Human Factors
Master's
Northeastern's Master of Science in Human Factors is the engineering discipline of applying known human capabilities and limitations to the design of products, processes, systems, and work environments.
Program overview
Impact people's daily lives
With the Master of Science in Human Factors, you’ll learn human-centered engineering by gaining an understanding of human capabilities and limitations to design products and systems for safe, efficient, and comfortable human use. A growing and important technical professional field, human factors is considered essential to improving business performance, decision-making, and market competitiveness. This multidisciplinary program brings together faculty expertise across engineering, the sciences, humanities, and the arts to prepare you as an advanced human factors professional for a wide range of industries. It builds upon your knowledge in engineering, the sciences, or mathematics.
With the Master of Science in Human Factors, you’ll learn human-centered engineering by gaining an understanding of human capabilities and limitations to design products and systems for safe, efficient, and comfortable human use. A growing and important technical professional field, human factors is considered essential to improving business performance, decision-making, and market competitiveness. This multidisciplinary program brings together faculty expertise across engineering, the sciences, humanities, and the arts to prepare you as an advanced human factors professional for a wide range of industries. It builds upon your knowledge in engineering, the sciences, or mathematics.
- Choose from coursework-only, project-based, or thesis curriculum options.
- Gain rich research experience with individual and group projects.
- This highly flexible program offers 30 interdisciplinary electives.
- Full- or part-time options apply (with certain restrictions).
- Students have the opportunity to participate in Northeastern’s leading cooperative education program to gain up to eight months of professional work experience.
- The Master of Science in Human Factors degree can be combined with a graduate certificate from the College of Engineering or the Gordon Engineering Leadership certificate.
- Discover opportunities to improve systems, processes, and enterprises through human factors knowledge.
- Apply human factors methods to solving complex problems involving human factors and ergonomics issues.
- Work with technology teams to design and build complex human factors systems.
- Use tools and methods for human factors and ergonomics to generate analyses and reports.
- Create integrated views of human factors from multiple sources of an enterprise.
- Understand and explain results of human factors studies.
- Design and develop human factors projects.
There is growing need for engineering professionals trained in advanced human factors who can utilize human factors theories, procedures, and empirically derived knowledge into understandable and actionable information for use in the design and evaluation of a wide variety of products and systems. The key sectors demanding human factors professionals include transportation, healthcare, robotics, manufacturing, computer, consumer products, social, and organizational and military issues.
Admissions
Apply to the program
A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and real-world professional experience in your area of interest. Apply to take your career to the next level.
A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and real-world professional experience in your area of interest. Apply to take your career to the next level.
Applications received after the stated deadline dates will be accepted and processed as quickly as possible; however it may not be possible to have a decision rendered in time for the applicant to begin taking classes for the desired term if admitted.
Applications submitted by the referenced dates will receive full consideration for the referenced term. Applications received after the referenced dates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Fall Semester Entry
| Early Action | December 1 |
| Final Deadline International Students outside the US | June 1 |
| Final Deadline: International Students Inside the US | July 1 |
| Domestic applicants | August 1 |
Spring Semester Entry
| International Students Outside the US | October 1 |
| International Students Inside the US | December 1 |
| Domestic Applicants | December 1 |
Completed online application form
Two letters of recommendation
Transcripts from all institutions attended
The Foreign Credential Evaluation (FCE) is a required assessment of all transcripts and documents from non-U.S. accredited post-secondary education institutions. (Review the FCE requirements by country.)
GRE is not required for terms starting during the 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 academic years
Statement of purpose
Resumé
TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo for international applicants
The application fee is waived for all new applicants applying to any of our Master of Science or Graduate Certificates for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 application terms.
Program objectives
Prepare for success
Our program trains engineering professionals to utilize human factors theories, procedures, and empirically derived knowledge to produce understandable and actionable information for use in the design and evaluation of a wide variety of products and systems.
Prepare to join a variety of industries, including transportation, healthcare, robotics, manufacturing, computer, consumer products, social, and organizational and military issues.
Build on your engineering, science, or mathematics knowledge with an understanding of human capabilities and limitations to design products and systems for safe, efficient, and comfortable human use.
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Cost of attendance
Tuition and financial aid
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$61,728Tuition in USD
Estimated Total Tuition
This is an estimate based on the tuition rates for Academic Year 2025-2026 and does not include any fees or other expenses. Some courses and labs have tuition rates that may increase or decrease total tuition. Tuition and fees are subject to revision by the president and Board of Trustees at any time. Select programs at select campuses offer additional scholarships of up to 25% off the listed price for domestic students studying on campus. For more detailed information, please visit Student Financial Services.
For students interested in pursuing financial assistance or educational loans, additional educational costs, known as Cost of Attendance (COA) components, can be included in the calculation of aid and loan eligibility. Components may include food, housing, books, course materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, personal expenses, and the cost of obtaining a first professional licensure. You can find comprehensive details on the Student Financial Services website. Please keep in mind that COA can vary significantly depending on academic program, enrollment intensity, and individual circumstances.
There are many ways to pay for your education, including scholarships, financial aid, and more. Connect with a financial counselor to learn about your options and make your dream a reality.
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