PROGRAM BACKGROUND
Title of program:
Human-Computer Interaction/Cognitive Systems Engineering
Year human factors/ergonomics program was established:
Contact person for more information, including applications:
Stephanie Guerlain, 434/924-4438,
guerlain@virginia.edu
Ellen J. Bass, 434/243-5531
Gregory J. Gerling, 434/924-0533
University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400747, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4747
Catalog (free):
University Bookstore, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904; information available at departmental Web site
Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:
Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the program:
The research program focuses on human-computer interaction and cognitive systems engineering, in both cognitive and biophysical domains. Visualization of genome/protein sequences; patient safety research; computer-based training; supervisory control and decision support systems design; eye gaze development and analysis; cognitive modeling of individual and team performance; usability testing, modeling the neural and physiological bases of touch, designing and evaluating medical simulators. Research is conducted in the medical, military command and control, process control, weather, and aviation domain areas. Accredited by ABET.
Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:
Can students attend part-time?
Are required courses offered through distance learning?
Some courses are taught through the Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program distance learning program on a rolling basis. These courses are for credit and are viewable from video sites throughout Virginia.
Are required courses offered at night?
Are required courses offered during summer?
Does the university have an HFES student chapter?
APPLICATION PROCESS
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Minimum requirements:
- GPA: 3.0
- GRE: 1300
- Other: An undergraduate degree in systems engineering, industrial engineering, cognitive psychology, computer science, or other relevant field is recommended. Math through mutlivariate calculus, differential equations and linear algebra, probability, statistics, and computer programming are highly recommended.
Importance of other criteria as admission factors
- Research: medium
- Work experience: medium
- Letters: high
- Interview: high
Tuition and fees
- Residents: $9,810/yea
- Nonresidents: $20,410/year
ADMISSIONS
Number of students applying to the human factors/ergonomics program last year:
Number of students accepted into 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:
Amounts received per year:
$17,200 (+ tuition exemption and health care for both TAs and RAs)
Types of assistance available:
When should students apply for financial assistance?
With application by January 15 for full consideration
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Graduate degrees offered:
Number of units required:
- ME: 32
- MS: 32
- PhD: 26 beyond master's
Exams required:
- ME: none
- MS: thesis proposal and defense
- PhD: comprehensive oral and written exams, dissertation proposal and defense
Research required:
- ME: project
- MS: thesis research, journal article
- PhD: dissertation research, 3 journal articles
Typical number of years required to obtain degree:
- ME: 1
- MS: 2
- PhD: 3 beyond master's
Is there a non-thesis option?
CURRICULUM
Required courses:
- ME: 5 including colloquium, total 30 credits
- MS: 4 including colloquium, total 24 credits
- PhD: total of 24 credits beyond MS
Number of courses outside department that are required:
- ME: 0
- MS: 0
- PhD: 6 credits of graduate math
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:
Human-computer interaction laboratories (3), video observation and editing equipment, eye-tracking hardware/software system, PHANTOM Omni interactive force-feedback device, BioPac non-invasive equipment to record physiological responses speech recognition software, networked computer lab with extensive software, scanners, printers, phones, e-mail, etc. Research assistantships, graduate student offices, and computer labs are available to graduate students. Active collaborations with research labs at the Navy, NASA, and University Hospital.
Teaching opportunities available to students in the program: Teaching assistantships are available.
Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:
Visualization of genome/protein sequences; patient safety research; computer-based training; supervisory control and decision support systems design; eye gaze development and analysis; cognitive modeling of individual and team performance; usability testing, modeling the neural and physiological bases of touch, designing and evaluating medical simulators.
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:
FACULTY
Ellen Bass, PhD 2002, Georgia Tech; aviation human factors, cognitive systems engineering, dynamic decision making, human-automation interaction, intelligent decision support systems, intelligent learning environments
Stephanie Guerlain, PhD 1996, Ohio State U.; cognitive systems engineering, human-automation interaction, HCI, computer-based training, data visualization, decision support
Gregory J. Gerling, PhD 2005, U. of Iowa; HCI, haptics, computational neuroscience, brain-machine interaction, medical simulation, biomechanics, control theory, rehabilitation
Mike Gorman, PhD 1981, U. of New Hampshire; scientific and technological thinking, invention and design, interdisciplinary collaboration
Dennis R. Proffitt (Dept. of Psychology), PhD 1976, Penn State U.; HCI & InfoCockpits, presence & virtual reality, brain imaging (fMRI), perceiving spatial layout, context-dependent memory, intuitive physics
[
Updated Winter 2007]