Undergraduate Engineering Psychology:
Guide to the Major
The following is a description of the undergraduate program in Engineering Psychology at Tufts University:
Have you ever used a product and thought, “This is difficult to use, I could do a better job!” If so, then the Engineering Psychology Major can give you the academic training and background relevant for career paths in this area.
The Engineering Psychology program, also called Human Factors, was started in 1974 by professors from the Engineering Design and Psychology Departments. It is currently administered by Professor John Kreifeldt from the Mechanical Engineering Department and Professor Sal Soraci from the Psychology Department. Engineering Psychology is a study of the design and analysis of products and systems based on the mental and physical capabilities and limitations of people. Students learn to uniquely apply both Psychology and Engineering principles to solve complex problems. The range of fields that Engineering Psychology is applicable to is extremely large. An Engineering Psychologist could be doing anything from designing a computer user interface, evaluating the safety of a manufacturing facility, studying the differences between male and female marksmen, to investigating the cause of airplane accidents. The program is special in that only a handful of other universities throughout the country offer an undergraduate program in Engineering Psychology and Tufts has developed an outstanding national (and international) reputation in this area. Each year, an increasing number of students graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Psychology.
Liberal Arts or Engineering: Which is Right for Me?
The Engineering Psychology major may be completed by students in either the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Engineering. Students from both colleges are commonly required to take fifteen (15) core courses that are drawn from both schools. In addition, each student must fulfill the general requirements of his or her respective colleges. These requirements differ between the two colleges and should be considered when deciding which college (Liberal Arts or Engineering) best suits the student.
Beyond the fifteen (15) Engineering Psychology core courses, students enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts must take an additional 19 credits to complete a Bachelor of Science Degree. In total, the program requires 34 credits for a Bachelor of Science from the College of Liberal Arts.
In addition to the 15 Engineering Psychology core courses, students enrolled in the College of Engineering must earn an additional 23 credits, to total 38 credits, to complete a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Psychology.
For further information about the requirements of the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Engineering, please call Professor Kreifeldt (Mechanical Engineering, x2209) or Professor Soraci (Psychology, x5903), or consult The Bulletin and/or The Academic Year, distributed by the Admissions Office. In support of the Engineering Psychology program, students have founded a chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. To speak with a current Engineering Psychology major, please contact the society through Professors Kreifeldt or Soraci, or browse our WWW pages at