Ergonomics/Human Factors Option - Industrial Engineering Bachelor of Science Degree

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RIT’s ergonomics and human factors option in industrial engineering prepares you to design products, processes, and workplaces that fit people. 

Overview for Ergonomics/Human Factors Option - Industrial Engineering BS

Why Study RIT’s Ergonomics/Human Factors Option in Industrial Engineering BS

  • Dynamic Courses: Explore how AI and advanced data analytics can be integrated with biomechanics, human-robot collaborative systems, and safety systems to produce cutting-edge human-centered designs and processes. 
  • Real-World Experience: Opportunities to apply your ergonomics expertise through real world co-op experiences.
  • In-Depth Knowledge: Stand out to employers by adding specialized human factors engineering skills in human-centered design, safety, usability, and workplace performance to your industrial engineering degree.
     

Ergonomics and human factors engineering focuses on designing systems that account for human capabilities and limitations—physical, cognitive, and organizational. In this option, you’ll build on the broad foundation of industrial engineering while gaining specialized knowledge in how people interact with tools, technology, workspaces, equipment, and complex systems.

From reducing workplace injuries and improving assembly operations to designing safer healthcare processes, transportation systems, consumer products, and digital interfaces, engineering ergonomics and human factors help engineers create solutions that are efficient, effective, and human-centered.

Courses in Ergonomics and Human Factors in Industrial Engineering

The ergonomics/human factors option requires three electives that advance your foundational ergonomics course. Course options include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Data-Driven Human Biomechanics: An in-depth dive into digitally monitoring and assessing human movement.
  • Introduction to Systems Safety Engineering:  Learn methods for identifying, analyzing, and controlling hazards in complex human-technology systems, with applications to automation, AI-enabled safety monitoring, human-machine interaction, and safe system design.
  • Engineering Psychology: Advanced topics in understanding how humans process information and make decisions.

Ergonomics and Human Factors Engineering Jobs and Careers

A background in ergonomics and human factors engineering can prepare you for human factors engineer careers and other roles focused on ergonomics, usability, safety, human-machine interaction, product design, and workplace performance. 

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FAQs

At RIT, the ergonomics/human factors option adds specialized study of how people interact with products, technologies, work environments, and complex systems to a broad industrial engineering education. You’ll learn to apply human factors engineering and engineering ergonomics principles to design safer, more effective, and more human-centered systems. 

At RIT, you’ll learn how to apply human-centered design to real-world engineering challenges, combining industrial engineering with topics such as biomechanics, human performance, safety, usability, human-machine interaction, and data analytics. Coursework can include human biomechanics, systems safety, and engineering psychology, preparing you to design systems that account for human capabilities and limitations. 

Studying human factors gives you a way to combine engineering and an understanding of people to design safer, more efficient, and more effective products, processes, and systems. The specialization can help you stand out with employers by adding ergonomics and human factors engineering skills to the broad problem-solving and systems expertise of an industrial engineering degree.

An industrial engineering degree focused on ergonomics can prepare you for human factors engineer careers and other human factors engineering jobs involving usability, safety, human-machine interaction, product design, workplace performance, and systems improvement. Potential roles include human factors engineer, industrial engineer, ergonomics engineer, usability engineer, safety engineer, and systems engineer, with opportunities across industries including aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, medical devices, healthcare, and transportation. 

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Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering