The industrial engineer (IE) provides leadership for American organizations in reestablishing competitiveness in the global marketplace through system integration and productivity improvement. No challenge can be greater than improving productivity, which is the application of knowledge and skills to provide improved goods and services to enhance the quality of life, both on and off the job. This improvement must be achieved without waste of physical and human resources while maintaining the environmental balance. Industrial engineers are the “productivity people” who provide the necessary leadership and skills to integrate technology. This gives IEs a wide range of interests and responsibilities.
As in other engineering fields, industrial engineering is concerned with solving problems through the application of scientific and practical knowledge. What sets industrial engineering apart from other engineering disciplines is its broader scope. An IE relates to the total picture of productivity. An IE looks at the “big picture” of what makes society perform best—the right combination of human resources, natural resources, synthetic structures, and equipment. An IE bridges the gap between management and operations, dealing with and motivating people as well as determining what tools should be used and how they should be used.
An IE deals with people as well as things. In fact, industrial engineering is often called the “people-oriented profession.” It is a primary function of the IE to integrate people and technology-oriented systems. Therefore, IEs are active in the fields of ergonomics and human factors.
To be competitive in this global economy, it is essential to emphasize and continually improve the quality of goods and services. Industrial engineering is the only engineering discipline offering course work in designing and implementing quality assurance systems.
The IE’s skills are applicable to every kind of organization. IEs learn how to approach, think about, and solve productivity and integration problems regardless of their settings. IEs work in manufacturing facilities, banks, hospitals, government, transportation, construction, and social services. Within this wide variety of organizations, IEs get involved in projects such as designing and implementing quality control systems, independent work groups, the work flow in a medical laboratory, real-time production control systems, computer-based management information systems, and manufacturing operating systems, to name a few. A unique feature of most industrial engineering assignments is that they involve interdisciplinary teams. For example, the IE might be the leader of a team consisting of electrical and mechanical engineers, accountants, computer scientists, and planners. This IE program gives the student the skills necessary to direct these teams. These skills include team building, brainstorming, group dynamics, and interpersonal relationships.
IEs have a sound background in technology integration, management theory and application, engineering economics and cost analysis. They are well equipped to deal with problems never seen before, making them prime candidates for promotion through the management career path, especially in high-tech organizations. In fact, more than half of all practicing IEs are in management positions. This area of expertise has placed the IE in the leadership role in the establishment of a new field of activity called “management of technology.”
Industrial engineers are well trained in the development and use of analytical tools, and their most distinctive skill is in the area of model building. IEs must quickly learn and understand the problems of their clients. In this context, good people skills and good analytic skills are essential. This industrial engineering program offers both.
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING—B.S.E.
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 128 semester hours is necessary for the B.S.E. degree in Industrial Engineering; including 50 upper-division semester hours.
Graduation Requirements
In addition to fulfilling school and major requirements, majors must satisfy all university graduation requirements. See “University Graduation Requirements.”
Course Requirements
See the School of Engineering, “Course Requirements,” for General Studies, school, and engineering core requirements.
Industrial Engineering Major
The following courses are required:
| ASE 485 | Engineering Statistics N2 (3) |
| ECE 380 | Probability and Statistics for Engineering Problem Solving N2 (3) |
| IEE 205 | Microcomputer Applications in Industrial Engineering N3 (3) |
| IEE 300 | Economic Analysis for Engineers (3) |
| IEE 305 | Information Systems Engineering N3 (3) |
| IEE 367 | Methods Engineering and Facilities Design (4) |
| IEE 374 | Quality Control N2 (3) |
| IEE 394 | ST: Introduction to Manufacturing Processes (4) |
| IEE 431 | Engineering Administration (3) |
| IEE 461 | Integrated Production Control (3) |
| IEE 463 | Computer-Aided Manufacturing and Control N3 (3) |
| IEE 475 | Introduction to Simulation N3 (3) |
| IEE 476 | Operations Research Techniques/Applications N2 (4) |
| IEE 490 | Project in Design and Development (3) |
| Technical elective (3) | |
| Total: 48 | |
First Semester
| CHM 114 | General Chemistry for Engineers S1/S21 (4) |
| ECE 100 | Introduction to Engineering Design N3 (4) |
| ENG 101 | First-Year Composition (3) |
| MAT 270 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I N1 (4) |
| Total: NBR |
Second Semester
| ECN 111 | Macroeconomic Principles SB (3) |
| or ECN 112 Microeconomic Principles SB (3) | |
| ENG 102 | First-Year Composition (3) |
| MAT 271 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry II (4) |
| PHY 121 | University Physics I: Mechanics S1/S22 (3) |
| PHY 122 | University Physics Laboratory I S1/S22 (1) |
| HU, SB, and awareness area course3 (3) | |
| Total: 17 | |
First Semester
| IEE 205 | Microcomputer Applications in Industrial Engineering N3 (3) |
| IEE 300 | Economic Analysis for Engineers (3) |
| MAT 242 | Elementary Linear Algebra (2) |
| MAT 272 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry III (4) |
| PHY 131 | University Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism S1/S24 (3) |
| PHY 132 | University Physics Laboratory II S1/S24 (1) |
| Total: 16 |
Second Semester
| ECE 210 | Engineering Mechanics I: Statics (3) |
| ECE 380 | Probability and Statistics for Engineering Problem Solving N2 (3) |
| MAT 274 | Elementary Differential Equations (3) |
| Core elective (3) | |
| Basic science elective5 (3) | |
| HU, SB, and awareness area course3 (3) | |
| Total: 18 | |
First Semester
| ASE 485 | Engineering Statistics N2 (3) |
| IEE 305 | Information Systems Engineering N3 (3) |
| IEE 367 | Methods Engineering and Facilities Design (4) |
| IEE 374 | Quality Control N2 (3) |
| HU, SB, and awareness area course(s)3 (4) | |
| Total: 17 | |
Second Semester
| ECE 300 | Intermediate Engineering Design L1 (3) |
| ECE 312 | Engineering Mechanics II: Dynamics (3) |
| ECE 350 | Structure and Properties of Materials (3) |
| IEE 394 | ST: Introduction to Manufacturing Processes (4) |
| IEE 476 | Operations Research Techniques/Applications N2 (4) |
| Total: 17 |
First Semester
| ECE 301 | Electrical Networks I (4) |
| IEE 431 | Engineering Administration (3) |
| IEE 461 | Integrated Production Control (3) |
| IEE 475 | Introduction to Simulation N3 (3) |
| HU, SB, and awareness area course3 (3) | |
| Total: 16 | |
Second Semester
| ECE 400 | Engineering Communications L2 (3) |
| IEE 463 | Computer-Aided Manufacturing and Control N3 (3) |
| IEE 490 | Project in Design and Development (3) |
| Technical elective (3) | |
| Total: 12 | |
| 1 | Students who have taken no high school chemistry should take CHM 113 and 116. |
| 2 | Both PHY 121 and 122 must be taken to secure S1 or S2 credit. |
| 3 | Engineering students may not use aerospace studies (AES) or military science (MIS) courses to satisfy HU or SB requirements. See the School of Engineering, “Selected nonengineering topics.” |
| 4 | Both PHY 131 and 132 must be taken to secure S1 or S2 credit. |
| 5 | Must be an earth science or life science course; if physics or chemistry, the course must be of a more advanced level than CHM 114 or 116 or PHY 131. |
Manufacturing Engineering
Manufacturing engineering is the field of engineering that focuses on the design, implementation, and optimization of manufacturing functions and operations. Competing in a worldwide environment leads to the need for a world-class manufacturing operation. Integration of all manufacturing entities, whether physical or informational, is a task for the manufacturing engineer. Automation decisions, their economic consequences, and the role of total quality control and management are some of the functions of the manufacturing engineer.
Manufacturing engineers are key role players in all manufacturing organizations; for example, electronic, aerospace, and automotive are just three categories of manufacturing. The ability for any manufacturing operation to compete just in the United States, let alone worldwide, requires that the manufacturing segment of the operation be efficient, cost effective, and produce products that are defect free. The manufacturing engineer is instrumental in how well the organization will compete through determination of the correct manufacturing processes and equipment, the best work flow possible, and efficient total quality control and statistical process control innovations. Recent reports have shown that the U.S. semiconductor and automotive manufacturing operations have regained their preeminent positions in the world. The role for the manufacturing engineer can only grow in these two industries as well as in all the other industries that make up this important segment of the economy. Salary potential is very competitive with all other engineering fields.
The following courses are required for the manufacturing engineering option:
| ECE 380 | Probability and Statistics for Engineering Problem Solving N2 (3) |
| ECE 394 | ST: Introduction to Manufacturing Engineering (3) |
| IEE 205 | Microcomputer Applications in Industrial Engineering N3 (3) |
| IEE 300 | Economic Analysis for Engineers (3) |
| IEE 374 | Quality Control N2 (3) |
| IEE 394 | ST: Introduction to Manufacturing Processes (4) |
| IEE 431 | Engineering Administration (3) |
| IEE 461 | Integrated Production Control (3) |
| IEE 463 | Computer-Aided Manufacturing and Control N3 (3) |
| IEE 498 | PS: Manufacturing Design Project (3) |
| MAE 406 | CAD/CAM Applications in MAE (4) |
| Technical electives* (12) | |
| Total: 47 | |
| * | Technical electives must meet ABET requirements of engineering science and engineering design. |
Omnibus Courses: See omnibus courses that may be offered.
1998–99 General Catalog Table of Contents
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