Human Systems Engineering, MS
Applied Psychology, Health, approved for STEM-OPT extension, clinical, counseling
In the Master of Science program in human systems engineering, students gain a deep understanding of the science of human performance and experience.
Students learn to use methods and tools that enable them to apply this understanding as they design and problem-solve in a wide variety of domains such as product usability, learning design, sports performance, cybersecurity, human-robot teaming, and workplace and patient safety.
A wide variety of professions need experts in human factors to work on problems that involve an understanding of human performance. Students gain practical experience by tackling projects that examine contemporary issues, such as cell phones as a source of driver distraction, detection of improvised explosive devices, process optimization in health care, and control of unmanned vehicles.
Interest areas include user experience, aviation human factors, cognitive performance, consumer psychology, transportation human factors, patient safety, effective teamwork, human-robot teaming, health psychology, learning optimization, social cognition, threat detection and sports psychology.
This program may be eligible for an Optional Practical Training extension for up to 24 months. This OPT work authorization period may help international students gain skills and experience in the U.S. Those interested in an OPT extension should review ASU degrees that qualify for the STEM-OPT extension at ASU's International Students and Scholars Center website.
The OPT extension only applies to students on an F-1 visa and does not apply to students completing a degree through ASU Online.
- College/school:
Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
- Location: Polytechnic
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: Yes
Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
30 credit hours and a portfolio, or
30 credit hours and a thesis, or
30 credit hours including the required applied project course (HSE 593)
Required Core (12 credit hours)
HSE 520 Methods and Tools in Applied Cognitive Science (3)
HSE 530 Intermediate Statistics for Human Systems Engineering (3)
HSE 531 Data Analytics: Modeling Human Subjects Data (3)
HSE 542 Foundations of Human Systems Engineering (3)
Electives and Research (12 or 18 credit hours)
Culminating Experience (0 or 6 credit hours)
HSE 593 Applied Project (6) or
HSE 599 Thesis (6) or
portfolio (0)
Additional Curriculum Information
For the culminating experience, students have the option of completing a thesis (with industry guidance), an applied project to develop and demonstrate professional knowledge and skills, or a portfolio.
Students who select the thesis option work on the thesis, under faculty supervision, for at least one calendar year. The first three thesis credit hours are devoted to developing an idea and preparing a proposal for approval by a faculty committee. The next three credit hours involve preparing the details of research design and data collection for the thesis (materials, computer programs, experimental test beds, questionnaires, etc.). The final six credit hours are devoted to collecting and analyzing data and writing and revising the thesis under the direction of the student's committee chair. Students defend the thesis in an oral examination.
If the student is engaged in a project initiated by industry, they may opt for the applied project. Students carry out the applied project, under faculty supervision and guided by industry, in a calendar year in which the 12 credit hours outside the core are allocated to a combination of research, applied project and report writing appropriate to the goals of the student and the industry partner. In all cases, the project culminates in a substantial written report followed by a comprehensive oral examination that covers the project and other materials from required courses.
The portfolio should demonstrate a high level of mastery of the principles and practice of human systems engineering through a compilation of work that the student has completed over the course of their graduate study. The specific details depend on the student's specialization, but all portfolios must describe three notable projects completed or academic accomplishments over the course of graduate study; the evolution and advancement of the student's technical expertise and mastery of the field of human systems engineering should be illustrated. Submitted with the portfolio is a written document comprising an overview of graduate experience and descriptions of the projects presented in the portfolio.
Applied project students take 12 elective credit hours, thesis students take nine elective credit hours plus three credit hours of HSE 592 Research, and portfolio students take 18 elective credit hours.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology or a related field (including engineering, computer science or business) from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in their first bachelor's degree program or the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program; or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in nine credit hours of graduate coursework from a U.S. institution; or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable conferred master's degree program from a regionally accredited college or university.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- statement of purpose describing professional and academic aspirations
- three letters of recommendation
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
The letters of recommendation should be from college professors, employers (in a human factors-related field) or a combination of academic and professional references.
Applicants to this program generally have completed an undergraduate course in statistics.
Unofficial transcripts may be submitted at the time of application. If admitted, applicants must then submit official transcripts to ASU Graduate Admission Services.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 04/01 | Priority |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 09/15 | Priority |
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:
- Apply the methods of human systems engineering to test a hypothesis or solve an applied problem
- Conduct independent research to address problems in the space of Human Systems Engineering.
- Apply the appropriate statistical analysis, address violations of assumptions (e.g., sphericity), & run the analysis using SPSS.
This master's degree program prepares students for industry and government careers in positions such as:
- game designer
- human factors engineer
- human systems integrator
- information systems designer
- interface designer
- military scientist
- usability engineer
- user experience designer
Graduates may work as a member of a design team for a product or system.
Recent graduates are working at Intel, Boeing, GoDaddy, Mayo Clinic, PayPal, Motorola, Google and the Air Force Research Lab, among other employers. Recipients of this master's degree also have gone on to pursue doctorates at ASU and other prestigious institutions.
Human Systems Engineering
|
SUTON 240
polygrad@asu.edu
480-727-1874
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
