ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Ergonomics

Graduate study in the Ergonomics Training Program at the Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety combines the perspectives and principles of both health science and engineering.  This unique area of study provides students with the interdisciplinary knowledge and practical skills needed to solve the ergonomic challenges facing workplaces in the 21st century.  Faculty from four University of Iowa Departments--Occupational and Environmental Health, Industrial Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Physical Therapy--representing three colleges (Public Health, Engineering, and Medicine) all contribute to training and research in ergonomics.  Like other graduate programs in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, ergonomics is highly interdisciplinary on both student and faculty levels.  In addition, the ergonomics area has an international component: students and faculty from several countries regularly participate in the program, and graduate students in ergonomics have the opportunity to study abroad through summer internships.

Financial Support

Funding opportunities are excellent for students admitted to the Ergonomics program.

Traineeships and assistantships are offered through the Heartland Center, a NIOSH-funded ERC. Support may be in the form of tuition and/or monthly stipend. Funded positions sponsored by NIOSH are available for U.S. citizens only.

Training Program Requirements

Master’s Level

Students who wish to specialize in ergonomics are able to pursue an MS or MPH degree in Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) from the College of Public Health, or an MS degree from Industrial Engineering (IE) and Biomedical Engineering (BME) in the College of Engineering. The possible degrees include:

• MS in Occupational and Environmental Health (with emphasis in ergonomics): requires 38 semester hours (All courses for the MS in OEH are required except 175:260 Environmental Toxicology).
• MPH in Ergonomics: requires 42 semester hours.
• MS in Industrial Engineering (with emphasis in ergonomics/human factors): requires 30 semester hours.
• MS in Biomedical Engineering (with emphasis in ergonomics/biomechanics): requires 30 semester hours.

(EFM – Ergonomist Formation Model topic categories: A) ergonomics principles, B) human characteristics, C) work analysis and measurement, D) people and technology, E) applications, and F) professional issues; s.h. – semester hours; *MS and MPH trainees in OEH take this seminar three times: twice for 0 s.h. and once for 1 s.h.)

The core courses provide a basic foundation in occupational and human factors ergonomics.  The core courses are taught in the Departments of Occupational and Environmental Health (175), Industrial Engineering (056), and Biomedical Engineering (051).  Other supporting courses will be selected based on the student's background and educational objectives with advice from their faculty advisor.

• Additional Information about the MS/MPH Ergonomics Training Program  

Doctoral Level

Doctoral level training includes three possible paths to achieve advanced research training in ergonomics. These paths include a PhD in Occupational and Environmental Health, Industrial Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering:

• PhD in Occupational and Environmental Health (with emphasis in ergonomics)

The objective of the doctoral program in OEH is to prepare graduate level students for professional and academic careers in occupational and environmental health, including ergonomics as an emphasis area.

Industrial Engineering Doctoral Program in Human Factors/Ergonomics
In the Department of IE, Human Factors/Ergonomics is one of five areas of specialization and entails designing systems to facilitate safe and efficient human performance.  These systems range from simple assembly jobs to complex combinations of people and computers running large processes.  Human Factors/Ergonomics specialists must consider anatomical, physiological and psychological aspects of the design as well as the integration and dynamics of the design.

Biomedical Engineering Doctoral Program in Ergonomics/Biomechanics:
The Department of BME is designed to provide the student with a strong background in theoretical, experimental and applied aspects of biomedical engineering.  Emphasis is placed on fundamental principles and experimental techniques used to analyze and design biomedical systems.  Biomechanics is one of three subtracks and allows for an ergonomics focus within this subtrack. 

The core curriculum will consist of the 9 master's-level core courses in the table above and an additional 8 PhD core courses.  The required ergonomics core courses at the doctoral level are listed in the table below:

Required Core Courses for the Heartland Center PhD Ergonomics Training Program (in addition to master's requirements).