February 26, 2003—The first ergonomics master’s degree program in a kinesiology department has been established at the Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER).
The field has been defined as the applied science of equipment design, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. “The goal of ergonomics is to find the optimum fit of the job or task to the worker,” said John Shea, chair of the IU Kinesiology Department,
Ergonomics is historically more common at engineering schools, but IU’s involvement through HPER has been developed because kinesiology involves such disciplines as physiology, biomechanics, motor control and psychology of human performance.
Courses established for the master’s degree program include human factors and ergonomics and cognitive ergonomics. A variety of required courses are available in motor control, biomechanics, exercise physiology and safety management. Elective courses include learning and motivation, instructional task analysis, introduction to human-computer interaction and complex cognitive processes.
For more details on ergonomics, contact John Shea at 812-855-6420.
