Why add a human systems engineering minor?
The HSE minor helps students apply engineering principles to problems where people are a central component of the system. The minor emphasizes human‑centered design and evidence‑based decision making in complex environments.
Students in the HSE minor develop skills in:
- Human factors and ergonomics
- Human‑technology interaction and usability
- Designing systems for safety, reliability, and performance
- Understanding human behavior in work and operational settings
These skills are highly transferable and valued across many disciplines and professions.
The HSE minor is well suited for students in psychology, cognitive science, computer science, public health, design, and engineering.
Go further, faster with an accelerated master’s pathway
Qualified students can earn progress toward a master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering while completing their minor.
Program overview
Minor at a glance
The HSE minor introduces students to foundational concepts in human factors and systems engineering through a combination of required and elective coursework. Courses emphasize applied problem solving and real‑world contexts where human performance matters.
Many students are able to complete the minor with minimal additional coursework, depending on their major and elective choices.
Total credits: 15 s.h.
Prerequisites: PSY:1001 (or equivalent introductory psychology course); one statistics course (e.g., STAT:2020, PSY:2811, or equivalent). Many psychology and cognitive science majors already meet or are close to meeting the prerequisites.
Core courses: 9 s.h.
Electives: 6 s.h. (choose two)
Required core courses (9 s.h.)
Students complete core coursework that introduces principles of human factors, ergonomics, and human‑centered system design.
ISE:3400 Human Factors 3 s.h.
Analyze human–system interaction using principles of perception, cognition, and performance. Topics include task analysis, usability, safety, and system evaluation. Prerequisite: PSY:1001 or equivalent introductory psychology course.
ISE:3450 Ergonomics 3 s.h.
Apply biomechanics and human capability data to the design of tools, workspaces, and physical systems.
ISE:2500 Engineering Economy 3 s.h.
Evaluate tradeoffs and economic decisions within engineered systems, including cost-benefit analysis and decision-making under constraints. Corequisite: STAT:2020 (waived for students pursuing an ISE or HSE minor).
ISE:3500 Information Systems Design 3 s.h.
Structure and design of computer-based information systems; concepts of information systems, decision-making; computer hardware, software, data structures; methods for determining system requirements; designing, implementing, evaluating, managing information systems; applied projects. Prerequisite: ENGR:1300 (waived for students pursuing an ISE or HSE minor).
ISE:3600 Quality Control 3 s.h.
Basic techniques of statistical quality control; application of control charts for process control variables; design of inspection plans and industrial experimentation; modern management aspects of quality assurance systems. Offered fall semesters. Prerequisites: STAT:2020 or STAT:1030 or STAT:3510 or BIOS:4120 or PSY:2812.
ISE:3660 Data Analytics with R 3 s.h.
Basics of data analytics and data mining; how to implement a variety of popular data mining methods in R to tackle business and engineering problems; focus on process of turning raw data into intelligent decisions and algorithms commonly used to build predictive models and find relevant patterns in data. Prerequisites: STAT:2020 or STAT:1030 or STAT:3510 or BIOS:4120 or PSY:2812.
Elective courses (6 s.h.)
Students may select two courses based on their interests and background.
Human–Computer Interaction & Design
ISE:6420 Human/Computer Interaction (with instructor permission)
ISE:3500 Information Systems Design
Strong fit for students interested in UX research, interface design, and digital systems.
Data & Evaluation
ISE:3600 Quality Control
ISE:3660 Data Analytics with R
Ideal for students who want deeper quantitative tools for evaluating system performance.
Who should consider this minor?
The HSE minor is ideal for students who want to:
Analyze human–system interactions using psychology and engineering principles
Apply perception, cognition, and biomechanics to system design
Use data-driven methods to evaluate performance and safety
Integrate human factors considerations into technical and organizational systems
Communicate human-centered design recommendations to multidisciplinary teams
The minor pairs especially well with majors in engineering, psychology, computer science, health sciences, design, and the social sciences.
Can this fit into your degree plan?
Yes — the minor is designed to integrate into most four-year plans.
Example Two-Year Integration Plan
Junior Year
ISE:3400 (Human Factors)
Elective 1
Senior Year
ISE:3450 (Ergonomics)
ISE:2500 (Engineering Economy)
Elective 2
Students are encouraged to declare early to ensure efficient prerequisite sequencing.
Eligibility and policies
Minimum GPA of 2.00 in minor coursework
No course taken Pass/Nonpass may count toward the minor
Up to 6 s.h. of approved transfer credit may apply
Students enrolled in the BSE Industrial and Systems Engineering major may not earn the minor
Courses numbered 5000+ require instructor and department approval
Students may self-declare the minor through MyUI.
Careers and next steps
An HSE minor supports careers and graduate study in areas such as:
User experience (UX) research
Human factors engineering
Ergonomics and workplace design
Healthcare systems improvement
Product usability and evaluation
Applied safety and performance analysis
Students interested in adding the HSE minor should work with their academic advisor and the ISE undergraduate advising office to determine how it fits into their degree plan.
