Industrial Engineering, Ph.D.

About the Department of Industrial Engineering Graduate Program

The Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (M.S.I.E.), Master of Science in Systems and Engineering Management (M.S.SYEM), the Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Systems and Engineering Management programs prepare competent industrial engineers and engineering managers for industry, consulting, university teaching and research.

With the counsel of a graduate advisor, students are expected to design individualized academic programs. The master’s level programs consist of two options: (1) a 30-hour thesis option, including 6 credit hours of thesis research, and (2) a 30-hour non-thesis option. The course selection may include a minor in an area outside industrial engineering. The doctoral program requires a minimum of 60 hours of coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree, which may include up to 15 hours constituting a minor area. At least 12 hours of doctoral dissertation enrollment are also required for the doctoral degree. Transfer credits from a master’s degree program are determined by a graduate advisor.

Master’s and Ph.D. programs incorporate courses taken in each of the five specialty areas below.

• Engineering Management: Systems theory, decision theory, industrial cost analysis, advanced engineering economics, performance improvement in organizations, project management, and productivity management.
• Ergonomics and Human Factors Engineering: Occupational biomechanics, work physiology, industrial ergonomics, environmental hygiene, cognitive engineering, human performance, human computer interaction, and occupational safety.
• Manufacturing and Quality Assurance: Manufacturing engineering and design, computer integrated manufacturing/CAD/CAM, process analysis and economics, automated manufacturing and process planning, programmable control systems.
• Operations Research: Simulation modeling, scheduling and sequencing, just-in-time production systems, inventory and production control, linear and nonlinear programming, network analysis, artificial intelligence and expert system.
• Statistics and Quality Assurance: Design of experiments, statistical data analysis, reliability and maintainability, on-line and off-line quality assurance, and total quality assurance.

The Master of Science in Systems and Engineering Management (M.S.SYEM) and the Ph.D. in Systems and Engineering Management programs are offered both on campus and by distance education and are designed to prepare graduates for positions in technical management. Details regarding admission and degree requirements are available from the department.