To Ph.D. or Not to Ph.D.? That is the Question!

Is a master's degree sufficient for a successful career in human factors, or is a doctoral degree necessary? This question has been a recent cause for discussion, especially among graduate students. In order to address this issue, the Old Dominion student chapter of the HFES developed some questions regarding the relative advantages of both degrees. Panelists were selected based on their experience with differing degrees. Megan Brown and Dieter Jahns are both practitioners who have master's degrees. Dieter is also Executive Director of the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics. Anthony Andre and Arnie Lund are practitioners, but both have doctoral degrees. Anthony is also an Adjunct Professor of Human Factors and Ergonomics at San Jose State University. In addition, Nancy Cooke and Tom Eggemeier are faculty members who have doctoral degrees. Tom teaches at a master's level institution while Nancy teaches at an institution that offers both master's and doctoral degrees. At the HFES panel sessio...