Programme Specifications

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

Generic aims of the programme: 

• to enhance students' prospects of entering the ergonomics profession;
• to provide a stimulating, fair, friendly and supportive environment to enhance learning;to provide a high quality teaching and learning programmes in the above-mentioned areas of Human Factors/Ergonomics at the postgraduate level, approved by the University, moderated under external examination;
• to develop ergonomics competencies in critical and practical skills and scientific methods necessary for professional practice and for entry to further research training through teaching by research active staff;
• to involve, where appropriate, industry, the public sector and the professions in teaching and to encourage students to engage in the opportunities offered by the wider ergonomics and other relevant professions;
• to enable students to develop key transferable skills such as in the use of information technology, project planning and implementation, interpersonal skills for team work, communication skills and self-directed study appropriate for life-long learning and continuing professional development. 

The programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors and, when combined with 2 further years of relevant professional experience, enables membership of the Society as a Registered Member. The programme is designed to provide a broad ergonomic education to focusn those aspects concerned with promoting patient safety in all healthcare sectors and domains. It will also focus on investigations relevant to understanding and intervening in these situations with the goal of improving conditions for those exposed.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

• requirements of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors which undertakes monitoring, and performs a full review periodically for the relevant programme titles;;
• requirements of the International Ergonomics Association;
• University Learning and Teaching Strategy;
• School teaching and learning policies;
• the research interests and specialisms of the teaching staff and their professional involvement in the discipline;
• the provision of equal opportunities.

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

K1 Psychological ergonomics: introduction to cognitive psychology 

K2 Physical ergonomics: including anthropometry, physical work place assessment and related methods and biomechanics, anatomy and physiology;

K3 Design ergonomics: introduction to practical aspects of design for human use, including equipment and products, the work place and systems;

K4 Experimental design and data interpretation: introduction to methods and issues concerned with understanding the needs of users;

K5  Systems ergonomics.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

C1  demonstrate evidence-based reasoning and make critical judgements about ergonomic issues; 

C2   find, assess, abstract and synthesise ergonomics evidence from a variety of sources, including detection of patterns and evaluation of significance in ergonomics data;

C3 analyse and present with confidence, quantitative and qualitative evidence; C4  demonstrate competence in ergonomic skills through practical activities;

C5 understand the ethical context of ergonomics as a discipline and demonstrate this in relation to their own work

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

P1 observe, record accurately and give an objective account of human action in both laboratory and real-world settings; 

P2 design and execute an experiment which compares behaviour or experience under at least two conditions of at least one experimental variable;

P3 collect and organise quantitative and qualitative data, undertake appropriate analyses, and abstract and interpret relevant information;

P4 communicate ergonomics concepts, information and requirements and project proposals and outcomes in a variety of forms including through writing and orally and for different audiences;

P5  act professionally and in accordance with ethical propriety.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

T1  Information Technology:  use instructional material (eg, experimental demonstrations) and research tools (eg,. Statistical packages) on computers, and search for relevant material on the internet;

T2 Numeracy:  collect data in numerical form, present it in tables and graphs, and analyse it with a range of statistical tools;

T3  Problem Solving:  clarify questions, consider alternative solutions and evaluate outcomes;

T4 Teamwork: share responsibility for a task with others; agree common goals and methods to achieve them; co-ordinate the use of common resources;

T5 Management Skills: manage a project, including its interfaces with its context; control meetings, write reports, demonstrate key skills, understand training and skills issue.

4. Programme structure

Compulsory Modules

Semester 1

Semester 2

Compulsory modules may be replaced with alternative options at the discretion of the Programme Director where evidence is available of successful prior study as necessary to meet the requirements of the Ergonomics profession.

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to be eligible for an award, candidates must meet the requirements specified in Regulation XXI.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification