This document summarizes a study of the online application process for international applicants seeking graduate studies at Tufts University. The study aims to: 1) Identify and describe Tufts' application process for international graduate applicants; 2) Identify the tasks and information needs of participants in the process; 3) Study the usability of interfaces involved; 4) Propose improvements; and 5) Present results in a human factors engineering course. The study involved interviews with Tufts faculty, staff, and international students to understand needs and pain points. Ideas for improvements include developing landing websites, an informational webinar series, and visualizing how responsibilities are divided to streamline the process. Next steps include usability reviews of relevant websites

1. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Professor:
Dr.
Daniel
Hannon
Student:
Leonardo
Madariaga
Fall 2013
Study
of
the
online
applica1on
process
of
interna1onal
applicants
for
graduate
studies,
using
Human
Factors
Engineering
analythical
methods.

2. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
The problem

3. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
One and a half year ago an important Decision Making started...
Product Design Engineering,
Federico Santa Maria Technical University
Chile

4. ELEGIBLE?
Previous
professional
experience?
Previous
research
experience?
Previous
education?
Student
Culture?
Learning
Experience?
Research
opportunities? WHERE?
TESTS
TOEFL? IELTS?
Graduate
Record
Examination?
LETTERS
Permission for
Leave of
absence?
Recommendations?
TUITION
and LIFE
EXPENSES
Cost of
housing?
Scholarships?
Cost of
food,
books?
How do I get
Started?
Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering

5. International
Applicant
Graduate
Studies
Office
Reviewing
Comittees
and advisors
Preliminary idea of
the participants in
the process
Study
of
the
online
applica1on
process
of
interna1onal
applicants
for
graduate
studies,
using
Human
Factors
Engineering
analythical
methods.
Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering

6. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
GOALS c)
Study
the
usability
of
the
interfaces
involved
in
the
process.
b)
Iden&fy
the
tasks
and
informa&on
needs
of
each
par&cipant
in
this
process.
a)
Iden&fy
and
describe
the
applica&on
process
for
interna&onal
applicants
for
graduate
studies
at
Tu?s
University.
d)
Propose
improvements
to
the
interfaces
involved
in
the
process.
e)
Present
process
and
results
in
the
context
of
ENP
163.

7. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
someSTATS
6,5% of the grad student population are international students
6,7% of the undergrad student population are international students
“Tufts received 708 applications from China this year compared with 39 in 2004”.
Lee Coffin, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
(How many international grad student applied to Tufts in 2013?)
There were 2394 international applicants in 2013 for undergraduate education.

8. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
The path to admission

9. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering

10. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Apply to Tufts page in Tufts website

11. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Undergrad admissions landing page

12. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
School of Arts & Sciences landing page

13. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
School of Engineering landing page

14. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
School of Dental Medicine landing page

15. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Fletcher school landing page

16. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
School of Veterinary Medicine landing page

17. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
School of Nutrition landing page
Good
feature for
application
planning

18. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
School of Medicine landing page 1

19. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
School of Medicine landing page 2

20. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences landing page

21. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering

22. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Visualization of this path

23. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
REFERENCE
http://paragonflight.com/international-flight-students/admission-process.html

24. http://deweycollege.ca/?page_id=668
REFERENCE

25. REFERENCE
Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
http://neweng.cau.ac.kr/03_admission/graduate02.php

26. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
REFERENCE
http://tum-asia.edu.sg/admissions/graduate/application-process/

27. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Exploring Tufts

28. INTERVIEWS
Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
PROFESSOR ROBERT WHITE
GRADUATE DIRECTOR
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARMENT
PROFESSOR DANIEL HANNON
HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING MASTER´S
PROGRAMME
HEIDI BROWN
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
REEM ALATAS (SAUDI ARABIA)
GRADUATE STUDENT
PHD IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
LORIN POLIDORA
DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATOR
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
ANGELA FOSS
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR
GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
LAJJA MEHTA (INDIA)
GRADUATE STUDENT
MS IN HUMAN FACTORS ENG.
YUNJIE LU (CHINA)
GRADUATE STUDENT
MS in BIOENGINEERING
JANE ETISH ANDREWS
DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL CENTER

29. QUESTIONS
Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
1. Describe the decision process of application to
the HFE MS program.
2.What information is the most critical to the
process?
3.Which persons in the organization are critical
to the process?
4.What information is usually not helpful for your
decision making?
5.What information could help you evaluate
better the applicants?
Searching for error, hard times, needs.
Understand the process and actors involved.
1. How did you apply to Tufts? Describe
the process.
2.What did you find to be the hardest
part to accomplish in the process?
3.What kind of feedback from Tufts
would have been helpful?
1.I would like to hear about the process of application to
Tufts from your Experience.
2.What kind of questions do you usually get?
3. Can you remember a special case? An occasion when
something strange happened?
20-45 min

30. NEEDS
Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Wants to know students
background in programs
Fee structure around
each specific programme.
Wants to know if
documents arrived to
department level
Wants to know if
documents are complete
Wants to know cut off
scores (GRE)
Wants to know if
programs are accredited
Wants to know about
research opportunities
Financial Aid
Wants to know about
courses
Wants to know about
students research interest
Wants to know about
Undergrad Institution
Wants to interpret students
transcripts in a better way
Does not want to create
expectancies
Wants to know if students
are planning visa issues
Wants to re-direct
correctly questions
Wants students to feel
welcomed
Wants students to use many
of the resources Tufts has for
them
Meet standards in Higher
Education Sector
Get more visible key-
documents: Requirements and
deadlines

31. IDEAS
Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Webinar series
Impact on
Learning Experience at
graduate level
Student profiles
Department level Admissions level I.Center level
Application planning
Insight on current
research areas
Impact on
Visa planning
Financial planningDocuments needed
Feedback of the process
Impact on

32. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Landing website
Department level Admissions level I.Center level
Impact on consistency and standards of
information provided to international applicants
Reduce overload of questions from applicants
sending email to every organizational unit.
IDEAS
Impact on
Impact on Impact on

33. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Information visualization
Department level Admissions level I.Center level
Impact on displaying
how is in charge of
what in the
application process
and after it.
IDEAS

34. Next STEPS
Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Heuristic review of I-­Center, Mech-­E and Admissions website
Proposal of improvements: webinar, info visualization, landing websites
Meeting with Kristina Maguire from Grad.Admissions.
Questionnaire about webinar &experience video implementation
among international students

35. Analy&cal
Methods
in
Human Factors Engineering
Professor:
Dr.
Daniel
Hannon
Questions?