About us
The ISE Department offers both an MS and PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering. These degrees offer students with an opportunity to specialize in one of several concentration areas, opening doors to new jobs and career paths. These concentration areas include:
- Data Analytics and Optimization (MS only)
- Human Systems Integration (MS and PhD) also known as Human Factors or Ergonomics
- Integrated Lean Six Sigma (MS only)
- Manufacturing Processes (MS and PhD)
- Operations Research (MS and PhD)
- Supply Chain Management and Production Systems (MS only)
- Business Logistics Engineering (MS only)
Data Analytics and Optimization
With the explosion of interest in big data analytics, skills that encompass both data management and business analysis are in great demand. This concentration on Data Analytics and Optimization focuses on using large data sets, computer models, and optimization methods to support data-driven decision-making. This combination of big data analytics with optimization is increasingly important in a wide variety of industries, including a focus on healthcare, retail and financial decision making, supply chain and logistics, manufacturing and energy systems.
The ISE MS Program in Data Analytics and Optimization is designed to provide students with a strong background in analytics, data science, computer science and optimization methods. Graduates will be prepared in the use of critical tool sets necessary for managing, visualizing, and extracting useful information from big data, as well as powerful skill sets for modeling, simulation, optimization and decision analysis in order to support efficient data-driven decision making. PhD students can focus on these topics and associated research in even greater depth.
Applicants typically have a background in industrial engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, operations research, mathematics or statistics.
Human Systems Integration
The ISE Department has one of the premier research and educational programs in human systems integration in the world. This research focuses on both the mind and the body, with leading research efforts in cognitive systems engineering, biodynamics, physical ergonomics and safety engineering. Graduate students interested in human systems integration can specialize and complete either a master's concentration or PhD in one of the following areas:
- Cognitive systems engineering
- Physical ergonomics and biodynamics
- Safety engineering
Applicants typically have a background in industrial engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, operations research or industrial design.
Manufacturing Processes
At the graduate level, ISE Department offers both an MS concentration and PhD focusing on its excellent program in advanced manufacturing processes. This includes education and research concerned with:
- Composites and nanocomposites manufacturing
- Forming of lightweight materials
- Light metal alloy development
- Light metal casting processes
- Micromachining and precision engineering
- Polymer processing
Operations Research
The ISE Department has an outstanding group of faculty working in operations research, and awards both an MS and PhD to students with a focus on the following topics in operations research:
- Data analytics
- Logistics and supply chain analysis
- Optimization
- Simulation
- Statistics, data analysis and experimental design
- Stochastic modeling
Supply Chain Management and Production Systems
Logistics is the science of design, control, and maintenance of the effective and efficient flow of resources, service, manufactures goods, personnel, and information. The Industrial Engineer typically focuses on certain aspects of logistics in the supply chain. Theese include:
- Transportation of raw materials to the manufacturer.
- Handling and storage of raw materials.
- Production and storage of goods.
- Scheduling and control of jobs and activities.
- Management of the labor force.
- Warehousing of finished goods.
- Delivery of product to the customer.
- Design of various portions of the supply chain that include raw material and distribution networks, production and warehouse facilities.
- Design and control of information flow.
Business Logistics Engineering
ISE also offers a joint MS degree with the Fisher College of Business: the Master's of Business Logistics Engineering.
One of only a few similar programs at top universities in the country, the Master in Business Logistics Engineering (MBLE) is designed to enable students to enter the job market equally comfortable with logistics strategy, the management of logistics operations, and engineering tasks such as facility design and implementation of logistics technology.
Master in Business Logistics Engineering students come from diverse undergraduate majors such as computer science, economics, engineering, finance, international relations and management.
Diverse Career Opportunities
Both the MS and PhD in ISE offer career opportunities in a whole host of industries:
- Manufacturing and production
- Health care
- Finance
- Energy systems
- Retail and distribution
- Aviation
- Information technology
- Marketing
- Education
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
International graduates of this major are eligible per the Department of Homeland Security to apply for up to three (3) years of work permission in the United States after graduation. See the for more eligibility requirements.