PROGRAM BACKGROUND
Title of program:
Human Systems Concentration in Systems Design Engineering
Year human factors/ergonomics program was established:
Contact person for more information, including applications:
Catherine Burns, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON Canada N2L 3G1, 519/888-4567 ext. 33903;
c4burns@uwaterloo.ca
Human factors/ergonomics graduate degrees offered:
Goals, objectives, and emphasis of the program:
The emphasis of the program is a human factors engineering approach to improving the performance of humans in complex systems through engineering design. Cognitive engineering and user centered approaches to requirements specification are supplemented with techniques from human-computer interaction, visualization, and cognitive ergonomics to reach design solutions. Solutions are then evaluated with human factors methods such as experimentation and human performance modeling to assess viability in a systems environment. Domains of interest are usually complex systems such as aviation, air traffic control, transportation, military, power systems, education, or healthcare. Solution technologies may include the design of displays, collaborative systems, novel input devices, adaptive interfaces, and novel display environments large or small, and augmented reality systems.
Number of degrees granted during last 3 years:
Can students attend part-time?
Are required courses offered through distance learning?
Are required courses offered at night?
Are required courses offered during summer?
Does the university have an HFES student chapter?
APPLICATION PROCESS
Application deadlines:
February 1 deadline to start in the Fall term (September), June 1 deadline to start in the Winter (January), and October 1 deadline to start in the Spring term (May)
Application fee
$100 (Cdn); one application with specific departmental requirements for Systems Design
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Minimum requirements:
- GPA: 75% minimum average from an honors bachelor's program
- GRE: n/a
- Other: English language requirements
Importance of other criteria as admission factors:
- Previous research activity: high
- Work experience: high
- Extracurricular activities: medium
- Letters of recommendation: high
- Interview: medium
Tuition and fees
Per term: $2,785.04 (Cdn, domestic), $6,665.04 (Cdn, international)
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 per term:
$5,666.66 (Cdn) MASc, $7,075.00 (Cdn) PhD, minimum
Types of assistance available:
Teaching assistantship, research assistantship
When should students apply for financial assistance?
Before or concurrent with application for admission
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Graduate degrees offered:
Number of units required:
Exams required:
MASc: thesis, no comprehensive exams
PhD: dissertation with oral defense, comprehensive exams
Research required:
MASc: thesis
PhD: dissertation
Practical experience required:
Typical number of years required to obtain degree:
MASc: 2 typically
PhD: 3 typically
Typical number of years required to obtain degree:
MASc: 2 typically
PhD: 3 typically
Is there a non-thesis option?
CURRICULUM
Required courses (units):
Electives (units):
User Centered Design (1), Interface Design (1), Cognitive Ergonomics (1), Collaborative Systems Design (1), Cognitive Engineering Methods (1), Human Factors Testing (1), Selected Topics in Human Systems (1)
Number of courses outside department that are required:
Number of courses outside department that are recommended:
Human Computer Interaction (1), User Interface Tools (1), Advanced Topics in Human Computer Interaction (1)
Average or typical class size in a required course:
RESEARCH/TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
Research and support facilities available to students in the program:
A comprehensive R&D space shared by the 5 research lab groups. Lab equipment includes EEG/GSR sensors, a variety of simulators (UAV, flying, driving, military, financial), Oculus Rift, Google Glass, multi-touch tabletops, interactive large wall displays, ICU and other medical equipment, etc.
Teaching opportunities available to students in the program:
Teaching assistantships are regularly available including opportunities in undergraduate human factors courses, TA application required
Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:
Cognitive engineering, virtual and augmented reality, collaborative systems, interface design, interaction design, human performance modeling, complexity on human performance, human factors in driving, situation awareness design
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:
Of the number of those graduating in the past year, what percentage gained employment in:
- 50% academia
- 50% industry
FACULTY
Catherine Burns, PhD 1998, U. of Toronto; HFES member; cognitive engineering, ecological interface design, cognitive work analysis, graphical interface design and visualization
Shi Cao, PhD 2013, U. of Michigan; HFES member; human performance and mental workload modeling, decision making, skill learning, fatigue, computational modeling, artificial intelligence, discrete event simulation, cognitive engineering, ACT-R, QN-ACTR
Stacey Scott, PhD 2005, U. of Calgary; collaboration, human-computer interaction, interactive large wall displays, multi-display environments, interaction design
Carolyn MacGregor, PhD 1993, U. of Toronto; HFES member; virtual reality, input devices, user centered design, usability
Jonathan Histon (adjunct), PhD 2008, MIT; complexity, human performance, air traffic control, simulation, training
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Updated January 2015]