What is Engineering Psychology?

Engineering Psychology is a discipline within the field of psychology. The goal of the discipline is to understand the human as it is relevant to the design of systems. That understanding spans the muscular-skeletal to the neurocognitive in the design of everything involving human users. These design problems include but are not limited to designing safe work environments, load carriage systems and command and control systems. The field is an applied field and recognizes the economics of design as well as issues of compliance. Thus the field also applies a business acumen to assess cost benefit and marketing.

What do Engineering Psychologist do in the Army?

The majority of Engineering Psychologists work in acquisitions or in research and design for the Research, Development and Engineering Command or the Medical Research and Materiel Command. A few Engineering Psychologist teach at USMA as well as at the Senior Service Colleges and still others have become Operations Research Systems Analysts.

What kinds of Master's Degrees predominate in the field?

Engineering Psychologists at the Master's level receive a Master of Science in the field of psychology. Since the discipline is research oriented, a thesis is required to qualify for positions as an Engineering Psychologist.

What kinds of professionals study in a typical Engineering Psychology program?

Most Engineering Psychology students receive their M.S. in psychology en-route to a Ph.D. They may concentrate on a number of areas for their dissertation such as ergonomics, biomechanics and anthropometrics, human systems interaction, visual or auditory psychophysics, etc. It is not uncommon for students who have theses in allied disciplines to enter a Ph.D. program in Engineering Psychology. These disciplines can include computer science, systems engineering, industrial hygiene and management science. Note well that the allied disciplines allowed are dependent on a school's entrance requirements.

Top Engineering Psychology Programs for Army Officers

• Georgia Tech
• Wright State
• Naval Post Graduate School
• University of Illinois
• University of Central Florida
• Ohio State University

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