Dr. Bert Boquet works with a student and lab technician to measure pilot performace in a simulator.

Ph.D. in
Human Factors

This program provides a robust skill set for research development and data analysis and offers specializations in three areas to prepare candidates for research careers.

With technological advances in manufacturing and production comes the need for more efficient human-machine interactions. It is human factors professionals who will ensure efficiency and safety in the design of systems and machines of the future.

The Ph.D. in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle is focused on advanced techniques in research with a highly quantitative focus. Embry-Riddle is the only university in the United States to offer undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs in Human Factors, which attracts external funded research opportunities.

The department offers broad research opportunities with an emphasis on quality applied research. It specializes in human performance research and is proud of its reputation for successfully completing challenging projects.

At ERAU, students in the Human Factors program learn amid industry experts and gain access to a wide variety of training facilities capable of supporting research program objectives.

ERAU Labs and Facilities include two flight simulators that emulate technically advanced aircraft, simulation of unmanned aerial systems, team performance lab, physiology and color vision lab, and a motion sickness lab.

The availability of ongoing projects and research across the campus provides students with opportunity for collaborative engagement.

With the skills Human Factors graduates possess, it’s easy to move across disciplines. Graduates can look forward to careers in academia, private industry, government, or the military.

DETAILS

About Human Factors at the Daytona Beach, FL Campus

The objective of this Ph.D. program is to provide highly-qualified students an opportunity to complete a rigorous program in Human Factors, equipping students with advanced knowledge, skills, and techniques in research that are relevant to Human Factors.

The emphasis in the curriculum is highly quantitative in nature, providing these students with a robust skill set for research development and data analysis. The program focuses on core educational elements of the discipline including sensation, perception, cognition and statistics, with specializations offered in three key research areas:

Aviation/aerospace human factors
Medical human factors
Technology-enhanced learning and testing

The Ph.D. in Human Factors degree is housed in the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The program is open to students who have earned a bachelor's or master’s degree in Human Factors, Psychology, or other closely-related fields. These students will have an exemplary academic record, will have demonstrated independent research skills, and wish to pursue research positions in academics, government, or industry when they graduate.

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.

Learn more about the Daytona Beach, FL Campus

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Have knowledge in seven key areas: human factors, sensation/perception, memory/cognition, research methods, statistics, ergonomics, and usability.
Perform independent research to add to the body of knowledge in the field of human factors.
Disseminate their research through presentation and publication.
Be employed in either industry, government, or academic institutions.

Degree Requirements

The degree in Human Factors will be conferred in recognition of academic accomplishment and demonstrated ability to conduct innovative scientific research independently. A minimum of 84 credit hours of coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree, or a minimum of 48 credit hours of coursework beyond a Master’s degree is required for the Ph.D. in Human Factors. All courses must be graduate level and must be approved by the student’s advisor prior to registration.

Each Ph.D. student must pass the qualifying exam within one year after he/she has completed the required Master's level course work or three years after entry, in order to achieve Ph.D. candidacy. The Graduate Program Committee will invite eligible students to sit for the qualifying exam. Only students who are in good standing, and who have been identified through their individual work with a faculty member as qualified to enter into Ph.D. candidacy, will be allowed to take the qualifying examination. A student who fails to pass the qualifying exam will be dismissed from the Ph.D. program.

A minimum of 30 credit hours of dissertation research must be completed after passing the qualifying exam. A dissertation proposal must be developed and the student must defend his/her dissertation proposal within one year after completing the qualifying examination. Prior to the defense of the dissertation proposal, a dissertation committee will be formed, as required by the university. The Award of the Ph.D. is based on the submission of a satisfactory dissertation, approved by the dissertation committee.

Further information about dissertation requirements can be found under Ph.D. Regulations and Procedures.

Core Requirements

Quantitative Core Courses
HFS 510	Research Design and Analysis I	3
HFS 511	Research Design and Analysis II	3
HFS 675	Multivariate Statistics: Factor Analysis and Data Reduction	3
Human Factors Core Courses
HFS 501	Human Factors in Systems	3
HFS 515	Ergonomics	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
Total Credits		27

Human Factors Specified and Open Electives

Human Factors Specified and Open Electives		24
HFS 500	Systems Concepts, Theory, and Tools
HFS 501	Human Factors in Systems
HFS 510	Research Design and Analysis I
HFS 511	Research Design and Analysis II
HFS 515	Ergonomics
HFS 520	Team Performance
HFS 521	Modeling Humans in Complex Systems
HFS 525	Human and Social/Organizational Factors in Emerging Technologies
HFS 526	Aerospace Physiology
HFS 527	Psychopharmacology
HFS 590	Graduate Seminar
HFS 612	Human Factors Methods
HFS 614	Human Factors in Medicine
HFS 615	Sensation and Perception
HFS 616	Human Factors of Transportation
HFS 618	HF in Aging: Behavioral and Biological Foundations
HFS 620	Memory and Cognition
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 637	Managing Human Errors in Complex Systems
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
HFS 699 Special Topics in Human Factors and Systems
HFS 700	Thesis
HFS 705	Small N Designs and Non-Parametric Analysis
Total Credits		24

Dissertation

HFS 800		30
HFS 715	Supervised Teaching Experience	3
Total Credits		33

Total Degree Credits

Other graduate courses may be available, but must be approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator.

For course descriptions, education requirements, curriculum, and suggested plan of study, please see the Ph.D. in Human Factors in the Daytona Beach Catalog.