Master of Science in
Human Factors
Today’s rapid technological progression demands an in-depth understanding of how systems and people operate together, with an emphasis on minimizing human error in order to improve operational efficiency, effectiveness and safety.
Embry-Riddle’s Human Factors graduate and post-graduate programs prepare its students to ensure that human-centered concerns, both psychological and physiological, are given due consideration during the design and development processes of systems, products, and work environments.
Students will combine learned psychological principles and engineering fundamentals to maximize interaction of humans with machines, as well as human performance issues. Graduates emerge from the program ready for a career in research, analysis, or design.
The Master of Science in Human Factors offered at Daytona Beach offers a distinct focus on the aviation/aerospace industry, while the Master of Science in Human Factors offered at Worldwide Online gives students the option to focus their research on either aerospace or systems engineering.
DEGREE DETAILS
This degree is offered at the following campuses. Select a campus to learn more.
About Human Factors at the Daytona Beach, FL Campus
The science of Human Factors is driving the growth of industries that depend on how humans interact with technology. The Master of Science in Human Factors degree at Embry-Riddle is designed for post-bachelor students who want to advance their learning in the principles of human factors and experimental psychology, including statistical and quantitative procedures, experimental design, and survey methods. The program is designed to prepare graduates for doctoral-level studies while at the same time getting them ready for employment in real-world aviation/aerospace environments. Research, consulting, and internship arrangements are included in the program.
The Master of Science in Human Factors degree is housed in the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Master’s program has two distinct tracks, allowing students to choose to study either the techniques of human factors research, or a systematic approach to designing machines, tasks, systems, and workplaces.
Depending on the track chosen, a typical first year will include core courses such as Research Design and Analysis and Human Factors in Systems, plus electives such as Systems Concepts, Theory, and Tools, or Organizational Behavior, Theory, and Applications in Aviation.
Students have access to labs and facilities at the Daytona Campus dedicated to aerospace and aviation, including the unmanned aircraft systems simulation, team performance lab, physiology and color vision lab, and the motion sickness lab.
Introduction
The Department of Human Factors offers graduate instruction leading to the Master of Science degree in Human Factors. This program is designed to meet the highest academic standards, fully preparing students for doctoral-level studies while at the same time preparing students for immediate employment in the real world of cost-sensitive and operationally driven aviation/aerospace and technical environments.
The masters program will produce a graduate with the capacity to design, conduct, and apply human factors methods research in support of simple and complex systems. Graduates will work as a human factors professionals in government, academic and private organizations. A variety of research, consulting, and internship opportunities are available throughout the program.
Students receive education in the principles of human factors and experimental psychology, including statistical and quantitative procedures, experimental design, and survey methods.
A combined Human Factors program is available. Please see the undergraduate Human Factors program for details.
Degree Requirements
| Option | Core Courses | Electives | Thesis | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis | 27 | 3 | 6 | 36 |
| Non-Thesis | 27 | 9 | 0 | 36 |
| Core Courses | 27 | |
| HFS 510 | Research Design and Analysis I | 3 |
| HFS 515 | Ergonomics | 3 |
| HFS 600 | Human Factors in Systems | 3 |
| HFS 610 | Research Design and Analysis II | 3 |
| HFS 612 | Human Factors Methods | 3 |
| HFS 615 | Sensation and Perception | 3 |
| HFS 620 | Memory and Cognition | 3 |
| HFS 635 | Human-Computer Interaction | 3 |
| HFS 675 | Multivariate Statistics: Factor Analysis and Data Reduction | 3 |
| Electives * | 3-9 | |
BA 511 | Operations Research | |
BA 520 | Organizational Behavior, Theory, and Applications in Aviation | |
HFS 500 | Systems Concepts, Theory, and Tools | |
HFS 520 | Team Performance | |
HFS 521 | Modeling Humans in Complex Systems | |
HFS 526 | Aerospace Physiology | |
HFS 527 | Psychopharmacology | |
HFS 590 | Graduate Seminar | |
HFS 614 | Human Factors in Medicine | |
HFS 616 | Human Factors of Transportation | |
HFS 618 | HF in Aging: Behavioral and Biological Foundations | |
HFS 622 | Human Factors in Entertainment Systems | |
HFS 624 | User Experience | |
HFS 625 | Applied Testing and Selection | |
HFS 626 | Human Factors Principles of Visual Communication | |
HFS 630 | Applied Cognitive Science | |
HFS 640 | Aviation/Aerospace Psychology | |
HFS 650 | Human Factors of Aviation/Aerospace Applications | |
HFS 680 | Graduate Seminar: Current Applications in Human Factors | |
HFS 690 | Graduate Student Capstone | |
HFS 696 | Graduate Internship in Human Factors and Systems (highly recommended) | |
HFS 699 | Special Topics in Human Factors and Systems | |
HFS 705 | Small N Designs and Non-Parametric Analysis | |
MSA 611 | Aviation/Aerospace System Safety | |
MSA 641 | Production and Procurement Management in the Aviation/Aerospace Industry | |
SE 500 | Software Engineering Discipline | |
SE 520 | Formal Methods for Software Engineering | |
SE 545 | Specification and Design of Real-Time Systems | |
| Option I | ||
| HFS 700 | Thesis | 6 |
| Three upper-level credits of HFS electives (500-600 level) | 3 | |
| Option II | ||
| Nine upper-level credits of HFS electives (500-600 level) | 9 | |
| Total Required | 36 | |
| * | Other elective courses may be available with approval of the Graduate Program Coordinator. A total of four electives must be fulfilled for degree completion. |
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Degree Summary
36 Credits
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About Human Factors at the Worldwide & Online Campus
The science of Human Factors is driving the growth of industries that depend on how humans interact with technology. The Master of Science in Human Factors is an online program tailored to working professionals who want to better understand the interrelationship between human performance and technology. The degree is focused on application, development, and leadership in a wide variety of industries concerned with human performance, system design and safety.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide created the M.S. in Human Factors degree in response to the challenges of better leveraging humans and machines in the global workforce. The goal is to produce graduates who can lead industries in identifying trends, analyzing requirements, developing strategies, recommending solutions, and recognizing opportunities for innovation in this field.
The M.S. in Human Factors offered by Embry-Riddle is designed for post-bachelor’s professionals who are working as system operators/designers/developers, engineers, researchers, pilots and maintainers, applications experts, industry leaders, organizational managers, and more.
Students have the opportunity to pursue either an Aerospace or Systems Engineering track to tailor the learning experience to their specific needs. Along either track, students can expect to study: the way humans perceive and think about the world around them; human performance limitations and errors; virtual, robotic, and simulation environments and the human experience; and the impact of ergonomics, biomechanics, and anthropometrics on human effectiveness.
Offered completely online, this program allows students to network with fellow professionals from around the world, as well as with highly skilled faculty members with decades of practical experience.
The Master of Science in Human Factors (MSHF) is an online program tailored to working professionals who want to better understand the interrelationship between human performance and technology. The degree is focused on application, development, and leadership in a wide variety of industries concerned with human performance, system design and safety.
Students have the opportunity to pursue either an Aerospace or Systems Engineering track to tailor the learning experience to your specific needs. Along either track, you can expect to study: the way humans perceive and think about the world around them; human performance limitations and errors; virtual, robotic, and simulation environments and the human experience; and the impact of ergonomics, biomechanics, and anthropometrics on human effectiveness.
You will also delve into current and past events in which human error led to operational failures, and conduct a Capstone Research Project (or Thesis Research Project) as a core element of the curriculum in both the Aerospace and Systems Engineering tracks. Our goal is for you to emerge from the MS in Human Factors program with the ability as an industry leader with the knowledge to identify trends, analyze requirements, develop strategies, recommend solutions, and recognize opportunities for innovation in this field.
Students may opt for the opportunity to complete a thesis in place of a capstone. This option will allow the student to complete original human factors research near the end of the MSHF degree program. Both capstone and thesis students will complete 36 credits. Those who select the thesis option must then qualify by taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and earn scores in the top 50th percentile in the three areas of Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytic Writing. Optionally, students may present these same results for a GRE taken within the preceding five years.
The MSHF degree program does not include any elective courses, and it follows a carefully prescribed prerequisite course progression. Two Human Performance Core courses, MSHF 606 and MSHF 612 must be successfully completed before a student may progress in the Program, and the capstone or thesis must be the final culminating course(s). Please see the individual course descriptions in this catalog for the specific prerequisites.
Major/Core
Capstone Option
Human Performance Core:
| MSHF 606 | Human Cognition | 3 |
| MSHF 612 | Human Performance, Limitation, and Error | 3 |
| MSHF 618 | Virtual Environments, Simulation and Robotics | 3 |
| MSHF 624 | Ergonomics and Biomechanics | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Human Factors Specializations (*select one):
Aerospace: | ||
| ASCI 634 | Aviation/Aerospace Psychology | 3 |
| MSHF 640 | Human Physiology and Adaptation in Aerospace Environments | 3 |
| MSHF 646 | Industrial Applications in Aerospace | 3 |
| MSHF 652 | Crew Platform Automation, Design, and Integration | 3 |
| SYSE 653 | Cognitive Systems Engineering | 3 |
| - OR- | ||
Systems Engineering: | ||
| SYSE 500 | Fundamentals of Systems Engineering | 3 |
| SYSE 641 | Systems Psychology | 3 |
| SYSE 647 | Human Factors in Complex Systems | 3 |
| SYSE 653 | Cognitive Systems Engineering | 3 |
| MSHF 646 | Industrial Applications in Aerospace | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Research Component:
| RSCH 665 | Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| RSCH 670 | Research Methods | 3 |
| MSHF 691 | MSHF Graduate Capstone Course | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
| *Total Degree Requirements | 36 | |
*Dual specialization can be selected for the Capstone Option; specialization credits would be 24 credits; total degree credits would be 45.
Thesis Option
Human Performance Core:
| MSHF 606 | Human Cognition | 3 |
| MSHF 612 | Human Performance, Limitation, and Error | 3 |
| MSHF 618 | Virtual Environments, Simulation and Robotics | 3 |
| MSHF 624 | Ergonomics and Biomechanics | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Human Factors Specializations (**select one):
Aerospace | ||
| ASCI 634 | Aviation/Aerospace Psychology | 3 |
| MSHF 640 | Human Physiology and Adaptation in Aerospace Environments | 3 |
| MSHF 652 | Crew Platform Automation, Design, and Integration | 3 |
| SYSE 653 | Cognitive Systems Engineering | 3 |
| - OR- | ||
Systems Engineering | ||
| SYSE 500 | Fundamentals of Systems Engineering | 3 |
| SYSE 641 | Systems Psychology | 3 |
| SYSE 647 | Human Factors in Complex Systems | 3 |
| SYSE 653 | Cognitive Systems Engineering | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Research Completion:
| RSCH 665 | Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| RSCH 670 | Research Methods | 3 |
| MSHF 700A | MSHF Thesis I | 3 |
| MSHF 700B | MSHF Thesis II | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
| **Total Degree Requirements | 36 | |
**Dual specialization can be selected - specialization would be 21 credits; total degree credits would be 45.
Notes:
The thesis topic will be required to be focused in the student's specialization track (Aerospace or Systems Engineering) and with a thesis committee chair from the same specialization.
Students desiring to can follow a dual track option and specialize in both Aerospace and Systems Engineering by successfully completing the courses required for both specializations (though only one thesis will be required).
Get Started Now:
Degree Summary
36 Credits
Estimate your tuition by using the Tuition Calculator
View Financial Aid Information
Learn more about the benefits of an Online Degree
Learn about our General Education
Find out about transferring credits to this degree
Learn more about our Veterans & Military benefits
View our Academic Calendar
Search Courses for this degree
The Worldwide Experience
Worldwide & Online Campus
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- Embry-Riddle Expands Free, For-Credit Online Courses for Florida and Arizona High School Students
- Human Factors Ph.D. Works to Refine Robotic Surgery through Fellowship
- To Keep Students Safe, Embry-Riddle Migrates Most Classes Online
- Persistence Paves the Way for Pilot's Degree Journey
- Groundbreaking Book Examines Role of English Language Proficiency in Airline Accidents
- As Global Health Crisis Expands, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Invites Students to Graduate Any Time or Place
- Wastewater Recycling Project Could Someday Improve Human Space Flight
- NASA, Capitol Hill Headline Recent Internship Destinations for Spaceflight Operations Students