Applicants for Associate and Professional certification can meet our Education Requirement in one of two ways:

  • A GRADUATE DEGREE IN HUMAN FACTORS/ ERGONOMICS

If you have a Graduate Degree (master’s, doctorate) from a program in the HFES Graduate Directory you have satisfied the Educational requirement. You are qualified to apply for Associate status. If you also have 3 years experience and can provide work samples you are eligible to sit for the exam and apply for our Professional status.

OR,

  • A BACHELORS DEGREE FROM AN ACCREDITED INSTITUTION PLUS 24 SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS IN SPECIFIC CATEGORIES AND TOPICS RELATED TO OUR PROFESSION.

If you have an undergraduate degree or your graduate degree is NOT from a program in the HFES Graduate Directory, you need to itemize your educational coursework on the application form (Associate and Professional). This allows us to determine if you have the required 24 semester credit hours of specific training and knowledge required to become a Board Certified Professional in Human Factors/Ergonomics.

EDUCATIONAL COURSEWORK

The Educational Coursework document is an expansion of the table within the certification application (associate and professional). It provides course objectives and example course topics for the categories and topics needed for certification.  We recommend mapping your relevant courses on the application form to determine if you meet the educational requirement. This also helps assess your preparedness for the exam and provides insight into any additional courses you might need to take before applying for certification.  If you need to supplement your background refer to our Educational Resources in our Documents section for guidance on courses*.

A copy of this document can be downloaded here.

ACCEPTABLE COURSES

  • ACADEMIC CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED

    “Academic Credit Hours Required” are preferred to be from undergraduate or graduate courses by accredited* institutions.

    Acceptable academic courses can also be taken at an accredited* academic institution or its affiliate(s) (such as university “extension” or “continuing education”), and involves lectures and some type of student assessment (e.g., an examination or project).

  • ACCEPTABLE CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) CREDIT HOURS OR “UNITS” INCLUDE:

    1. CE credits that have been historically accepted by universities/colleges as “academic” credits/units;
    2. CE credits offered through accredited* universities extension/continuing education programs; and
    3. CE credits offered by boards and professions related to our field and are approved by IACET (International Association of Continuing Education and Training).

    The CE credits or units assigned to a “short-course” are considered only with provision of official proof of enrollment, course content, contact hours, and assessment information. Attending a conference or symposium that offers CE credits for attendance are not considered educational CEUs and will not be counted towards the educational coursework requirement.

  • ACADEMIC COURSES TAKEN AS AUDIT

    Academic courses taken as “audit” need to be formally acknowledged by the providing institution (e.g., through transcript notation).

  • ONLINE COURSES (E.G., MOOCS SUCH AS COURSERA, EDX®, AND UDACITY®) REQUIRE CONSIDERATION

    These courses will be considered only with provision of official proof of enrollment, course content, contact hours, and assessment information.

  • TRAINING IN AREAS RELATED TO THE TOPICS

    “Training” in areas related to the topics listed under the requirements does not constitute formal academic experience and will not be counted towards the educational coursework requirement.

*The BCPE considers a college or university to be acceptable when it holds institutional accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). International degrees will be deemed acceptable based on the institution’s accreditation status in the presiding education system

CREDIT HOUR CONVERSION GRID

If you need to delineate your coursework to show you have the required 24 semester based credits, the below grid will help you convert your quarter, continuing education, or contact hours to semester credits.

A copy of this grid can be downloaded here.

CATEGORYACADEMIC CREDIT HOURS
(SEMESTER)		ACADEMIC CREDIT HOURS
(QUARTER)		CE CREDIT
HOURS*		CONTACT
HOURS**
A. Basic Principles34.54.545
B. Core Background69990
C. Core Methodology: Analysis & Design of Processes
& Products		69990
D. Application of Analysis, Design, Validation
& Implementation		81212120
E. Professional Issues11.51.515
Total243636360

*See above under “Acceptable Courses”

**Note: Each semester credit hour requires 15 contact hours. A CE credit hour is equivalent to one quarter credit hour and both require 10 contact hours. One semester credit hour is equivalent to 1.5 quarter or CE credit hours.

The comparison grid of units/hours is provided for convenience. A core background in HFE obtained primarily through training (versus education) programs is not acceptable.

TRANSCRIPTS

All courses listed in the application require documentation to verify completion or attendance. Copies of transcripts, CEU certificates, or registration confirmation should accompany your application submission.

Official transcripts are required and must be received directly from the issuing college/university either electronically  or by mail.

Transcripts not in English must be formally evaluated and translated.  There are international credential evaluation services that provide this service.