To become an engineering psychologist, one needs education and training in human factors psychology, with advanced degrees and industry-specific experience. Career opportunities exist in research, private practice, and academia, with many employed in the medical and industrial engineering sectors.
To become an engineering psychologist, you need education and training in the discipline of human factors psychology. This area of psychology studies the interaction between machines and humans in many different environments. Educational requirements include an advanced college degree and possibly some actual experience from an internship or previous employment in the field of human factors psychology. Anyone wanting to become an engineering psychologist will find many career opportunities in the research sector of this profession. There are also several career opportunities for engineering psychologists in private practice and academia.
Those who want to become an engineering psychologist must have a bachelor’s degree in psychology or another related field, such as engineering, physics, or computer programming. While job requirements vary by employer, there aren’t many jobs in this field that don’t require an advanced degree. Education and training should focus on working in a specific industry, such as information technology, research, healthcare or teaching. Many companies may require candidates to have some prior engineering experience. A master’s or doctoral degree requiring additional education in a specialized area of human factors psychology is required for those wishing to become an engineering psychologist in a clinical setting or private practice.
Several engineering psychologists are employed in the biomedical and industrial engineering sectors. About 40% of practicing engineering psychologists are in private practice or work as consultants. The military, typically a large employer of engineering psychologists, is now hiring private consultants for private practices. Others in academia will help teach students who want to become engineering psychologists. Professional associations and groups representing engineering psychologists, including the American Psychological Association (APA), the Human Factors Ergonomics Society (HFES), and the International Ergonomics Association (IEA).
Most people who want to become an engineering psychologist will find employment in the medical industry, research facilities, government agencies, or private industry. A career in research involves conducting experiments and developing theories to explain how people use mechanical devices and react to their surroundings. The findings from this research could be used to make a prosthetic leg work more efficiently or to make the bathroom more accessible for those who are physically challenged.
Many engineering psychologists work in the medical sector, ensuring that medical equipment is safe, efficient and ergonomic. To lessen their exposure to liabilities from poorly designed or unsafe products, some companies are willing to pay a high salary to qualified engineering psychologists to design and monitor the manufacture of their products.
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