BSE Human-Centered Engineering Design
Human Centered Engineering Design is a thinking process that provides engineers with the technical background to research, identify, translate and document user needs; and consequently, generate creative product/process design ideas that address user requirements; and implement and evaluate the usability of products or services in a scientific way.
Human Centered Engineering Design is an interdisciplinary and inclusive field of study that bridges human-centered design, engineering design, art design, social sciences and business principles. The Bachelor of Science Engineering in Human-Centered Engineering Design (HCED) is offered by the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering to address a growing need of engineering designers serving human needs by applying design thinking processes to the whole product life cycle while considering user needs, technologies, and business factors. BSE in HCED is concerned with the interactive, iterative, and creative problem solving and/or product and system development by building empathy with the customer to better understand their needs.
Accreditation
BSE Human-Centered Engineering Design Program Educational Objectives
Consistent with providing a strong academic foundation in the field of Human-Centered Engineering, the program educational objectives for our graduates are:
To remain gainfully employed in Human-Centered Engineering Design related fields,
To continue to develop professionally, and
To serve in leadership roles.
BSE Human-Centered Engineering Design annual program student enrollment and graduation data is posted to the public on the College of Engineering and Computer Science website.
BSE (HCED) Student Outcomes
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies
Accelerated Master Programs in Human-Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) 4+1 Option
The accelerated undergraduate/master’s studies option in human-centered design and engineering (including 4+1 option) allows the most qualified UM-Dearborn undergraduate human-centered engineering design (BSE- HCED) students to pursue a program of study in which BSE and MS degrees are earned in a five-year accelerated format. This is achieved by combining a portion of undergraduate and graduate coursework as described below.
To be eligible for the option, a student must:
- Be enrolled in the undergraduate HCED program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
- Have earned 60 credit hours in the undergraduate program.
- Have a 3.2 cumulative GPA or better.
- Not be enrolled in two undergraduate programs or in a dual-degree program in either their undergraduate or graduate program.
- Deferred enrollment by 4+1 students into the Master’s program is not permitted.
- The accelerated option allows current UM-Dearborn BSE- HCED majors to complete both the BSE- HCED and MS human-centered design and engineering (MS-HCDE) degrees in an accelerated format. Admitted students can double-count up to 9 credits of 500-level or above HCDE core or concentration courses taken during their junior or senior years.
- In practice with the usual graduate student program rules, students may also transfer a maximum of 6 additional 500-level credits toward the 31-credit hours master's degree. These additional transfer credits can be taken during the junior and senior years and cannot be used for any portion of the undergraduate degree.
- Depending on the number of double-counted and transfer credits, 16-22 credits of graduate coursework would be needed to complete the master's program after completion of the undergraduate degree.
1. Participation in the accelerated option is limited to students who have completed at least 60 undergraduate credit hours, have attained junior standing, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2. The applicant to the accelerated option should have completed the following courses with grades of B+ or better: HCED 370 and HCED 380
2. Admission to the accelerated option is at the discretion of the MS-HCDE admission committee and requires a pre-admission interview.
3. The online graduate application should be completed with a "Yes" response to the accelerated option question. In addition to submitting the required application materials, the applicants will complete an interview with the MS-HCDE admission committees.
4. Students must attain a grade of B or better in each 500-level class taken as an undergraduate student and used for graduate credit in the accelerated option. Failure to do so may result in removal from the accelerated option.
To successfully achieve the 4+1 option within a five-year time frame, students can look forward to completing 2 core courses, 2 capstone courses, and 2 electives, which may even include up to 6 credits of thesis work. Additionally, for those who opt not to use the six transfer credit options, there is an opportunity to engage in 4 graduate courses during the final year of study, providing an enriching academic experience. In this case, students should plan on completing the master’s degree in three terms after the BSE degree is completed.
Why choose HCED, and why at UM-Dearborn?
Why should you select Human Centered Engineering Design?
Design Studio Based Experience
Human-Centered Engineering Design is a hands-on based design program. The curriculum includes at least one studio class per academic year, in addition, to project-based classes. The 1200 sq. ft. design studios provide space for team design activities and to develop small scale low and high fidelity prototypes for their various design courses.
Real-World Experience
Human-Centered Engineering Design is a problem-based design program. Every year, each cohort of students will be presented with real-life community or industry problems and will be challenged to create solutions. Furthermore, internship, research, and study abroad opportunities are available for manufacturing engineering students. Talk with your professors to learn more.
Interdisciplinary Engineering Design
The program curriculum is designed to meet ABET accreditation requirements in mathematics, laboratory sciences, engineering and design. The program offers five concentration options in (1) mechanical engineering design, (2) electrical and computer engineering design, (3) software engineering and user experience (UX) design, (4) systems design and (5) an individualized concentration.