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Assistive Design

Certificate
Overview
Application Requirements
Faculty
Related Programs
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Application Deadlines
Fall: Jun 1
Spring: Dec 15 (Domestic applicants only)
Summer: n/a
School/Department
Mechanical Engineering
Contact
gradadmissions@tufts.edu
Location
Medford/Somerville
Format
On-campus
Commitment Options
Full-time
Part-time (Daytime)
Average Duration
12 - 24 months
Credits
Varies

Overview

A blend of human factors engineering and mechanical engineering, students in this Department of Mechanical Engineering certificate program will learn the fundamentals of design in both fields and apply them to the design of assistive devices to address real-world problems.

Program Highlights

Students are provided with a unique opportunity to tailor their interests in product design to focus on optimizing for a user's unique needs; developing skills that will be of value in the fields of rehabilitation, medical technology, education, and specialty services where dedicated understanding of a user's needs in product design are required.

The courses in this program fulfill requirements in both the MS in Human Factors Engineering and the MS in Mechanical Engineering programs. Students may transfer credits towards a master's degree in either of these programs at Tufts.

Courses

  • Designing Physical Solutions for Unique Populations
  • Inventive Design
  • Human-Machine System Design
  • A 100-level course elective in Engineering Psychology

Career Outcomes

The program serves as a technical credential to professionals interested in expanding their skill set to include designing for the needs of unique populations. These populations include professionals (e.g., veterinarians, dentists, and firefighters) as well as individuals with disabilities. Students with a passion for service to the community will find this program particularly worthwhile.

Application Requirements

  • Application Fee
  • Resume/CV
  • Personal Statement
  • Transcripts
  • One letter of recommendation
  • Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores (if applicable)

Tuition and Financial Aid

We recognize that attending graduate school involves a significant financial investment. Our team is here to answer your questions about tuition rates and scholarship opportunities.

Please contact us at gradadmissions@tufts.edu.

Faculty

faculty photo

Jason Rife

Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
navigation, safety-critical transportation systems, state estimation, human-robot interaction
faculty photo

Daniel Hannon

Professor of the Practice
Mechanical Engineering
human factors, airspace systems
faculty photo

James Intriligator

Professor of the Practice
Mechanical Engineering
Human Factors Engineering, Innovation, Design Thinking, AI-powered Innovation and R&D, Human Machine System Design, Robotics, Machine Learning, Perception, Psychology
faculty photo

Robert Jacob

Professor
Computer Science
human-computer interaction, new interaction modes and techniques, implicit brain-computer interfaces, user interface software
faculty photo

Gary Leisk

Associate Teaching Professor
Mechanical Engineering
machine design, nondestructive testing
faculty photo

Karen Panetta

Professor and Dean of Graduate Education
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Signal processing; image processing; simulation modeling
faculty photo

Chris Rogers

John R. Beaver Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Engineering Education, Human Robot Interaction, Mechanical Engineering, Music Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing
faculty photo

Elaine Short

Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor
Computer Science
human-robot interaction, accessibility, robotics, human-in-the-loop machine learning, assistive technology Applying human-centered design and disability community values to the development, deployment, and evaluation of AI and machine learning for robotics, including: human-centered human-in-the-loop machine learning; disability-friendly assistive robotics; autonomous HRI in groups, public spaces, and other human-human contexts; and accessibility and disability inclusion in robotics education and the computing research community.
faculty photo

Jivko Sinapov

Associate Professor
Computer Science
Artificial Intelligence, Developmental Robotics, Computational Perception, Robotic Manipulation, Machine Learning, Human-Robot and Human-Computer Interaction
faculty photo

Michael Wiklund

Professor of the Practice
Mechanical Engineering
human factors

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