Guide to becoming an engineering psychologist

1. Consider your career path

Before pursuing a career as an engineering psychologist, take time to learn about the requirements necessary to work in this profession. Consider your personal and professional goals and what you will have to do to achieve them.

Engineering psychology is one of many subspecialties in the field of psychology. To qualify to work in this role, you’ll need a foundation in basic psychological principles and a distinct combination of advanced education and experience. Ultimately, you may find career satisfaction more easily if you have the interests and skills necessary to succeed.

Before committing to a program, consider related specialty areas of psychology to ensure that your interests align with engineering psychology, not another closely related field like an industrial/organizational psychologist. “We are not usually considered I/O psychologists. That is a related but different field—HF/E [human factors/engineering] tends to focus on safety, risk and design of human-machine systems, while I/O focuses on selection, training leadership, etc. I/O is more about the psychology of the business world, in general,” Keebler said.

Explore the coursework involved at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels to ensure that you’re interested in the academic coursework required to work in this field. “I think folks who have an interest in technology and psychology will do well in this field. We do rely heavily on statistics so they should be okay with learning relatively advanced math. Having some computer programming skills can’t hurt although it isn’t required,” Keebler said.

2. Complete a bachelor’s degree in psychology

A bachelor’s degree is the first requirement needed to become an engineering psychologist. Completion of a bachelor’s degree while attending school full-time on a traditional academic calendar takes four years.

While you may find some undergraduate degrees in engineering psychology, many programs do not offer this specialization at the bachelor’s level. Therefore, it’s common for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology as a foundation for graduate-level advanced engineering psychology programs. However, it is not uncommon for engineering psychology students to begin their graduate education with undergraduate degrees in areas such as engineering, computer programming or product or web design.

If you are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree that focuses on engineering psychology, make sure that you’re pursuing the right degree. Depending on the specific school and program, coursework in engineering psychology may be included in an undergraduate degree in engineering psychology, general psychology with a specialization or certificate in engineering psychology or degrees related to human factors psychology.

Talk to program admissions counselors to ensure that the curriculum matches your interests, which might be the case with a human factors degree. “It is confusing, and to my knowledge, there really is no difference between an HF [human factors] psychologist and an engineering psychologist. They do seem to be interchangeable,” Keebler said.

Whether you pursue a general psychology degree or a more specialized engineering psychology degree, coursework at the undergraduate level focuses on learning key psychology concepts related to human performance and research principles. This includes a wide range of science and math topics within the field of psychology.

Depending on your program, you may be able to complement your required courses with electives related to engineering psychology or other areas that may be helpful in this field. “Computer science and statistics are probably the best complementary courses to take alongside a psychology degree for work in this field,” Keebler said. 

3. Complete a master’s degree in engineering psychology

A master’s degree in engineering psychology or a closely related field is the minimum requirement for most positions in engineering psychology. Earning a master’s degree in engineering psychology can take from two to three years as a full-time student, with factors such as study pace and program requirements impacting your total time to degree completion.

“Usually at least a graduate degree is required. There are some undergraduate programs that can lead to successful career paths, but I think at least a master’s is probably the smart move for someone interested in this field. A PhD opens many doors but is obviously a much larger commitment and is not required for many of the jobs out there,” Keebler said.

When seeking a master’s degree in engineering psychology, consider a degree in a program that has earned Human Factors/Ergonomics Society (HFES) accreditation. Graduate programs with this credential have been evaluated by the HFES to ensure that they appropriately prepare students for entering their careers in human factors, ergonomics and related fields.

Some programs require a thesis or capstone at the master’s level. Depending on your master’s program, you may also have to meet requirements for research and/or internships. Coursework typically focuses on the advanced study of foundational principles of psychology including cognition, sensation, perception and physiological psychology. Research methods and specialized courses in the science and practice of engineering psychology are also included.

“Internships are extremely useful and can range from working in technology corporations to government positions. Most students should conduct internships at the undergraduate and graduate levels, especially if they want to go into industry positions as a career path. It’s not nearly as useful for those who want to go into academia,” Keebler said.

4. Complete a doctoral degree in engineering psychology

Many engineering psychologists earn a doctoral degree in engineering psychology. This degree is typically completed as a PhD in Engineering Psychology or a PhD in Human Factors Psychology, though other related doctoral degrees may be applicable. It can take four to eight years to complete a PhD, though this timing can vary based on the program and your rate of progress. Some PhD programs allow you to earn a master’s degree concurrent with your PhD to reduce your time to degree completion.

A doctoral dissertation is typically required for a PhD. The primary focus of study at this level focuses on research related to the implementation of psychological principles in the design and use of human-machine systems.

5. Begin your career as an engineering psychologist

You’ll be ready to start your career as an engineering psychologist upon completion of an advanced degree. Unlike positions in clinical psychology and counseling psychology, engineering psychologists do not have to take a national psychology examination or secure professional license to pursue jobs in this field.

The American Psychological Association (APA) refers to engineering psychology as a “postgrad growth area,” due to its increasing demand across many industries. According to the APA, the demand for engineering psychologists continues to increase as more industries recognize the valuable contribution psychologists can make to the design process of a wide range of products and systems.

According to the APA, the demand for engineering psychologists continues to increase as more industries recognize the valuable contribution psychologists can make to the design process of a wide range of products and systems.

Your career opportunities will be determined by your education and experience. A master’s level engineering psychologist usually works in roles in which their work is supervised by a doctoral level psychologist. Consider joining a professional organization to expand your professional network and learn more about the field of engineering psychology and professional opportunities in this field.

How does an engineering psychologist salary compare to similar occupations?

What you’ll do

While your responsibilities as an engineering psychologist can vary based on your employer, position and industry, you might perform the following tasks:

• Analyze how people interact and use new and emerging equipment and technology

• Conduct research, such as focus groups, test panels and surveys, to learn how users interact with a specific product or system to identify ways to improve the design

• Conduct research in specific fields such as aging, vision and perception to identify specific design needs

• Collaborate with architects and designers of consumer products to determine ways to combine form and function

• Investigate ways to modify existing products and systems to make them more accessible to people with disabilities

• Assess the safety of work environments and ways to reduce job-related accidents

• Survey populations to find out which products and product qualities appeal to specific demographics

What does this job look like from the practitioner’s perspective?

An engineering psychologist can pursue work in a wide range of areas, such as the industries related to automobiles, aerospace, healthcare or even virtual reality, based on their interests and passions. This can make work fun and interesting. At the same time, the work involved in changing, and possibly saving, people’s lives by improving and designing products and systems can be very rewarding. However, being an engineering psychologist can also involve challenges. As a relatively new profession, engineering psychology is sometimes viewed with skepticism from industries that don’t believe they need the input of outside experts. This can be especially evident for those who work as consultants. “We are also a small field so often we are the sole individual with this skill on our teams. This can be a bit lonely and difficult if you are looked at like an outsider or devil’s advocate,” Keebler said.

What’s the day-to-day like?

The day-to-day routine of an engineering psychologist can vary based on many factors such as your position, the industry involved and the progress of the project. On any day, you may find yourself conducting research in a laboratory, leading a discussion with a focus group or presenting your results in a conference meeting room. While it’s possible that every day can look different, an engineering psychologist is likely to be involved in one of the following types of tasks:

• Researching product or system problems, flaws or defects
• Collaborating with other professionals to formulate new ideas
• Interviewing end-users to determine usability or safety of a targeted product or system
• Problem-solving with team members to create solutions
• Writing to explain research, problems, solutions or ways to use a product or system effectively
• Presenting solutions to end-users, team members and/or clients

What does this job look like from a client’s perspective?

While there’s an undeniable need for engineering psychologists in many areas of industry, government and academia, clients may be initially wary of the value that these professionals can bring to their organizations.

“It’s hard to convince folks outside the field of the value of our field. We have to be able to pitch what we do to people who are ultimately skeptical or think we are telling them how to do their jobs. So, translating the science to laymen is one of the major challenges,” Keebler said.

However, clients know that better design can mean happy customers, fewer costly redesigns and less risk of accidents or injuries due to product or system defects. As more organizations realize how easily issues of usability and safety can become problems involving blame and liability, engineering psychologists are being recognized for their value.

For example, engineering psychologists have become valuable in the medical field, where they can contribute research related to the design of medical equipment and the layout of operating rooms to reduce the risk of medical errors.

How to make yourself stand out as a candidate for an engineering psychologist job

Depending on factors such as your geographic location, professional interests and experience, you may find that getting a job in the field of engineering psychology can be competitive. However, you can improve your chances of securing a position you desire by focusing on the characteristics that employers value.

“Publishing research and getting advanced degrees is probably the best thing someone can do to stand out and improve their salary,” Keebler said.

Ultimately, standing out as a candidate for an engineering psychologist job involves more than polishing your resume after graduation. It’s a process that is best initiated long before you’re qualified for employment, Keebler said. “Reach out to potential programs and talk to professors! Go to the APA division 21 meetings and the annual ASPIRE Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Get involved now—even before you’re a student. Keep an open mind and aim for a graduate degree at a program you find interesting, if not a PhD.”