Industrial engineering is a vast field concerned with improving processes and products. As an industrial engineer, you will strive to improve efficiency to save time, money, and resources. Math, physics, design, and business are all topics included in industrial engineering degrees.
You'll thoroughly grasp business, management, and industrial processes and apply what you've studied to real-world situations and case studies. Industrial engineering programs are available in a variety of nations across the world.
Each country handles the subject differently, with some programs emphasizing management and others emphasizing technical components. As a result, you will need to research to discover which program is ideal for you.
Structure of the Industrial Engineering curriculum
As a bachelor's student in the United States, you'll most likely pick industrial engineering as your primary emphasis. This implies you'll need to get a certain number of credits in industrial engineering courses, other minor topics, and general studies.
Other undergraduate programs in industrial engineering include a BSc or BEng (Bachelor of Engineering). In some countries, like the United Kingdom, industrial engineering is only available as a postgraduate master's degree rather than a bachelor's degree.
Bachelor's degrees span three to five years, whereas master's programs can last one or two years. You might also pursue a Ph.D. in industrial engineering or a similar field, which can take up to five years to accomplish.
Industrial engineering degrees are often taught through lectures, seminars, and workshops, but you may also be able to learn on placement. Each University's curriculum content and structure will be unique; however, some common courses you'll study include:
- Mathematics
- Engineering cost analysis
- Business management
- Engineering Statistics
- Physics for engineering
- Supply chain management
- Operation systems
- Project management
Top Universities for Industrial Engineering in the World
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was founded in the second part of the nineteenth century as a private institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This well-known and highly ranked institution excels in numerous areas, one of which is industrial engineering, which may come as no surprise given that its name implies which fields of study prevails here.
The School of Engineering at MIT provides a unique worldwide industrial engineering curriculum and graduate industrial engineering courses that can lead to a master's degree.
Undergraduate programs at the MIT School of Engineering include the MEng in Engineering with Industry and the MSc in System Design and Management.
The formerly mentioned program, i.e. the MEng in Engineering with Industry, allows students to work for some of the world's most prestigious companies in the field of industrial engineering.
In contrast, the MSc in System Design and Management program improves students' engineering and management skills, preparing them for their future professional environment.
Purdue University
Purdue University, founded in the second part of the nineteenth century, is a public university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and one of the world's most outstanding institutes for industrial engineering. Purdue University's School of Industrial Engineering is in charge of the industrial engineering discipline.
This school provides undergraduate and graduate industrial engineering courses and bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
Undergraduate courses at the School of Industrial Engineering provide an education that combines engineering and business skills, allowing students to eventually settle and work in several firms and industries, such as entertainment and logistics.
Graduate studies provide both masters and doctoral programs. Depending on one's interests, the master's program can be divided into Professional Masters, Non-thesis Masters, and Traditional Masters.
Ph.D. studies encompass study in various fields, including Energy Systems, Global Systems, Human-Robot Interaction, and many more, depending on one's interests and specialization.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
The Institution of Michigan is a public university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, founded in the first part of the nineteenth century. The Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering is one of the University's departments and is in charge of industrial engineering studies at this University.
The Department of Industrial Engineering provides undergraduate and graduate industrial engineering programs so that you might receive a bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. degree (s).
Undergraduate courses at this Department are multi-disciplinary, which means that they equip their students with interdisciplinary knowledge that will aid them in their future professional jobs in various firms and industries.
Graduate studies provide both masters and doctoral programs. The master's program does not confine its students to a single field but instead allows them to select courses they are interested in, no matter how diverse they are.
The Ph.D. program provides the chance to collaborate with famous faculty members and other significant (national) institutions.
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University, established in 1900, is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The College of Engineering is one of Carnegie Mellon University's colleges and is in charge of industrial engineering courses. This college provides graduate industrial engineering studies leading to a master's degree.
Graduate engineering programs at the College of Engineering offer one of the best industrial curricula in the world and a range of master's degrees in the engineering discipline (in general).
Still, we can relate to industrial engineering and what it means are programs such as the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services (MII-PS) and MS Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (E&TIM).
The MII-PS program focuses on helping students improve their product development abilities, whilst the E&TIM program provides insight into leading ideas.
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, founded in the mid-nineteenth century, is a public university with campuses throughout Pennsylvania and a top school for industrial engineering worldwide.
The Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering is one of Pennsylvania State University's departments that oversee industrial engineering programs. This Department provides undergraduate and graduates industrial engineering studies with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
Undergraduate courses at the Department provide a solid foundation for students who desire to pursue a higher degree or a job in industrial engineerings, such as management, manufacturing, logistics, etc. Graduate studies provide both masters and doctoral programs.
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (thesis and non-thesis variants) and Master of Engineering in Industrial Engineering are offered (which is an online program). The Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering program is research-oriented in which students can concentrate on an area of their choice.
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Organization of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a public university and research institute in Atlanta, Georgia. This University provides undergraduate and graduate industrial engineering programs so that you might get a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate (s).
The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering is one of Georgia Tech's schools in charge of industrial engineering studies.
Undergraduate courses at the H. Milton Stewart School include the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering degree, which offers the required foundational knowledge for pursuing a professional career. Graduate studies provide a choice of master's and doctoral degrees.
The Master of Science in Industrial Engineering program may pique your interest in this specific discipline. Still, if not, there are a range of Interdisciplinary and Online master's degrees to select from.
The Ph.D. program related to the subject is undoubtedly the Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering program, although there is a range of other (Interdisciplinary) Ph.D. programs as well.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University is a public university in Shanghai, China, founded in the late 1800s. The Department of Industrial Engineering & Management is one of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's departments in charge of industrial engineering studies.
This Department provides undergraduate and graduates industrial engineering studies with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. It delivers a world-class curriculum for industrial engineering across the world.
Undergraduate studies at the Department aim to educate students on how to conduct excellent and ongoing research and equip them with a solid basis for future projects.
Graduate studies include master's and doctoral degrees, and the Department classifies them as complex, implying that students need a good foundation in industrial engineering and at least one foreign language to get the best outcomes.
Future professions in industrial engineering
Industrial engineering is a highly regarded field in practically all businesses, particularly those involved with manufacturing. All firms recognize your ability to optimize procedures and boost efficiency, so your abilities will be in great demand. Popular jobs for graduates in industrial engineering include:
- Industrial designer
- Analyst of business
- Manager of Operations
- Project supervisor
- Analyst of data
- Engineer in logistics
- Business advisor
Speak with your University's career service for assistance in achieving your ideal job. They will be able to help you with finding relevant internships and graduate positions or help you design your CV.
Utilizing a sandwich year that enables you to participate in a work placement will provide valuable experience and allow you to choose which career is ideal.
