Project: Study of Online Application process for international grad students

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.

Analy&cal Methods in

Human Factors Engineering

The problem



One and a half year ago an important Decision Making started...

Product Design Engineering,Federico Santa Maria Technical University

Chile

ELEGIBLE?

Previousprofessionalexperience?

Previousresearch

experience?

Previouseducation?

StudentCulture?

Learning Experience?

Research opportunities? WHERE?

TESTS

TOEFL? IELTS?

Graduate Record Examination?

LETTERS

Permission for Leave of absence?

Recommendations?

TUITIONand LIFE EXPENSES

Cost of housing?

Scholarships?Cost of food,

books?

How do I get

Started?



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.





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.



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.



The path to admission





Apply to Tufts page in Tufts website



Undergrad admissions landing page



School of Arts & Sciences landing page



School of Engineering landing page



School of Dental Medicine landing page



Fletcher school landing page



School of Veterinary Medicine landing page



School of Nutrition landing page

Good feature for application planning



School of Medicine landing page 1



School of Medicine landing page 2



School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences landing page





Visualization of this path



REFERENCE

http://paragonflight.com/international-flight-students/admission-process.html



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

REFERENCE



REFERENCE



http://neweng.cau.ac.kr/03_admission/graduate02.php





REFERENCE

http://tum-asia.edu.sg/admissions/graduate/application-process/





Exploring Tufts

INTERVIEWSAnaly&cal Methods in


PROFESSOR ROBERT WHITEGRADUATE DIRECTOR

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARMENT

PROFESSOR DANIEL HANNONHUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING MASTER´S

PROGRAMME

HEIDI BROWNCOMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORSCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

REEM ALATAS (SAUDI ARABIA)GRADUATE STUDENTPHD IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

LORIN POLIDORADEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATOR

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

ANGELA FOSSPROGRAM ADMINISTRATORGRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

LAJJA MEHTA (INDIA)GRADUATE STUDENTMS IN HUMAN FACTORS ENG.

YUNJIE LU (CHINA)GRADUATE STUDENTMS in BIOENGINEERING

JANE ETISH ANDREWSDIRECTORINTERNATIONAL CENTER

QUESTIONSAnaly&cal Methods in


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

NEEDSAnaly&cal Methods in


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 createexpectancies

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

IDEASAnaly&cal Methods in


Webinar series

Impact on

Learning Experience at graduate level

Student profiles

Department level Admissions level I.Center level

Application planningInsight on current

research areas

Impact on

Visa planning

Financial planningDocuments needed

Feedback of the process

Impact on



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 onImpact on Impact on



Information visualizationDepartment level Admissions level I.Center level

Impact on displaying how is in charge of

what in the application process

and after it.

IDEAS

Next STEPSAnaly&cal Methods in


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


Human Factors EngineeringProfessor: Dr. Daniel Hannon

Questions?