Major code BS7255

Industrial and systems engineers obtain a broad technical background with special attention to productivity, costs, quality, and the human factor in production and other systems. The systems to which industrial engineering techniques can be applied are quite diverse. Typically, industrial engineers have worked in manufacturing systems, but the methods have found applications in many other systems, including distribution centers, information systems, hospitals, transportation networks, and financial systems.

Because of the diverse situations in which industrial engineering is used, ISEs can be called by a variety of titles, including industrial engineer, process engineer, process improvement engineer, quality engineer, and systems engineer.

Upon graduation with an Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) degree, you will be responsible for designing, analyzing, optimizing, and controlling these large-scale systems. You also will manage the operation of these systems, taking into account such vital factors as quality, throughput, utilization, cost, energy, reliability, and safety.

As an industrial engineer, you will develop performance measures and standards for equipment and workers to achieve a more effective system. You will also apply engineering principles to design systems that meet technical and economic requirements. Due to their systems training and experience, many industrial and systems engineers move into management positions after a few years on the job.

To prepare our graduates for their job responsibilities, the primary objective of the Industrial and Systems Engineering program is to produce engineers who are able to design, develop, and implement systems that integrate people, materials, equipment, information, and energy. When you have completed the requirements for the ISE degree, you will have the necessary analytical and experimental skills to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.

To address successfully technical, business, societal, and ethical aspects in their engineered solutions, several necessary skills have been identified. These skills include:

• the ability to apply appropriate industrial engineering methods and techniques to complex systems;
• the ability to apply concepts of engineering science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry;
• the ability to utilize software relevant to industrial and manufacturing systems engineering;
• the ability to design, conduct, and analyze statistically valid experiments;
• interpersonal and professional communication; and
• teamwork and leadership.

In addition, graduates should have a professional attitude demonstrated by:

• identification and recognition of the need to continue learning by both formal and informal means;
• appreciation of the relevance of industrial engineering fundamentals and practice to nonmanufacturing areas; and
• integrity, cultural awareness, and ethical behavior.

Courses in the first year of the program are similar to the curricula of the other engineering disciplines and include math, chemistry, and general education courses. Second year courses include a sequence in physics and several fundamental industrial engineering topics. The third year includes more advanced industrial engineering topics.

All ISE students are encouraged to participate in co-operative education during their sophomore and/or junior years in order to gain valuable career experience. Working in a real-world job for one or more quarters can enhance classroom instruction and also financially support college education. Students plan their co-op program in coordination with the ISE Department’s co-op advisor and the Russ College’s office of Cooperative Education and Career Programs.

An emphasis in the program is the development of good system design skills. In your senior year, you will complete ISE 445 A/B, a two-course sequence focusing on applied system design. In these courses, you will work on a problem related to the design or improvement of an actual system, such as a manufacturing information system, an inventory control system, a material handling system, or a quality control system. The projects are provided by local industries that participate in our program. 

The senior year also contains courses in a professional concentration area (PCA). The goal of the PCA options is to provide you with a more specialized preparation for your career. The current options are Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Health Care Systems, Human Factors, Information Systems, and Facility Planning and Development. If you are unsure about the career field you want to pursue, there is also a general Industrial Engineering PCA.

If you wish to increase the breadth or depth of your knowledge, the Department offers courses leading to the M.S.I.S.E. and participates in the College’s integrated Ph.D. degree program.

Salaries are competitive, and, because of the increasing need for the U.S. to improve productivity to meet international competition, the need for industrial and systems engineers in manufacturing and other organizations is projected to remain strong.

For more information, see the Department’s Web site: http://www.ohio.edu/industrial/.

An electronic version of this curriculum can be downloaded from the Departmental Web site in the form of a flow chart that shows the courses by quarter, including prerequisites.