Many Tufts students choose to study abroad during their junior year. Since our Engineering Psychology program is unique, many of our requirements cannot be fulfilled at an institution other than Tufts. Therefore, students interested in this option should begin to make plans well in advance of their junior year.
In most foreign countries, Human Factors or Engineering Psychology is known as Ergonomics. There are subtle differences between the areas of Human Factors being studied in the United States and those being studied abroad. These differences may interest students who opt to study abroad, for they will have the opportunity to learn Human Factors from a new perspective. Also, most foreign institutions offer complete programs of study as opposed to a collection of separate courses.
Since Spring 1997, Engineering Psychology majors can go abroad to the University College of London. Tufts has now started a program in which we can take graduate classes in Ergonomics. With the permission of the class instructor at Tufts and the head of the Department, you can get credit for classes such as:
One of the requirements of the program is that you must stay in a dorm (vs. with a family). Another restriction is that it is only a year long program. If you are interested, you can contact the HFES officers ( thfes-officers@listproc.tufts.edu) or go directly to Gwen from the Tufts Abroad office (x3152).
Pamplets and informational packets are available in the Psychology Dept, just ask Cynthia.
Once a student has chosen a foreign university to apply to, he or she should obtain a description of this school's Ergonomics program. All credit to be transferred must be given approval before the student leaves Tufts. The course book from the foreign university is be the only way that the Tufts professors to assess the appropriateness of the student's proposed plan of study. Any foreign courses that a student wants to count in substitution for the requirements of the Engineering Psychology program must be directly approved by the appropriate professor.
Studying abroad is an excellent experience that can be replaced by no other. Although there are difficulties involved with planning a semester abroad, this should not discourage a student from choosing this option.
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