PROGRAM BACKGROUND
Title of program:
Industrial Engineering – Industrial Ergonomics Option
Year human factors/ergonomics program was established:
Contact person for more information, including applications:
Dr. Rafael Gutierrez, IE Graduate Program Director, University of Texas at El Paso, Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering Dept., 500 W. University Dr., El Paso, TX 79968-0521; 915/747-6901;
rsgutier@utep.edu
Catalog (free):
Graduate School, 500 W. University Dr., El Paso, TX 79968-0521
Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:
Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the program:
The Industrial Ergonomics option of the Industrial Engineering Program addresses human capabilities and behavior and how these characteristics are incorporated into the design, evaluation, operation, and maintenance of manufacturing systems that are intended for safe, effective, and efficient use. The Industrial Ergonomics option focuses on job performance and evaluation and on the ability of people to perform tasks. The Industrial Ergonomics option will prepare the student to address such issues as work design and measurement, worker safety, worker productivity, and human reliability.
Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:
Can students attend part-time?
Are required courses offered on weekends?
Are required courses offered at night?
Are required courses offered during summer?
Does the university have an HFES student chapter?
APPLICATION PROCESS
Application deadlines:
July 1 (fall), November 1 (spring), April 1 (summer)
Application fees:
$15 U.S. or permanent residents, $65 international applicants
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Minimum requirements
- GPA: 3.0
- GRE: 400 v, 600 q, 1000 v + q
- Other: TOEFL for international applicants: minimum 550. BS in engineering or science, one semester of calculus-based probability and statistics.
Importance of other criteria as admission factors:
- Research: medium
- Work experience: medium
- Letters: low<
- Interview: low
Tuition and fees
- Resident: $993 per 10-hour semester
- Nonresident: $3,053 per 10-hour semester
ADMISSIONS
Number of students applying to the human factors/ergonomics program last year:
Number of students accepted into the program last year:
Number of students entering the program last year:
Anticipated number of openings per year for the next two years:
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Percentage of students in program receiving financial assistance:
Amount received:
$1,000/month for 9 months; $1,000/month for 3 summer months
Types of assistance available:
TA, RA, scholarship, none tuition exempt, but international students pay resident rates
When should students apply for financial assistance?
Once enrolled, after one semester of registration
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
When should students apply for financial assistance?
Once enrolled, after one semester of registration
Graduate degrees offered:
Number of units required:
24 hours + 6 hours of thesis + 1 hour of graduate seminar, or 36 hours in nonthesis option
Practical experience required:
Typical number of years required to obtain degree:
Is there a non-thesis option?
Is there a non-thesis option?
CURRICULUM
Required courses (units):
Industrial Engineering core: Design of Experiments (3), Graduate Seminar (1); Thesis (6). Industrial Ergonomics core: Advanced Work Design (3), Advanced Concepts in Safety Engineering (3), Advanced Ergonomics (3)
Electives (units):
Core: Measurement Techniques in Exercise Physiology (3), Advanced Exercise Physiology (3), Psychological Foundations of Physical Activity (3), Measurement Techniques in Biomechanical Analysis (3), Neuroscience Applied to Exercise and Work (3), Advanced Cognitive Processes (3), Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3), Personnel Selection and Placement (3), Seminar in Human Performance (3), Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology (3). General: Advanced Dynamics (3), Industrial Statistics (3), Advanced Engineering Economy (3), Management of Technology (3), Computer Simulation (3), Design for Manufacturability (3), Organizational Behavior Seminar (3)
Number of courses outside department that are required:
Number of courses outside department that are recommended:
Average or typical class size in a required course:
RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
Research and support facilities available to students in the program:
Through the Ergonomics, Safety and Productivity Applications Laboratory, industrial ergonomics graduate students have extensive research opportunities with local industry and government. There are more than 360 American twin-plants, with Fortune 500 firms represented. There are also 3 military bases within a 100-mile radius. Many of these firms support students as RAs through the Engineering Consortium.
Teaching opportunities available to students in the program:
Lab instructors for Ergonomics, Methods Engineering, and Industrial Layout courses
Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:
Prediction methodologies for RMI and industrial accidents, work design methodology, computational models for sit versus stand work, and simulation and animation models of work
STUDENT STATISTICS
Current number of active students in program, by gender:
Current number of first-year students in program:
Based on current graduate students in the program, the mean score on admission tests and undergraduate GPA by degree being sought are:
- GRE 475 v, 650 q, 505 a
- GPA 3.05
FACULTY
Luis Rene Contreras, PhD 1995, Kansas State U.; biomechanics, systems safety
Thomas J. McLean, PhD 1976, Arizona State U.; occupational safety, human productivity and reliability, cost models
Arun Pennathur, PhD 1999, U. Cincinnati; workstation design, electromyography
Rolando Quintana, PhD 1995, New Mexico State U.; work design, industrial ergonomics, systems safety
[
Updated March 2011]