PROGRAM BACKGROUND

Title of program:

Master’s and Ph.D. Programs within the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE).

• Students receive degrees in IOE, not in Human Factors.
• Students interested in Human Factors are advised to take related courses and conduct research in Human Factors.

Joint program:

Student-initiated dual-Masters and joint-PhD programs are available with several departments, including Psychology, Biomedical Engineering, Environmental Health Sciences, and Business. The key term here is "student-initiated."

Academic calendar:

The University of Michigan operates on the semester system: Fall (Sept–Dec) and Winter (Jan–April). A very limited number of classes are offered during the summer. Most students use the summer (May–August) for directed research.

Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:

• MS/MSE and PhD in IOE.
• No degree is offered with the title of Human Factors.

Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the program:

The University of Michigan's Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE) has offered graduate education in ergonomics, human factors, and safety engineering for more than 50 years. Faculty and students in the Department's Center for Ergonomics are committed to making workplaces and organizations safe, efficient, productive, and enjoyable. Our main goals are to gain and share a better understanding of how tools, technologies and work practices affect health and performance and how they can be improved through human-centered design. Our research also advances basic knowledge about people's psychological and physical abilities and limitations. Being part of the University of Michigan with over 250 degree programs, IOE and Center for Ergonomics provide an excellent opportunity to develop a systems-oriented and multi-disciplinary approach to engineering and design, combining cognitive, physical and organizational ergonomics and working with experts in a wide range of related disciplines.

Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:

• 8 PhDs in IOE with dissertation research on Human Factors
• Many Master’s degree are granted in IOE; some of the Master’s students had human factors as their main interest in taking courses or doing projects.

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APPLICATION PROCESS

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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum requirements:

Grade point average (A = 4.0): 3.0 / 3.5 is recommended.
This is not a strict minimum GPA admissions requirement. Applicants with lower GPAs may be given additional evaluations or other considerations.

GRE score is no longer required. This is now a permanent policy.

Admission to the master's degree program requires a Bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, science, or another undergraduate program from a recognized institution.

Most of IOE classes require and assume that the students are knowledgeable in one or more of the following subjects: Linear algebra, calculus-based probability, calculus-based statistics and computer programming.

If a student is admitted to the University of Michigan Industrial and Operations Engineering (U-M IOE) Master’s or PhD program, IOE department will provide a list of descriptions that the University of Michigan courses frequently use to satisfy the course prerequisites to help the student ascertain their knowledge of the above topics, and, if needed, attain the necessary background.

IOE Department will provide an opportunity to review the highlights of these subjects together with the fellow entering students before the fall semester begins. IOE Department will also recommend classes at the University of Michigan if a student prefers to take them during their graduate studies.

Admission to the PhD program does not require a Master's degree. Qualified students who hold a bachelor's degree in engineering, science, or mathematics may apply directly to the PhD program.

Tuition and fees:

• In-state Master’s and PhD: $31,870
• Out-of-state Master’s and Pre-Candidate PhD: $58,028 (for the academic year – 2 semesters)
• PhD Candidates: $17,836 (for the academic year – 2 semesters)

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ADMISSIONS

Note: Masters’ degree in IOE does not separate those interested in Human Factors or other areas. Therefore, we do not provide statistics at the Master’s level about students’ course work or research and career interests.

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FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Percentage of students in program receiving financial assistance:

• 100% of PhD students;
  a small percentage of Masters students
• PhD students: Full tuition coverage, stipend, and health care

Amount received per year:

Varies depending on many factors such as the type of support (Fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships), or in-state or out-state.

Types of assistance available:

• Fellowships (tuition exempt) - PhD: yes; Masters: no
• Graduate Student Research Assistantship (tuition exempt): PhD: yes; Master’s: maybe
• Graduate Student Instructor (tuition exempt): PhD: yes; Master’s: maybe Traineeships (tuition exempt) - yes, must be U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident and meet other requirements

When should students apply for financial assistance?

At the same time as submitting application for admission

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DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

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CURRICULUM

Required courses (units):

No required courses (course selection depends on student specialization)

Electives (units):

Electives: Cognitive Psychology (3), Seminar in Cognitive Processes: Engineering Psychology and User Experience (3), Problem Solving and Decision Making (3), Attention and Memory (3), Introduction to Cognitive Science (3), Quantitative Models in Cognition (3), Groups and Teams in Organizations (3), Sensation-Perception and Physiological Psychology (3), (3) Physiological Psychology (3), Physiological Psychology Laboratory (3) Advanced Tools and Methods in Cognition (3), Neurobiology of Memory (3), Human Learning and Motivation (3), Current Topics in Basic and Applied Psychology (3), Psychological Tests and Measurements (3), Exploratory Data Analysis (3), Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Models (3) Statistical Models of Tests Scores (3), Seminar in Cognitive Development (3), Personality (3), Psychology of Leadership (3), Selection and Assessment in Organizations (3), Techniques in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (3), Survey of Industrial & Organizational Psychology (3), Motivation (3), Training and Development (3). See course catalog for additional courses offered by Industrial and Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Exercise Science, Biology, and Neurobiology/Neuroscience

Number of courses outside department that are required:

All IOE graduate students (Master’s and PhD) must take at least 3 credit hours of courses outside the Industrial and Operations Engineering Department.

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RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES

Research and support facilities available to students in the program:

The Center for Ergonomics (C4E) facilities include 7 laboratories for studying a wide range of topics in the areas of cognitive and physical ergonomics, as well as occupational and organizational safety. Our research involves lab experiments, field studies and surveys, the use and development of models and simulations at various levels of fidelity and related to several application domains (e.g., flight simulator, UAV control, driving simulator, space operations), robots/co-bots (e.g., Sawyer, NAO), wearable sensors, exoskeletons, tactile and multimodal displays/interfaces, and eye tracking equipments.

Teaching opportunities available to students in the program:

A small number of Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) positions in Human Factors/Ergonomics are available each semester. These positions typically involve running laboratory sessions, running problem sessions, holding office hours, and grading.

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

In the area of cognitive ergonomics, our research focuses primarily on aspects of human-machine/robot interaction and human-autonomy teaming, modeling of human performance, empirical/simulation studies of multimodal and tactile information processing/displays, support for interruption management, decision support, human error, aesthetics and cultural ergonomics. In the area of physical ergonomics, our research focuses on biomechanical modeling and physiological studies of the musculoskeletal system, epidemiology of work-related injuries, the design of exosystems, the use of wearable sensors for real-time performance measurements and evaluations, and workplace design to prevent stress and traumatic injuries.

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STUDENT STATISTICS

Current number of active students in program, by gender:

More than 20 PhD students are currently doing dissertation research on Human Factors, pursuing PhD degrees in IOE, Robotics, or School of Information. About the same number of males and female

Of the number of those PhDs graduated in the past year, students gained employment in:

About the same numbers in Academia, Industry, or Government

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FACULTY:

Thomas J. Armstrong, measurement and design of manual work; biomechanical models, analysis and design of tools for control of work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the hand and wrist

Paul Green, modeling and evaluation of driver interfaces for workload and distraction; human-computer interaction

Yili Liu, computational and integrative models of human cognitive performance; theoretical and practical issues of human cognition, aesthetics, and cultural ergonomics

Matthew Reed,modeling of human motions; vehicle interior design models based on occupant posture requirements, anthropometry in design

Nadine Sarter, multimodal interfaces supporting human-computer interaction; human error and error management; decision support systems in complex event-driven domains

Leia Stirling, human-automation / robot interactions, design and evaluation of multimodal human-machine interfaces, decision support system / decision aiding, cognitive task / work analysis, human and posture / motion modeling

Oshin Tyagi, neuroergonomics, neuromodulations, occupational biomechanics, fatigue, stress, aging.

X. Jessie Yang, PhD 1995, University of Oklahoma. Engineering Education; Cognitive Ergonomics; Human-System Integration

Michael Wenger,human-autonomy interaction, human-robot interaction, teamwork in health care, user experience design

[Updated February 2024]