Master of Science

Human Factors

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Specialist knowledge of man and machine

Have you ever been annoyed by a vending machine whose menu navigation was simply not clear? Do you want to use your knowledge of usability and ergonomics to create better products? Then Human Factors is the right course for you!

  • ECTS: 90 ECTS
  • Programme duration: 3 semesters
  • Campus: Tuttlingen
  • Faculty: Industrial Technologies
  • Programme begins: summer semester (March), winter semester (October)
  • Application deadline: 15 January (summer semester), 15 July (winter semester)
  • Entry requirements: relevant bachelor's degree
  • Teaching language: German
  • Accreditation: yes (accredited through the university system accreditation)
  • Your basis You've already studied something to do with human-machine interaction, such as engineering psychology, and want to delve deeper into this topic. You value interdisciplinarity.
  • Shape the products Help shape future technology trends. How should displays react to inputs, what sound should be used for what, what is perceived as intuitive? Set the new standards!
  • Small but very cool The Tuttlingen Campus is Furtwangen University's youngest and smallest campus. It is characterised by cutting-edge technology in the laboratories and a team that always has an open ear for problems and concerns.
  • Closer to practice Thanks to our special model at the Tuttlingen Campus - the Public Private Partnership - you are much closer to the real everyday life of the companies and their issues.

Details of the programme

Programme content and structure

Academic focus

In this master's degree programme, we focus on all aspects that lead to human-centered technology and system design and thus to optimal human-machine interaction. This enables you to make well-founded decisions taking into account technical, psychological and ethical principles. Our students deepen their analytical, psychological, design and engineering knowledge. The focus is on ergonomics, usability, engineering psychology and user experience. Over the course of three standard semesters, we impart in-depth knowledge of ergonomic and human-centered product design, qualitative and quantitative empirical research as well as usability and user experience evaluation. During your studies, you'll also take a free human factors specialisation module and a human factors project. Here you can focus on a specific industry or take a holistic approach to a current human factors topic as a group. The master's thesis is completed in the third semester. The master's in Human Factors at the Tuttlingen Campus is awarded the academic degree of Master of Science (MSc).

 

Core topics of the HF master's

  • Usability
  • Human-machine interaction
  • Ergonomics
  • User Experience
  • Engineering Psychology
  • Human-centered Design
  • User Research
  • Human Factors Engineering

Entry requirements

What do you need to bring with you?

To apply for the HF master's, you need a first degree in a technical and/or psychological subject (210 ECTS credits). We expect proof of specialist knowledge in at least three of the following areas. Missing basics can be made up in individual cases.

  • Technology (e.g. mathematics, physics, construction technology, automation technology, production technology, etc.)
  • Psychology (general and biological psychology, psychological methodology and statistics, work and organisational psychology, etc.)
  • Information processing (computer science, programming, etc.)
  • Human factors (engineering psychology, ergonomics, user-centered design, human factors engineering, etc.)

What's included

Your career prospects

Bright prospects

The master's degree programme in Human Factors prepares you for a career in research and development and for taking on management responsibilities. Our graduates take a holistic view of development processes and place the human factor at the centre of their work. Positioned at the interface, you consider the functionality, ergonomics, safety, usability, sustainability and innovative capacity of products and work systems and incorporate the "user experience" into the design. With your interdisciplinary expertise, you are in high demand across all industries. Human Factors is therefore your master plan for the future!

Possible future career paths

  • Empirical research, user research and user requirements engineering
  • Design and evaluation of user interfaces
  • Human factors and usability engineering in the capital goods sector (e.g. mechanical production systems)
  • User experience (UX) design of interactive products
  • Consulting and services in the field of human-machine interaction
  • A doctorate at one of our partner universities or as a cooperative doctorate at the Faculty of Industrial Technologies opens up further prospects for you.

Labs & equipment

Faculty of Industrial Technologies

The Faculty of Industrial Technologies on the Tuttlingen Campus is something very special. At HFU, all subject areas are taught with a lot of practical relevance – but on the Tuttlingen Campus, students benefit from a special proximity to companies in the region. Here, the focus is on cooperation with industry in many practical units, students are allowed to work in company laboratories and can thus also make important contacts for their future careers. At "ITE", we focus our degree courses on current future-oriented topics – digitalisation and technologisation, smart materials, medical technology, energy transition, sustainability or human-machine interaction are just some of the exciting topics we are shaping the future with together.

Internal link opens in the same window:Find out more about the Faculty of Industrial Technologies (ITE)

As one of the strongest research universities in the state, HFU is also very active on the Tuttlingen Campus – which is also home to our Innovation and Research Center (IFC). Click here to see Internal link opens in the same window:current research projects at HFU.

Faculty news

Events

Your future is important to us. Contact us for advice.

Your key contacts

  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Pfeffer
    Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Pfeffer Dean of Studies Human Factors (MSc)
  • Sabine Hattung-Hocheder
    Sabine Hattung-Hocheder Faculty Office, Student support