Program: Human Factors and Usability Studies, BS Major in - Hofstra University

Jul 07, 2025

2025-2026 Undergraduate Bulletin

Associate Professor Salvador Rojas-Murillo, Program Director

The cross-disciplinary Human Factors and Usability Studies (HFUS) program reflects a societal need to solve complex challenges through an understanding of scientific and design principles that enable humans to access and interact with various digital environments, products, and documents. Engineering and computer science programs encompass many new technologies but retain core educational requirements in quantitative and scientific reasoning, design, and the ability to test and verify results. The cross-disciplinary approach to HFUS, which combines the study of cognition, ergonomics, human factors, disability studies, web & APP design, design, and technical documentation, will give students a varied background to help them tackle these future challenges. The HFUS program also emphasizes qualitative reasoning, communication skills, and user-centered design. Consequently, program graduates are well prepared to anticipate users’ needs and contribute with design team members in the development of human-centered design from multiple perspectives for diverse types of project teams, to assess interface design by performing usability testing, and to oversee or compile technical documentation.

The design of the BS program is intended to enhance the emphasis on the technical skills students will need to engage with or lead web-based and APP product design teams. The BA program allows students greater flexibility to explore courses in psychology, design, communication skills, and accessibility.

Educational Objectives:

The degree programs in Human Factors and Usability studies strive to allow graduates to achieve at least one of the following objectives:

Become successful practicing professionals able to attain leadership positions in human factors, human-centered design, usability, user experience, or allied fields;
Pursue graduate studies and attain a graduate degree in human factors, usability, user experience, or related fields;
Become innovators or entrepreneurs in these rapidly evolving fields by practicing professionally in a multi-disciplinary environment.

Student Outcomes:

Human Factors and Usability Studies graduates will exhibit a range of knowledge, abilities, and behaviors prepared to enter and become successful members of various professional communities.

The knowledge, behaviors, and skills will include the following:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex problems by applying principles of human factors and usability.
2. An ability to apply design principles and analytical skill to produce solutions that meet specified needs, with due consideration of design for diversity equity and inclusion (DEI), public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of usability and human factors solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. 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.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use professional judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Candidates for graduation must fulfill the following requirements:

1. The Successful Completion of at Least 124 Semester Hours

The successful completion of at least 124 semester hours and a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in work completed at Hofstra. Military Science may not be counted toward this total semester hour requirement. Outside distribution and general education courses, no more than 6 semester hours of HFUS requirements may be counted toward another major or minor.

2. Liberal Arts

At least 60 semester hours must be completed in the liberal arts, with at least 45 of these semester hours taken outside of engineering.

3. Residence Requirements

There are two requirements that must ordinarily be completed in residence at Hofstra: 15 semester hours in the major field of specialization and the last 30 semester hours. The 15 semester hours need not be included within the last 30 hours.

4. General Requirements

The following general requirements: WSC 001 or placement examination* and WSC 002; 3 hours in literature, literature in translation or comparative literature (chosen from distribution courses designated LT); 3 hours in behavioral social sciences (chosen from distribution courses designated BH); and 3 hours in history, philosophy, religion in social sciences (chosen from distribution courses designated HP). Students transferring in with previous social science/humanities credits may use them in place of distribution requirements in the same category as the transferred credits. Courses in the HFUS majors or minors that carry distribution credit may be counted both as meeting an HFUS requirement and as a distribution credit. Distribution and major courses may not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. Transfer credit will only count toward the major for engineering courses completed with a minimum grade of C-.

5. Major Requirements

The BS Major in Human Factors and Usability Studies requires 46 - 50 semester hours as described below.