), which emphasizes research design and scientific writing in experimental human factors studies. ISE 290 (Human Factors & Ergonomics Professional Seminar) provides professional development and exposure to current research and industry practice. Additional core courses include KIN 266 (Principles and Concepts of Perceptual Motor Learning), which explores human movement and skill acquisition, and PSYC 273 (Seminar in Human Factors), which integrates psychological principles into human factors applications. Students also select one course in experimental design from options such as ISE 135, ISE 202, or ISE 211, strengthening their ability to design and analyze research studies.In addition to core requirements, students complete 9 units of approved electives chosen in consultation with a graduate advisor, allowing specialization in areas aligned with their academic and career goals. The program concludes with a 4-unit culminating experience, which may be completed through either Plan A (Thesis) or Plan B (Project). Students can select from courses such as ISE 298, PSYC 298, KIN 298, or thesis options like ISE 299, PSYC 299, or KIN 299, depending on their focus area.Overall, the program integrates engineering, psychology, and kinesiology to prepare graduates for careers in usability engineering, product design, safety engineering, healthcare systems, transportation, and technology industries, where human-centered design is essential.