Major code BS7255

Russ College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
270 Stocker Center
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.1539
Fax: 740.593.0778
http://www.ohio.edu/industrial/

Dale Masel, contact person
masel@ohio.edu

Program Overview

Industrial and systems engineers obtain a broad technical background with special attention to productivity, costs, quality, and the human factor in production and other systems. The systems to which industrial engineering techniques can be applied are quite diverse. Typically, industrial engineers have worked in manufacturing systems, but the methods have found applications in many other systems, including distribution centers, information systems, hospitals, transportation networks, and financial systems.

To prepare our graduates for their job responsibilities, the primary objective of the Industrial and Systems Engineering program is to produce engineers who are able to design, develop, and implement systems that integrate people, materials, equipment, information, and energy. When you have completed the requirements for the ISE degree, you will have the necessary analytical and experimental skills to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.

To address successfully technical, business, societal, and ethical aspects in their engineered solutions, several necessary skills have been identified. These skills include:

• the ability to apply appropriate industrial engineering methods and techniques to complex systems;
• the ability to apply concepts of engineering science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry;
• the ability to utilize software relevant to industrial and manufacturing systems engineering;
• the ability to design, conduct, and analyze statistically valid experiments;
• interpersonal and professional communication; and
• teamwork and leadership.

In addition, graduates should have a professional attitude demonstrated by:

• identification and recognition of the need to continue learning by both formal and informal means;
• appreciation of the relevance of industrial engineering fundamentals and practice to nonmanufacturing areas; and
• integrity, cultural awareness, and ethical behavior.

Courses in the first year of the program are similar to the curricula of the other engineering disciplines and include math, chemistry, and general education courses. Second year courses include a sequence in physics and several fundamental industrial engineering topics. The third year includes more advanced industrial engineering topics.

All ISE students are strongly encouraged to participate in co-operative education during their sophomore and/or junior years in order to gain valuable career experience. Working in a real-world job for one or more semesters can enhance classroom instruction and also financially support college education. Students plan their co-op program in coordination with the ISE Department’s co-op advisor and the Russ College’s Office of Professional Experiences.

An emphasis in the program is the development of good system design skills. In the senior year, all students complete a two-course sequence focusing on applied system design. Students will work on a project related to the design or improvement of an actual system, such as a manufacturing information system, an inventory control system, a material handling system, or a quality control system. The projects are provided by local companies who serve as project clients.

The senior year also contains courses in a professional concentration area (PCA). The goal of the PCA options is to provide you with a more specialized preparation for your career. The current options are Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Health Care Systems, Facility Planning and Development, Information Systems, Human Factors, and Sustainability. If you are unsure about the career field you want to pursue, there is also a general Industrial Engineering PCA. Additional concentration options can be developed to meet the interests of students who wish to pursue a career in a field not covered by one of the other PCAs.

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

ACT and grade requirements are the same as the general University guidelines. Students should take four years of mathematics and a year of chemistry and physics if possible.

Change of Program Policy

Students who wish to transfer into an engineering or computer science program must have earned a C or better in a math course and a science course. The math course must be equivalent to MATH 1200 or higher. The science course must be required for the program or preparatory for a required course such as CHEM 1210, 1500, 1510, PHYS  2001, 2051 or BIOS 1700. Students must have an overall GPA greater than 2.0 at Ohio University, for all courses in Russ College, and for all courses in Chemical Engineering. Students must have succeeded in all required courses taken previously in three or fewer attempts. For some courses, success means a grade of at least a C or C-.

External Transfer Admission

In addition to the general university admission requirements, the transfer student must have earned a C (2.0) or better in a college mathematics course (equivalent to MATH 1200 or higher and C (2.0) or better in college chemistry course (equivalent to CHEM 1210 or higher) or a college physics course (equivalent to PHYS 2001 or higher).

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Graduates of the industrial and systems engineering program find employment in a wide variety of industries. Fields include manufacturing, distribution, health care, transportation, and more. Due to their systems training and experience, many industrial and systems engineers move into management positions after a few years on the job.

Salaries are competitive, and, because of the increasing need for the U.S. to improve productivity to keep pace with international competition, the need for industrial and systems engineers in manufacturing and other organizations is projected to remain strong.

For more information, see the Department’s website: http://www.ohio.edu/industrial/.

If you wish to increase the breadth or depth of your knowledge, the Department offers courses leading to the M.S.I.S.E. or M.E. in Engineering Management and participates in the college’s integrated PH.D. degree program. The engineering management degree is only offered in an online format. Graduates frequently pursue degrees beyond the bachelor’s degree (typically, M.S., M.E. or M.B.A.). Some students enter graduate school immediately after finishing their B.S. degree, and others begin classes after working for a few years.

Requirements