Industrial Engineering Degrees

Overview

Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering which focuses on the efficient production of industrial goods. Educational establishments have different names for these degrees such as operations management, systems engineering, management science, or manufacturing engineering in order to suit the requirements of recruiters. For example, in health care, industrial engineers are known as health systems engineers. The main duty of the industrial engineer is to check the systems and processes in a company and find ways to make the systems more efficient and profitable. The core topics covered in the industrial engineering degrees include management science, financial engineering, process engineering, operations research, engineering management, and quality engineering.

Many colleges provide both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in industrial engineering. The curriculum of the bachelor's degree includes economics, math, physics, chemistry, statistics, mechanical engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering. The syllabus of a master's degree includes operations research and optimization techniques, engineering economics, production planning and control, management sciences, time and motions study, productivity improvement, and materials management. The duration of the course may vary between three to five years depending on the program and the school you wish to study at.

Benefits

Industrial engineering is placed seventh among 15 other engineering degrees at the bachelor's level, third of 10 at master's level and second of seven at the doctorates level. With the development of industries, the need for qualified industrial engineers is on the rise. Trained industrial engineers can not only work in industries, but also in amusement parks, hospitals, distribution centers, and automobile factories. The average salaries of industrial engineers range around $55,067 for those with a bachelor's degree. Engineers with a master's degree can earn as high as $64,759 per year, while an experienced engineer with a doctorate degree has an income of about $77,364 per year. The median annual income of an industrial engineer is around $68,620. Industrial engineers also enjoy other benefits such as holidays and vacations, health insurance, and pension plans. You can choose to work in companies or start your own consultation firm.

Costs

The cost of acquiring a degree in industrial engineering is as high as its salary package. For obtaining the bachelor's degree, you may have to shell out between $9,129 and $12,326 for 15 semester credit hours. A master's degree may cost around $18,548 for 12 units to 18 units. These costs include only the tuition fees. There are other expenditures like housing, books, and food.

Schools

There are many schools in United States which provide industrial engineering degrees. The University of Houston, Florida International University, Texas A&M University, and Arizona State University are some of the colleges which provide a bachelor degree in industrial engineering.

Training & Preparation

Students willing to pursue industrial engineering must have graduated high school or have a GED. They must have also studied four units of English, three units of math including algebra I, algebra II and at least two units/credits in one foreign language. You must also qualify in the tests such as American College Test (ACT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with a reasonable score. If you're an international student, then you should take up the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for admission. If you wish to attain the mechanical engineer license, you need to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, which is taken after graduation.

Financial Aid

Kelly Engineering Resources' scholarship, the Future Engineers Scholarship program, can be availed by the students, under stipulated conditions. Florida International University offers scholarships to meritorious students. The Institute of Industrial Engineers offers scholarships to students pursuing the industrial engineering program.