Master of Arts in Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology offers a graduate program leading to the Master of Arts in Anthropology. The course work in this program is conceptually four-field, with faculty strengths in archaeology, cultural anthropology, and physical anthropology. A Graduate Certificate in Maya Studies may also be earned. The fields of Applied Experimental Psychology, Human Factors, and Ergonomics adopt a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the interaction between humans and the environment, including systems, products, people, and procedures. Human Factors, as one of the core disciplines of the track, is a science that adds the human into the equation to make life easier, safer and more enjoyable by applying psychological theory and research to human-centered design. A well known Human Factors textbook describes the field in the following quotation. ?Human factors are the application of scientific knowledge and principles to the design of products, systems, and/or environments. The goal of human factors is making the human interaction with systems one that: reduces error, increases productivity, enhances safety, and enhances comfort. As scientific disciplines, Applied Experimental Psychology and Human Factors overlap with areas such as Engineering Psychology, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Industrial/ Organizational Psychology, Cognitive Engineering, Ergonomics, and Industrial Engineering. Human Factors researchers and practitioners work in areas such as automation, cognition, decision-making, display processing, human-computer interaction, physiology, safety and human error, sensation and perception, sensory systems, stress, workload, training, transportation, and workspace design. The Psychology PhD program in Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology includes classroom studies and a variety of research, consulting, and internship opportunities. The program is accredited by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and patterned on the scientist-practitioner model of the American Psychological Association (APA). It adheres to guidelines established by the committee for Education and Training of APA?s Division 21 (Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology). Human Factors is an approach to practice and design focusing on the interaction between humans and the environment. It utilizes research, theory, and knowledge of human behavior, capabilities, and limitations to add the "human" into the scientific equation and make life easier, safer, and more enjoyable. The program?s mission is to develop the capacity to design, conduct, and apply human factors research in a variety of professional settings. Students learn about the content and techniques of human factors psychology?including statistical and quantitative procedures, experimental design, survey methods, computer techniques, and other research methodologies. Students select a concentration area within the Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology program, which may be in human-computer interaction, human-machine-environment interface, human performance, human factors in simulation and training, or other areas of interest with the adviser?s authorization. Once all course requirements have been fulfilled, students demonstrate their critical thinking skills by undergoing candidacy examinations and completing a dissertation representing a significant research contribution to the field.