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I SY E 349

INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN FACTORS

3 credits.

Conveys the importance of considering human capabilities and limits in system design and operation. This includes understanding human characteristics from the cognitive, physical, and psychosocial perspectives. Implications of these characteristics are explored through understanding the needs of people, designing to support these needs, and evaluating systems to ensure they serve the intended purpose. Case studies are used to identify the human role in accidents and to identify design improvements. Application domains include consumer product design, human-computer interaction, workplace safety, and complex systems such as healthcare delivery.

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: ( I SY E 210 , B M E 325 , E C E 331 , MATH/STAT 309 , 409, 431 , STAT 311 , 324 , 371 , MATH 331 , 531 , PSYCH 210 , or C&E SOC/SOC 360 , or concurrent registration), graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness Breadth - Physical Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Consider how people contribute to system performance and how system design can impact the human experience. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Recognize design implications associated with human capabilities and limitations and the health and safety impacts of these on human users. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Consider cognitive, physical, and psychosocial factors and the impact of these areas on system performance. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Discuss the role of the designer in addressing design bias and the responsibility of human factors engineers to uphold ethical practices. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Discuss implications and examples of design bias and how these harm different user groups and impact system performance. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Consider how people contribute to system performance and how system design can impact the human experience. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Recognize design implications associated with human capabilities and limitations and the health and safety impacts of these on human users. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Consider cognitive, physical, and psychosocial factors and the impact of these areas on system performance. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Discuss the role of the designer in addressing design bias and the responsibility of human factors engineers to uphold ethical practices. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Discuss implications and examples of design bias and how these harm different user groups and impact system performance. Audience: Undergraduate

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