Program Director

Dr. Leah Newman
Office: S-112H
Phone: (414) 277-7166
Email: newman@msoe.edu

Industrial engineers play key roles in virtually every business and industry today. By focusing on critical processes and systems, industrial engineers are making these businesses more efficient, effective, and productive. Industrial engineers are often seen as facilitators of change. Industrial engineering is primarily concerned with the design and continuous improvement of systems by effectively integrating people, processes, and technology. Quality and productivity improvement are critical issues.

Industrial engineering course work establishes a solid engineering foundation, upon which specialized technical and management knowledge and skill sets are built. Educational experiences include a variety of business/industry projects, which enable our graduates to make significant contributions in diverse enterprises such as manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, retail, insurance, banking, consulting and health care.

Program Educational Objectives

The industrial engineering (IE) program at MSOE aims to be the program of choice for all students who desire a student-centered, interactive learning environment, with a hands-on orientation and practical industry-based project experiences. MSOE’s IE graduates are aggressively pursued by a diverse array of employers in manufacturing and service industries such as consulting, health care, logistics, and retail. Our faculty provide state-of-the art expertise, combining theoretical knowledge and practical experience to provide students with a solid foundation for future achievement. Internal and external customers seek out the program’s faculty and students for innovative solutions to their technical and business challenges.

MSOE’s IE program is committed to producing baccalaureate engineers who, within five years after graduation, will:

• Demonstrate management and leadership skills, including self-awareness, negotiating with and influencing others, and leading a project team
• Employ problem-solving skills, utilizing relevant data-driven IE methods
• Uphold ethical standards and contribute to the broader engineering community
• Drive organizational improvement efforts, providing training, mentoring, or subject matter expertise to others
• Understand, adapt, and contribute to their organization’s long-term strategy, vision, and business objectives
• Demonstrate resourcefulness and agility by being able to identify and define problems from various perspectives, adapt to changing circumstances and conduct independent research
• Recognize the need for and be able to evaluate relevant design constraints and impacts such as those related to safety, the environment, and society

Student Outcomes

At the conclusion of the industrial engineering program at MSOE, the student will have:

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
• An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
• An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
• An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
• An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
• An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Industrial Engineering Cooperative Education Program

Cooperative education is designed to integrate classroom study with planned and supervised work experiences. The co-op program offers students an opportunity to gain industrial experience as part of their formal education. Industrial engineering co-op students are employed in technical capacities in a variety of industrial companies. Most co-op students are employed for a single co-op session in the sophomore or junior year which typically lasts for three consecutive quarters, always beginning or ending in summer. Variations on the co-op program and modifications to the student’s plan of study are made to accommodate particular co-op opportunities, depending on the company’s requirements. The co-op program is optional, and co-op positions are not guaranteed. Positions are awarded at the discretion of the employer after a competitive interviewing process.

Requirements for Industrial Engineering Co-op Program

• Full-time student status in industrial engineering at MSOE.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.
• Must have completed the freshman year and received prior approval from the industrial engineering program director (co-op administrator) prior to accepting an offer of co-op employment.
• Any student who wishes to pursue placement in a co-op position must have an application form on file in the Career Services Office and a resume completed on Handshake.

View Annual Student Enrollment and Graduation Data