Human Centered Engineering Design
Human Centered Engineering Design (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. The human centered design approach is widely being adopted by different industries, including automotive, aerospace, healthcare, information technology, software, consumer electronics, e-commerce, and digital marketing. These industries are actively looking for design professionals with the technical background who can research, identify, translate and document user needs; 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 engineering design, art design, social sciences and business principles.
Undergraduate Degree Program
The Bachelor of Science Engineering in Human Centered Engineering Design requires a total of 128 credit hours and provides first, a strong basis in the foundations of engineering: natural and physical sciences, mathematics, the behavioral sciences and the basic engineering sciences which begin the emphasis on creative problem solving. Then, the program develops strong foundation on which human centered design engineering work is founded. This includes studies in design process and creative problem solving, design communication, art design, qualitative and quantitative research methods in need finding, usability engineering, human factors engineering, and prototyping. Innovative problem solving, product/process design and prototyping skills are progressively developed and applied through a 4-year (freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year) individual and team based immersive design project experiences. The program creates an environment that inspires brainstorming for innovative and aesthetic solutions while emphasizing the theoretical, technological and design knowledge.
Educational Objectives of the BSE (Human Centered Engineering Design) Program
Consistent with providing a strong academic foundation in the field of Human Centered Engineering Design, 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.
Student Outcomes
To achieve the educational objectives, the graduates of the program will have:
- 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.
Human Centered Design and Engineering 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 (BS 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.
Eligibility:
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.
- The applicant to the accelerated option should have completed the following courses with grades of B+ or better: HCED 370 and HCED 380.
- 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.
- 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.
Applying to the 4+1/Accelerated option is a two-stage process coordinated with both your undergraduate and graduate advising teams. For detailed instructions and application links, please visit the central 4+1 programs webpage.
Double Counting and Transfer Credits:
- The accelerated option allows current UM-Dearborn BS 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.
Dearborn Discovery Core (General Education)
All students must satisfy the University’s Dearborn Discovery Core requirements, in addition to the requirements for the major
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Preparation Requirements | ||
| COMP 105 | Writing & Rhetoric I | 3 |
| COMP 106 | Writing & Rhetoric II | 3 |
| or COMP 270 | Tech Writing for Engineers | |
| ANTH 101 | Introduction to Anthropology | 3 |
| MATH 115 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 116 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 228 | Diff Eqns with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| IMSE 317 | Eng Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| CHEM 134 | General Chemistry IA | 4 |
| BIOL 203 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| PHYS 150 | General Physics I | 3 |
| PHYS 150L | General Physics I Lab/Dis | 1 |
| PHYS 151 | General Physics II | 3 |
| PHYS 151L | General Physics II Lab/Dis | 1 |
| ENGR 100 | Introduction to Engineering and Engineering Design | 3 |
| Select one course from the following: | 2-4 | |
| Computer Programming for Eng | ||
| Computer Science I | ||
| CS I for Data Scientists | ||
| Computer Methods in ECE I | ||
| Computer Meth for Engineers | ||
| ECE 210 | Circuits | 4 |
| ENGR 250 | Principles of Engineering Materials | 3 |
| ME 260 | Design Stress Analyses | 4 |
| or ME 265 | Applied Mechanics | |
| Engineering Design Core | ||
| HCED 220 | Engineering Design Communication | 2 |
| ENGR 360 | Design Thinking : Process, Method & Practice | 4 |
| HCED 370 | Needfinding and Research Methods in Design | 3 |
| HCED 380 | Product Prototyping: Tools and Methods | 3 |
| HCED 380L | Prototyping Tools and Techniques | 1 |
| IMSE 382 | Manufacturing Processes | 4 |
| IMSE 421 | Eng Economy and Dec Anlys | 3 |
| IMSE 4425 | Human Factors and Ergonomics | 4 |
| HCED 450 | Product Realization: Design and Making | 3 |
| HCED 450L | Product Realization: Design and Making (lab) | 1 |
| HCED 4951 | Capstone Project in HCED: Needfinding and Conceptualization | 2 |
| HCED 4952 | Capstone Project in HCED: Design and Implementation | 2 |
| ART 210 | Beginning Digital Design | 3 |
| ART 410 | Advanced Digital Design | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 4 | |
| Understand Art-Ancient to 1400 | ||
| Understanding Art 1400 to Now | ||
| Arts of Asia | ||
| Architecture & Society in Western Civilization | ||
| Ancient Monuments then and Now | ||
| Encountering the Renaissance | ||
| Art and Film | ||
| The Arts & Culture of Detroit | ||
| Art of Japan | ||
| Chinese Painting | ||
| Early Chinese Art and Culture | ||
| Gods, Myth and Worship | ||
| Gothic Art and Architecture | ||
| Women in Medieval Art | ||
| Renaissance & Reformation Art | ||
| Baroque Art and Architecture | ||
| Impressionism and Post-Impressionism | ||
| Arts of the Twentieth Century | ||
| Contemporary Art | ||
| Global History of Photography | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Understanding Customers | ||
| Behavior in Organizations | ||
| Entrepreneurial Thinking&Behav | ||
| Project Management and Leadership Skills | ||
- 1
Students in the 4+1 program may use the following courses: IMSE 515 or IMSE 516, MKT 515, MKT 620.
Students admitted to the 4+1 Option may substitute ART 510 for ART 410, HCDE 520 for HCED 370, IMSE 545 for IMSE 445, IMSE 577 for IMSE 477.
To successfully achieve the 4+1 option within a five-year timeframe, 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.
HCED students must choose a concentration in Mechanical Engineering Design, Electrical Engineering Design, Software Engineering and HCI Design, Systems Engineering Design, or Individualized Design. Concentration requirements are listed below.
Mechanical Engineering Design Concentration - 17-19 credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of four courses from the following | ||
| ENGR 350 | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology | 4 |
| ME 345 | Engineering Dynamics | 4 |
| ME 3601 | Design and Analysis of Machine Elements | 4 |
| ME 4191 | Structural Mech & Design | 4 |
| ME 460 | Design for Manufacturing | 3 |
| ME 4981 | Automotive Engineering | 4 |
| ENGR 299 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 1 | 1 |
| ENGR 399 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 2 | 1 |
| ENGR 499 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 3 | 1 |
| Other Technical Electives (see "Recommended Electives" list) | 0-4 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended elective list: COMM 300 Communication Research Methods (3), COMM 340 Professional Communication (3), ESCI 275 Introduction to Environmental Sustainability (3), ENST 340 Remote Sensing (3), ESCI 490 Topics in Environmental Sci (3), ANTH 470 Doing Anthropology: Ethnographic Methods and Applied Practice (4) | ||
Electrical Engineering Design Concentration - 17-19 credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of four courses from the following | ||
| ECE 273 | Digital Systems | 4 |
| ECE 311 | Electronic Circuits I | 4 |
| ECE 329 | Intro to Computer Music | 4 |
| ECE 3731 | Microproc and Embedded Sys | 4 |
| ECE 413 | Intro to VLSI Design | 3 |
| ECE 450 | Analog and Digital Comm Sys | 4 |
| ECE 460 | Automatic Control Systems | 4 |
| ECE 471 | Comp Networks/Data Comm | 4 |
| ECE 473 | Embedded System Design | 4 |
| ECE 4951 | Sys Desgn and Microcontrollers | 3 |
| IMSE 477 | Human Computer Interaction for UI & UX Design 1 | 3 |
| ENGR 299 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 1 | 1 |
| ENGR 399 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 2 | 1 |
| ENGR 499 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 3 | 1 |
| Other Technical Electives (see "Recommended Electives" list) | 0-4 | |
- 1
Students in the 4+1 program may substitute IMSE 577 for IMSE 477.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended elective list: COMM 300 Communication Research Methods (3), COMM 340 Professional Communication (3), ESCI 275 Introduction to Environmental Sustainability (3), ENST 340 Remote Sensing (3), ESCI 490 Topics in Environmental Sci (3), ANTH 470 Doing Anthropology: Ethnographic Methods and Applied Practice (4) | ||
Software Engineering and HCI Design Concentration - 17-19 credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take a minimum of four courses from the following | ||
| CIS 200 | Computer Science II | 4 |
| or CIS 2001 | CS II for Data Scientists | |
| CIS 275 | Discrete Structures I | 4 |
| CIS 285 | Software Engineering Tools | 3 |
| CIS 350 | Data Struc and Algorithm Anlys | 4 |
| or CIS 3501 | Data Struc & Alg Anlys for SE | |
| CIS 375 | Software Engineering I | 4 |
| CIS 411 | Introduction to Natural Language Processing | 3 |
| CIS 435 | Web Technology | 3 |
| CIS 436 | Mobile App Des & Impl | 3 |
| CIS 479 | Intro to Artificial Intel | 3 |
| IMSE 477 | Human Computer Interaction for UI & UX Design 1 | 3 |
| ENGR 299 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 1 | 1 |
| ENGR 399 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 2 | 1 |
| ENGR 499 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 3 | 1 |
| Other Technical Electives (see "Recommended Electives" list) | 0-4 | |
- 1
Students in the 4+1 program may substitute IMSE 577 for IMSE 477.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended elective list: COMM 300 Communication Research Methods (3), COMM 340 Professional Communication (3), ESCI 275 Introduction to Environmental Sustainability (3), ENST 340 Remote Sensing (3), ESCI 490 Topics in Environmental Sci (3), ANTH 470 Doing Anthropology: Ethnographic Methods and Applied Practice (4) | ||
Systems Engineering Design Concentration - 17-19 credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of four courses from the Following | ||
| IMSE 3005 | Intro to Operations Research | 4 |
| IMSE 440 | Applied stat models in engin | 3 |
| IMSE 445 | Vehicle Ergonomics I 1 | 3 |
| IMSE 4585 | Simulation in Systems Design | 4 |
| IMSE 477 | Human Computer Interaction for UI & UX Design | 3 |
| IMSE 4795 | Prod, Inven Control & Lean Mfg | 4 |
| IMSE 4835 | Comp.-Aided Prcs Desgn & Mfg | 4 |
| BA 320 | Project Management and Leadership Skills | 3 |
| ENGR 299 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 1 | 1 |
| ENGR 399 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 2 | 1 |
| ENGR 499 | Experiential Learning in Engineering & Computer Science 3 | 1 |
| Other Technical Electives (see "Recommended Electives" list) | 0-4 | |
- 1
Students in the 4+1 program may substitute IMSE 545 for IMSE 445.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended elective list: COMM 300 Communication Research Methods (3), COMM 340 Professional Communication (3), ESCI 275 Introduction to Environmental Sustainability (3), ENST 340 Remote Sensing (3), ESCI 490 Topics in Environmental Sci (3), ANTH 470 Doing Anthropology: Ethnographic Methods and Applied Practice (4) | ||
Individualized Concentration - 17-19 credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 3 courses in CIS,ECE, IMSE, or ME from the other concentrations (9-12 credits): | ||
| Recommended/General Electives: 5-10 credits | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended elective list: COMM 300, COMM 340, ESCI 275, ENST 340, ESCI 401, ANTH 460, ENGR 399, ENGR 492, ENGR 493 | ||
Learning Goals
- 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.
HCED 220 Engineering Design Communication 2 Credit Hours
This course examines the fundamentals of researching, writing, and presenting technical information for diverse audiences and purposes. Students learn to plan, analyze and prepare for different types of communications; differentiate between audience types and their needs for information; conduct research, understand authority of sources, and provide citations; develop effective listening techniques in business and technical situations. Techniques for writing communication documents, developing and delivering effective presentations and design portfolio, along with the media and technologies commonly used for design communication is also covered in this class. (F).
Prerequisite(s): COMP 105*
HCED 370 Needfinding and Research Methods in Design 3 Credit Hours
This course surveys qualitative and quantitative need finding and research methods in human-centered engineering design including usability engineering. Different data collection and measurement techniques are covered for different types of data, including subjective, behavioral, and physiological data. Human subject involved experiment design is also covered in this course. Students learn to formulate research questions and hypotheses, design and conduct a design related research study, and present research results through various case studies. (W).
Prerequisite(s): ENGR 360
HCED 380 Product Prototyping: Tools and Methods 3 Credit Hours
This course introduces the techniques and toolset necessary for developing low and medium fidelity prototypes to support the human-centered engineering design process. This includes CAD modeling, rapid prototyping, 3D printing, inventive problem solving techniques, sketching, storyboards, role-playing, visualization, virtual reality, and interaction prototyping techniques. Prototype testing techniques and tools are also covered in this course. Students work on individual and semester-long team based design projects in the Design Studio Lab by developing various product prototypes that fulfill customer needs using knowledge, methodology and skills obtained in the class. (W).
Prerequisite(s): ENGR 360 and (IMSE 255 or CIS 150 or CIS 1501 or ECE 270 or ENGR 216) and HCED 370* and HCED 220*
HCED 450 Product Realization: Design and Making 3 Credit Hours
Students will build on the foundation created in HCED 380 and will work on a single semester long project that executes the entire design process from conceptualization through presentation of a customer ready prototype, and creation of a project based portfolio. Different high fidelity engineering design and prototyping tools and techniques will also be covered in this class, including CAD/CAE, microcontrollers, process simulation, software platforms, risk analysis methods, virtual reality, data visualization, and 3D printing. (F, W).
Prerequisite(s): HCED 380 and ENGR 250* and (ME 260* or ME 265*) and ECE 210*
HCED 4951 Capstone Project in HCED: Needfinding and Conceptualization 2 Credit Hours
Summary project using knowledge, methodology, and skills obtained in Human Centered Engineering Design major. Students implement an original design concept and present it to a professional jury. (F, W).
Prerequisite(s): HCED 450
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Program is
HCED 4952 Capstone Project in HCED: Design and Implementation 2 Credit Hours
This course is a continuation of HCED 4951. Students will complete the development process to conceive a functional product. Students present their final design to a professional jury. (F, W).
Prerequisite(s): HCED 4951* and IMSE 4425* and IMSE 421* and IMSE 382*
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Program is
*An asterisk denotes that a course may be taken concurrently.
Frequency of Offering
The following abbreviations are used to denote the frequency of offering: (F) fall term; (W) winter term; (S) summer term; (F, W) fall and winter terms; (YR) once a year; (AY) alternating years; (OC) offered occasionally