Psychology and Human Factors

Human Factors Bachelor's Degree

Be An Integrator

Human factors is an applied field of study at the crossroads of psychology, engineering, and computing that examines human abilities, limitations, behaviors, and processes in order to inform human-centered design.

The Bachelor of Science in Human Factors at Michigan Tech—one of the first of its kind in the nation—develops confident, tech-focused problem solvers adept at optimizing the interaction between humans and various systems, products, systems, and environments. As a human factors professional, your primary goal will be to enhance the usability, safety, and efficiency of these systems by considering the capabilities and limitations of human users. You'll join a growing field with exciting career opportunities in business, government, and academia.

What is Human Factors?

Make an Impact

Discover how to improve systems, technology, or tools to reduce human error and increase safety and productivity. In our research labs, students work on addressing these problems, often in interdisciplinary teams.

One hundred percent of human factors students participate in undergraduate research. Earn credit or get paid as a research assistant on projects involving driving simulators, video game consoles, artificial intelligence, and eye-tracking systems. Plus, gain real-world experience with Michigan Tech's Enterprise Program, working on real projects for real clients.

Concentrations to Customize Your Degree

All human factors students will select an interdisciplinary technical concentration. Focusing your effort in a concentration allows you to specialize and align with a future career interest, increasing your chances of securing a job or continuing onto graduate studies post-graduation.

Plus, concentrations make it easier to add a minor without increasing your time at Michigan Tech. (Note that completing a concentration does not, alone, complete a minor; students who choose to pursue an aligned minor may need to use some free electives or general education courses to do so.) All technical concentrations include foundational courses in programming to prepare students to work and communicate effectively in tech fields.

Systems Thinking and Design

This engineering-oriented concentration area focuses on developing students' ability to analyze complex problems, construct low-fidelity systems models, and use a dynamic systems model to make appropriate design decisions. This concentration is aligned with Michigan Tech's minor in systems engineering.

Human-Centered Interface Design

This computer science-oriented concentration equips students with the skills to create intuitive and user-friendly digital interfaces. This minor is aligned with Michigan Tech's minor in computer science.

Innovation and Human-Centered Design

This concentration prepares students to drive innovation and create user-centric solutions through a curriculum focused on marketing, consumer behavior, design thinking, and business applications. This concentration is aligned with Michigan Tech's Business and Enterprise minors.

Student-Designed Concentration

Of course, human factors principles can be applied across a number of disciplines and applications. If the above concentrations don't fit your interest and you'd like to pursue a different concentration, speak to your advisor.

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  • 4
    concentration options
  • 100%
    of human factors students involved in research 
  • 1
    one of the first human factors BS programs in USA
  • Top 20
    public schools for internships (The Princeton Review, 2024)

Tomorrow Needs Human Factors Professionals

A world moving at a faster pace and increasingly reliant on technology requires human factors professionals to make that technology work better with humans. You'll have opportunities to solve real-world problems, such as improving the user experience of websites and apps or everyday products like automobiles and mobile devices; making medical instruments and devices safer to use; creating ergonomic workstations to reduce user fatigue and injury. A degree in human factors opens doors in business, non-profits, academia, government, and more.

Be Career Ready

Career Opportunities for Human Factors Majors

Some of the jobs open to you with a BS in Human Factors:

  • Engineering Psychologist
  • Ergonomics Specialist
  • Human Factors Engineer
  • Human Factors Psychologist
  • Human Factors Researcher
  • Product manager
  • Usability Researcher
  • Usability Specialist
  • User Experience (UX) Designer
  • User Interface (UI) Designer

Michigan Tech Human Factors Majors Can Get Hired By

Thousands of companies hire human factors professionals, with many hiring dozens, if not hundreds each year. These are just some of the companies hiring human factors majors:

  • Amazon

  • Apple

  • Boeing

  • Ford Motor Company

  • Garmin

  • GE Aerospace

  • GE Healthcare

  • Google

  • Instagram

  • Lowe's

  • Medtronic

  • Samsung

  • Target

  • Tesla

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  • U.S. Veterans Health Administration

Human Factors Career Resources

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying human factors at Michigan's flagship technological university.

Watch Michigan Tech Human Factors Major video
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"'I'm thankful that my professors encourage my questioning. It's part of the culture here—being curious. It has a lot to do with being research-based."Katie Ulinski ‘23, BS Human Factors, BS Psychology

Study Psychology and Human Factors at a Technological University

You enjoy studying people—how they think, behave, and interact with other people, technology, or the world around them—to improve their personal and professional well-being. As a psychology or human factors student, you will gain foundational knowledge and develop valuable analytic, quantitative, and communication skills required to succeed in solving problems, whether in research, the job market, or graduate school. And you will do it on a technological campus, working side-by-side with other STEM students to create technology that works better for the humans who use it.

  • Get personalized attention: With a 6:1 student-faculty ratio, nearly every major class is taught by one of our core faculty. Your instructors will  take the time to get to know you and help you explore career possibilities through hands-on experiences. Faculty are doing interesting research in a variety of specialties; join their lab or develop your own research ideas with them.
  • Customize your education: Our programs are flexible by design, allowing you to create a personalized program of study to explore your interests and build a unique portfolio of skills and experiences that sets you apart on the job market. Take any one of Michigan Tech’s 80 minors to tailor your education to fit your individual pathway.
  • Engage in research: As an undergraduate, get involved in research with a faculty mentor in one of our labs. Get hands-on experience with state-of-the-art research methods and tools and graduate with a competitive advantage applying for graduate school and research-based jobs in industry.
  • Gain hands-on experience through internships or Enterprise: Through these signature programs, you can build your skill sets in real-world settings without needing to take a semester off. Past internship locations have included the Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being, the Copper Country Intermediate School District, U.P. Kids foster and adoption services, the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter for Domestic Abuse, and many others. Enterprises are student-run business teams that work with industry clients to design solutions for real world problems. These experiences provide students with valuable experience in team building, project management, and end-to-end original product development.

Tomorrow Needs You

Supercharge your analytical skills to meet the demands of a technology-driven society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to solve real-world problems and succeed in academia, research, and tomorrow's high-tech business landscape.

College of Sciences and Arts

The College of Sciences and Arts is a community of faculty, staff, and students committed to excellence and driven by our passion for education, outreach, research, and creativity across the social and natural sciences, humanities, and the arts. Uniquely situated in the heart of Michigan's R1 flagship technological university, we specialize in human-centered potential and discovery-based learning designed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Knowing that every student at Michigan Tech will pass through our doors, our college strives to be at the forefront of interdisciplinary collaborations that lead to breakthrough solutions.

Our students gain a profound understanding of social and cultural contexts through experiential learning and innovative research. We welcome you to be part of our caring, expansive college community, with 32 undergraduate and 24 graduate degrees to choose from.

The opportunities in Michigan Tech's College of Sciences and Arts are limitless. Transform into a civic leader ready to contribute to a sustainable future. Lead and participate in action-based experiences that are critical to the start of a fulfilling career. Job-shadow at a local hospital or veterinary clinic while preparing for a career in health. Design sound and lighting for a regional production. Conduct community forums on the implications of artificial intelligence. Work to purify vaccines. Study the impact of social media on society. Research the mysteries of space and galaxies beyond our universe. Explore transforming abandoned iron and copper mines into giant batteries. Understand freshwater ecosystem health. Document the nature of changes in cognitive function and motor behavior in aging and dementia.

At Michigan Tech, your academic growth is supported by a variety of learning centers, along with our Humanities Digital Media Zone and Writing Center. Model climate in the only cloud chamber of its kind. Take part in interdisciplinary health research in our state-of-the-art H-STEM Complex. Create amazing sights and sounds in our visual art, sound, and theatre performance spaces. 

Undergraduate Majors in Psychology and Human Factors

Not sure which major is the right fit? No problem. Browse the entire list of College of Sciences and Arts majors. Or, give yourself time and declare the General Sciences and Arts major, which lets you decide when you arrive on campus. To learn more, speak to an academic advisor.

I chose human factors because I am interested in designing better products for the future. Doing so will save users from the headache of a poorly designed product or application.

Patric Payne
Patrick Payne ‘25
BS Human Factors