Admissions

Our Human Factors and Ergonomics Masters' Degree program will prepare you for a successful career by offering a course sequence that emphasizes theory, practical applications and research. Take a look at our complete breakdown of the application process, so you can feel confident and at ease when you apply.

Have a question about the program or the application? We're here to help! Please check out our FAQ page or Contact Us directly.

Before you begin to apply, take a moment to review our application requirements.

• Bachelor's Degree Requirements
  • Applicants for classified standing must have completed a B. S. or B.A. degree in Psychology, Industrial Engineering, Occupational therapy, Industrial Design, Human Performance or other related fields at an accredited institution.
• Preferred Grade Point Average (GPA)
  • A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better for the last 60 units of academic work is preferred for admission to the program.
• Courses Requirements
  • Admission in Conditionally Classified standing will be granted if an applicant completes upper-division courses in statistics, and/or cognition, and/or perception.
• Additional Considerations
  • Any conditions stated upon admission in this status must be fulfilled before the student can be admitted to candidacy for the degree. If the conditions are not fulfilled in a timely manner, the program reserves the right to dismiss the student from the program by a process known as "administrative academic disqualification".
    (See section 41300.1, title 5, California Code of regulations)

Get a complete breakdown of what important documents you will need to submit alongside your application and discover which deadlines you need to hit, along with what procedures to follow.

• Admission
  • Students are accepted from a wide range of undergraduate degree backgrounds. However, they must have basic knowledge of statistics and research methods. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above is preferred.
• Application Deadlines
  • The deadline for the Fall online application is February 1st of the application year. All documents must be received by February 20th of the application year.
     
    It is also important for you to check the SJSU Graduate Studies website for other relevant deadlines. This program will accept applications until the deadline dates specified by the University.
     
    Deadline dates apply to the completion of the online application form and payment of the fee (see How To Apply to SJSU Graduate Studies).
     
    Please note official transcripts and other documents are not subject to the deadlines and are processed as they are received.
• Human Factors & Ergonomics Program Application Process

  • The University admission committee processes applications before releasing them for review by the Human Factors and Ergonomics program. The University review focuses on official documents being submitted as required and GPA in the last 60 semester units meets University minimum requirements. Please read and follow the instructions completely.
     
    1. Submit online graduate application (and application fee) at Cal State Apply.
    2. Submit original official transcripts and/or WES evaluation.
    3. Submit HFE supporting documents online.
    
    For specific instructions see the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations website.
     
    Please don't forget to upload all the HFE supporting documents on the online application form. The supporting documents are letter of intent, 3 letters of recommendation, resume or vita, and portfolio (optional).
    
    Letter of intent (no word limit, 15 MB file size limit)
    Contents (at minimum) should be as follows:
    1. Why you selected this degree program for your next academic agenda
    2. How this degree ties into your future career goals
    3. Relevant past experiences to help application reviewers understand your rationale for applying to this program
    
    Letter of recommendation
    Provide at least 1 letter from a faculty member. If not possible, then ask people who can best speak to your preparedness for this area of study and practice, as well as any who have supervised you in a professional setting in the past.
    
    Portfolio (optional)
    Limited to 15 MB file size. You can provide the url link in a pdf document if an online portfolio already exists.

    New For Fall 2023 - Mandatory Intent to Enroll
    Fall 2023 admitted students must accept their admission by (1) saying ‘yes’ through Intent to Enroll and (2) paying a $200 non refundable (and non transferable) enrollment deposit by May 1, 2023 in order to attend Fall 2023. The $200 enrollment deposit will be applied towards your tuition and fees once you enroll in Fall 2023 classes. For more information visit Mandatory Intent to Enroll webpage on the Graduate Admissions website.

All graduate students must successfully demonstrate their competency in written English before they can be admitted into candidacy. Advancement to candidacy forms can not be approved until this competency is met.

• Ways to Fulfill English Competency
  • Hold a CSU bachelor's degree
    A student who holds a valid CSU bachelor's degree after 1982 will automatically fulfill the competency in written English.
    
    Complete an Approved SJSU Course
    Complete a pre-approved SJSU course that is at least 3 units and in which a major report is required. The report must be least 30% of the course grade. Approved courses include ISE 212 Human Factors Experiments (core required course) and Psych 220 Seminar in Experimental Psychology.
    
    Complete an Equivalent Outside Course
    A student may fulfill competency by completing an upper division course at another university that is deemed by the Graduate Studies Office as equivalent in content and writing requirements to the SJSU 100W. The student's graduate advisor must petition for this on behalf of the student and submit all supporting documents directly the Graduate Studies Office.
    
    ENGR 200W Course
    Completing the ENGR 200W course will fulfill competency in written English.
    
    Professional Publication
    The Graduate Studies Office may approve a professional publication for which the graduate student was the sole author in order to fulfill a student's competency in written English. The student's graduate advisor must petition for this on behalf of the student and submit all supporting documents directly to the Graduate Studies Office.
    
    More information can be obtained at the Graduate Studies Office.