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Human Factors Engineering

Master's
Overview
Application Requirements
Faculty
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Application Deadlines
Fall: May 15 (domestic applicants only)
Spring: Sep 15
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
30

Overview

Offered through the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Human Factors Engineering master's program examines human interaction with physical and virtual interfaces.

Program Highlights

Tufts offers specialized courses, training, and research opportunities in the human-centered aspects of engineering design, such as medical devices and systems design, product design, computer-interface design, and workplace safety.

The program is distinguished by its opportunities to work closely with faculty every step of the way. Graduate students have the chance to collaborate with and learn from some of the most renowned experts in the country, all while seamlessly transitioning from graduate studies to a full-time career.

 

Graduate Cooperative Education (Co-Op) Program

The School of Engineering's Graduate Cooperative Education (Co-Op) Program provides students with the opportunity to apply the theoretical principles they have learned in their coursework to real-world engineering projects. Gain up to six months of full-time work experience, build your resume, and develop a competitive advantage for post-graduation employment. Learn more about the Co-Op Program.

Career Outcomes

Sometimes referred to as engineering psychology or ergonomics, the study of human factors engineering applies theory, methods, and data to design.

Human factors engineering is a rapidly growing field with a broad range of applications in engineering and beyond. Our program will provide you with updated skills and prepare you for success, whether you're going into the industry or pursuing further graduate education.

Careers for graduates include:

  • User interface (UI) designer
  • User experience (UX) designer
  • Usability researcher
  • Information architect
  • Interaction designer
  • User researcher
  • Product designer
  • Industrial engineer
Penelope Seagrave, first year graduate engineering student studying Human Computer Interaction, poses for photos in the Human Factors Usability Lab

Application Requirements

Applicants are admitted to this program on the basis of their educational qualifications. It is expected that applicants to the Human Factors program will have an acceptable bachelor of science degree in engineering or science. Relevant course work and research experience may be considered for non-engineering students.

It is strongly recommended that the prospective student identify and contact the potential thesis advisor before applying to the program.

  • Application Fee
  • Resume/CV
  • Personal Statement
  • Transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores (if applicable)
  • GRE General Test scores are not required
  • Portfolio (optional)

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

Gary Leisk

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

Michael Wiklund

Professor of the Practice
Mechanical Engineering
human factors
faculty photo

Luisa Chiesa

Associate Professor
Mechanical Engineering
sustainable energy, superconducting materials, materials science
faculty photo

Jeffrey Guasto

Associate Professor
Mechanical Engineering
biophysics and soft matter, microscale fluid mechanics and transport phenomena, microfluidic devices
faculty photo

Marc Hodes

Professor
Mechanical Engineering
heat transfer, apparent slip, thermal management of electronics, mass transfer in supercritical fluids and thermoelectricity, material science
faculty photo

Mark Kachanov

Professor
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanics of materials; effective properties of heterogeneous materials; microstructure-property relationships; applications to material science
faculty photo

Erica Kemmerling

Assistant Teaching Professor
Mechanical Engineering
Fluid mechanics, flow in the human body, hemodynamics, aneurysms, heart development, flow in tumors, cardiac assist devices
faculty photo

Douglas Matson

Professor
Mechanical Engineering
solidification processes, thermal manufacturing, machine design, materials science
faculty photo

Pratap Misra

Professor of the Practice
Mechanical Engineering
GPS, emerging satellite navigation systems
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

Anil Saigal

Professor
Mechanical Engineering
materials engineering, materials science, manufacturing processes, quality control
faculty photo

Jivko Sinapov

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

Holly Taylor

Professor
Psychology
Spatial Cognition, Language, Memory
faculty photo

Kristen Wendell

Associate Professor and Stacey and Robert Morse Fellow
Mechanical Engineering
learning sciences, engineering education, design practices, classroom discourse, engineering knowledge construction
faculty photo

Robert White

Associate Professor
Mechanical Engineering
Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) fabrication, modeling, and testing. Particularly acoustic MEMS (microphones, ultrasound), and aerodynamic measurement technologies (skin friction sensors, aeroacoustic sensors). Acoustics, vibrations, dynamics and controls. Electromechanical systems including robotics. Finite element methods and system modeling. Electronics for measurement. Mechanical measurements.
faculty photo

Michael Zimmerman

Professor of the Practice
Mechanical Engineering
novel polymer electrolytes for batteries, liquid crystal polymers, composite materials, materials science

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