What is Industrial Engineering?
Industrial engineering in the U.S. is the design, improvement, and implementation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment, and energy. It applies knowledge and skills from mathematics, physics, and social sciences, combined with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design, to explain, predict, and evaluate the outcomes of such integrated systems. Simply put, it is a major that makes production processes, products, or systems better. Other engineers create things; the industrial engineer’s role is to optimize the systems and processes that other engineers use to create things—that is, to create or improve systems and processes.
IE is the most human-centered discipline in engineering. The profession of industrial engineer is now widely recognized. In the early 20th century, two IE pioneers, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, helped hospitals devise a method for performing surgeries and training doctors, nurses, and technicians. As a result, surgery times were greatly reduced and survival rates improved, demonstrating the value of industrial engineers in real-world applications. In the quest to optimize processes, the goal of IE is to help reduce or eliminate waste in all areas—especially waste of time, money, materials, and energy.
Branches
Industrial engineering is attracting more and more applicants. What sets industrial engineering apart from other fields is its many sub-disciplines, and each school offers different degree directions in IE. Applicants can choose schools and directions according to their own academic interests. Broadly, industrial engineering (IE) can be divided into four major areas: Operations Research, Human Factors, Manufacturing, and Production and Management.
Operations Research
Operations research is an interdisciplinary field of applied mathematics and formal science that uses statistical analysis, mathematical models, and algorithms to find optimal or near-optimal solutions to complex problems. Operations research is often used to solve real-life complex problems, especially to improve or optimize the efficiency of existing systems.
Operations research is essentially the theoretical foundation of the entire IE discipline. Basically every school has research in this area, but some specialized OR programs are housed in mathematics departments. Deterministic Operation Research and Stochastic Operation Research are core courses that must be taken in any IE department.
Human Factors (Ergonomics)
Ergonomics is the study of the anatomical, physiological, and psychological factors of people in a working environment; it studies the interaction between people, machines, and the environment; and it studies how to uniformly consider work efficiency, human health, safety, and comfort in work, life, and rest.
Currently, there is a significant gap between the domestic and international levels of this field. In the U.S., this discipline is highly valued, and most schools have researchers in this area, many with their own specialized laboratory equipment to support research. If you need an internship, you can look towards mathematical and statistical fields.
Manufacturing Engineering
Mechanical engineering is an engineering discipline that applies the laws of physics to the analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. Based on relevant natural sciences and technical sciences, combined with practical experience in production, it studies and solves all theoretical and practical problems in the development, design, manufacture, installation, operation, and maintenance of various machinery.
Mechanical engineering is a first-level discipline in engineering graduate education and a field of engineering graduate education. Graduates can engage in electromechanical product development, mechanical product development, the automotive industry, environmental equipment development, mining equipment design, mechanical manufacturing technology, CNC engineering, etc. However, the work pressure is relatively high.
Information Systems Management
Management information systems are a mixture of organizational theory, accounting, statistics, mathematical models, and economics, making full use of computer technology, network communication technology, database technology, etc. It is a multidisciplinary frontier technology and thus a technical system.
From a socio-technical system perspective, IMS and organizational structure influence each other. The introduction of IMS will lead to the emergence of new organizational structures, and the existing organizational structure has an important impact on the success of IMS analysis, design, and implementation. The influencing factors include organizational environment, strategy, goals, structure, processes, and culture.
Supply Chain Management
A supply chain is a logistics network composed of suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, distribution centers, and channel distributors. The same enterprise may constitute different nodes of this network, but more often different enterprises form the different nodes of this network.
Supply chain management is an emerging management model. Whether factory or trading company, as long as international business is involved, supply chain management is involved. It is mainly concentrated in production logistics and procurement departments. Its future prospects are huge, and employment prospects are excellent. However, domestic supply chain management still lags far behind abroad and needs development. Employment prospects after returning to China are still good. One can work as a mobile communications engineer, supply chain manager, purchasing manager, etc.
Degree Programs
In the U.S., industrial engineering programs are generally housed in the College of Engineering. Different schools have different department names. For example, Columbia University has a Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research; Northeastern University has a Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering; the University of Pittsburgh has a standalone Department of Industrial Engineering; and Pennsylvania State University-University Park, which was the first to offer industrial engineering in the U.S., has a Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.
In the U.S., most schools with industrial engineering programs are concentrated in the Northeast. The West, especially the California system, has relatively few related programs.
There are generally three types of master’s degrees in industrial engineering:
1. Master of Engineering (MEng) – For example, Cornell and Berkeley’s IEOR-related master’s programs are basically MEng.
2. Master of Science (MS) – For example, Georgia Tech, Columbia, UPenn.
3. Master of Engineering Management (MEM) – Commonly known as the Engineering Management Master’s, with notable programs at Dartmouth and Duke.
MEng
The MEng program is mainly at Cornell and Berkeley. Berkeley has an IEOR project within the MEng program—a nine-month program that is very short. According to previous experience, students essentially don’t learn much content and focus solely on job hunting. Graduates of this program go to internet companies in large numbers, especially in the East, leveraging location advantages, mainly doing data analysis.
Some also go into consulting and finance, but generally Chinese students cannot enter top-tier consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain, or Boston (MBB) because they don’t communicate in English as fluently as Americans. Cornell’s IEOR department is relatively large, with many projects all under the MEng umbrella, such as IE, OR, SE, MFE, DA.
MS
For MS programs, schools with IEOR degrees under the MS umbrella mainly include Columbia, Georgia Tech, UPenn, USC, Purdue, University of Michigan, and Stanford. Among them, two programs have been very popular in recent years: one is Management Science & Engineering (MS&E), and the other is Analytics.
MS&E is offered at both Columbia and Stanford. Noteworthy is Columbia’s MS&E, which is jointly run with the business school, so students can take business school courses. Many graduates from this program go into consulting and financial services, mainly doing data analyst work in insurance and securities.
MEM
This program is the traditional IEOR master’s, generally jointly run by the engineering school and business school. It places strong emphasis on cultivating management talent and, like in China, often admits many working management professionals. The program’s career prospects are still broad, mainly in traditional manufacturing industries (about 50%), with common positions being Operation Engineer and Data Analyst.
Compared to MEng and MS, this program has a unique advantage: full access to business school resources, such as professor recommendations, course selection, and career services. Typically, the program lasts a short time—from one year to one and a half years.
Many MEM graduates also enter consulting or financial services, but here financial services generally do not refer to IBD or quantitative finance positions, mainly because the MEM curriculum and positioning are not designed to cultivate finance professionals.
Curriculum
Credits generally range from 4 to 39, and by taking about 12 credits per semester, the degree can be completed in one to two years. For example, UW-Madison requires a minimum of 24 credits, while Georgia Tech, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and Cornell require 30 credits, and the University of Washington-Seattle requires 39 credits.
Ergonomics
Facilities Design
Work Analysis and Design
Solid Mechanics
Linear Programming
Musculoskeletal Mechanics
Occupational Biomechanics
Industrial Practice in Systems Design
Introduction to Simulation
Work Physiology and Biomechanics in Work Design
Quality Design and Control
Theory of Activity Networks
Network Flows
IE Program Rankings and School Profiles
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
Ranking: Overall #34, Specialty #1
Georgia Tech is one of the three major technological institutions in the U.S., known as the “MIT of the South.” Its College of Engineering is particularly renowned. In the U.S. News & World Report 2013 graduate school rankings, Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering ranked fourth for four consecutive years. Founded in 1885, it is located in the Midtown area of Atlanta, the busiest aviation hub in the U.S., about 14 miles from the Atlanta airport, with convenient transportation and a beautiful environment.
Program Features: The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering is a department within Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering, dedicated to education and research in industrial engineering.
Tuition: $30,604
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
Ranking: Overall #21, Specialty #3
The University of California, Berkeley is a large public comprehensive university founded in 1868, located in the small city of Berkeley in western California. Berkeley is one of the 10 campuses of the UC system and one of the only two that operate on a semester basis.
Program Features: The Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UC Berkeley welcomes both domestic and international students to its graduate and undergraduate IEOR programs, with each course costing approximately $2,200. It offers three graduate degrees: Master of Science (MS), Master of Engineering (MEng), and PhD.
Tuition: $14,068
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ranking: Overall #28, Specialty #2
The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, often called the University of Michigan. Known as an “academic powerhouse” and renowned for “research,” the university was founded in 1817 and is a large public comprehensive national university located in the small Midwestern city of Ann Arbor. It enjoys a worldwide reputation and is known as a “Public Ivy,” along with UC Berkeley and UW-Madison, as the “exemplars of public universities.”
Program Features: Founded in 1817, the University of Michigan is a public research university in Michigan. Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE) is a powerful force that impacts the real world. National surveys consistently rank U-M’s undergraduate and graduate IOE programs among the best.
Tuition: In-state: $14,826; Out-of-state: $47,476
Cornell University
Cornell University
Ranking: Overall #14, Specialty #10
Cornell University was founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. Cornell is coeducational, and admission is without regard to religion or race. This liberal tradition, cherished by Cornell, meant that from its founding, its founders envisioned a comprehensive university covering everything from literature and classics to natural sciences, from theoretical research to practical application.
Program Features: Cornell is a private research university and a partner of the State University of New York. Its mission is to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge, to educate the next generation of global citizens, and to promote a culture of broad inquiry within and beyond the Cornell community. Cornell’s School of Operations Research and Information Engineering has long been one of the few leading operations research programs worldwide.
Tuition: $49,116
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ranking: Overall #5, Specialty #9
MIT is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1861, its original purpose was to respond to the increasing industrialization of the United States. The school adopted the model of European polytechnic universities and initially focused on experimental teaching in applied science and engineering. With six academic schools and 32 departments, MIT is consistently ranked among the world’s best. It has long been famous for its teaching and research in physical sciences and engineering but has also developed other fields such as life sciences, economics, management, and linguistics in modern times.
Program Features: Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The mission of MIT’s School of Engineering is to educate the next generation of engineering leaders, create new knowledge, and serve society.
Tuition: $45,016
How to Apply
1) TOEFL and GRE scores are necessary. Specific score requirements vary by school.
2) GPA: Schools generally require a minimum of 3.0, though some have lower requirements or even no minimum, but it’s best to maintain above 3.0 for stronger competitiveness.
3) Personal statement and resume
4) Relevant work experience and background. This is an important factor schools consider to determine if you are a good fit.
5) Application deadlines: Students applying to industrial engineering should pay special attention to deadlines, as programs—especially at top-ranked schools—often close in November-December, so timely submission is critical.
Career Prospects
In the U.S., IE graduates can find broad employment opportunities in engineering, management, scientific research, and consulting, working in manufacturing, services, public utilities, research institutes, government agencies, and public institutions in teaching, research, management, and design/development. According to relevant data, about 42% of corporate CEOs in the U.S. have studied this major. Market demand is high: over 70% of graduates enter industry, becoming corporate managers, department supervisors, industrial engineers, or mechanical engineers.
The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey shows that the average annual salary for industrial engineers with a bachelor’s degree is $83,470, with the top 10% earning over $126,920.
According to statistics, in 2015, the total number of engineers employed in the U.S. was approximately 1.6 million. Among them, 272,470 were industrial engineers (16.92%), making it the third most popular engineering profession.
0 - 5 years experience — $62,000
5 - 10 years experience — $75,000
10 - 20 years experience — $81,000
Bachelor’s degree: average starting salary $5,567 (monthly)
Master’s degree: $77,364
Doctoral degree: $100,759
Employment prospects in China:
Industrial engineering in China is almost a blank slate. As China becomes the center of global manufacturing and production costs rise, improving production efficiency is key to ensuring profits. Therefore, industrial engineering will have good development prospects in China in the future. In advanced manufacturing technology, material handling, plant layout, supply chain management, inventory control, and even the layout of public facilities, there will be a place for industrial engineers.
Due to historical reasons, Chinese universities have only offered industrial engineering for about ten years, with only a very small number of graduates since 1997. Therefore, there is a severe talent shortage, and the future employment prospects for industrial engineering graduates are very broad.
