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Curriculum in Industrial Engineering

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
154 Mechanical Engineering Building
1206 West Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-0366
Fax: (217) 244-6534

For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering

Industrial engineering reflects the global, systems-oriented way we look at the world today. Industrial engineers focus on systems and how their components fit together. To solve complex systems problems, engineers must understand people as well as technology. Consequently, industrial engineering draws upon a variety of disciplines, from mathematics to psychology from communications to computer science, from production management to process control. Industrial engineers design efficient, productive systems in a wide range of business, industrial, and governmental settings.

The technical portion of the industrial engineering curriculum is designed as a sequence of increasingly specialized experiences. The entering student's first year is spent mastering the basics of science: math, chemistry, and physics. Building on this base, in the second year students begin to take fundamental engineering courses such as statics, dynamics, statistics, and strength of materials. By the third year, students are taking specialized industrial engineering courses in operations research, human factors, facilities and production planning, quality control, materials, and manufacturing. Finally, during the senior year, students have the opportunity to both broaden and deepen their knowledge of the field through technical elective courses. At the end of the curriculum, students take the capstone senior design course (IE 470), in which the knowledge and skills they have learned are applied to projects submitted to the department by industrial firms or by faculty members. Engineering design, communication, teamwork, and laboratory experiences are integrated throughout the curriculum from the first year to the last year.

The objectives of the Industrial Engineering program are to prepare students for successful careers as engineers and leaders and to prepare them for graduate study by providing:

  • a rigorous foundation in mathematics, science, and engineering;
  • the analytical, computational, experimental, and methodological tools to define and analyze complex problems;
  • the technical, teamwork, and communication skills necessary to design complex systems and processes;
  • an understanding of ethical and societal issues that impact engineering solutions; and
  • an awareness of the importance to remain abreast of the latest technological developments and contemporary issues that affect the theory and practice of engineering.

The educational outcomes associated with meeting these objectives are listed in the College of Engineering description.

To qualify for registration in the industrial engineering courses shown in the third (junior) year of the curriculum, a student must have completed the mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, and engineering courses that are shown in the first (freshman) and second (sophomore) years of the curriculum with a combined grade-point average of at least 2.25. To remain in good academic standing or graduate from this curriculum, a student must have a grade-point average of at least 2.0 in all 300- and 400-level required engineering courses and technical elective courses taken on this campus.

The curriculum requires 132 hours for graduation.

The department's web site contains additional information about the Industrial Engineering program.

Suggested Sequence

First year

Hours First Semester
3 CHEM 102*—General Chemistry I
1 CHEM 103*—General Chemistry Lab I
0 ENG 100—Engineering Lecture
5 MATH 220*—Calculus I
4-3 RHET 105—Principles of Composition or IE 170*—Computer-Aided Design1
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities2
16-15 Total

Hours Second Semester
3 CHEM 104*—General Chemistry II
1 CHEM 105*—General Chemistry Lab II
3-4 IE 170*—Computer-Aided Design or RHET 105—Principles of Composition1
3 MATH 230*—Calculus II
4 PHYS 211*—Univ Physics, Mechanics
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities2
17-18 Total

Second year

Hours First Semester
3 CS 101*—Intro to Computing, Eng & Sci
3 MATH 242*—Calculus of Several Variables
4 PHYS 212*—Univ Physics, Elec & Mag
2 TAM 210*—Introduction to Statics
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities2
15 Total

Hours Second Semester
3 IE 300*—Analysis of Data
3 MATH 385*—Intro Differential Equations
2 PHYS 213*—Univ Physics, Thermal Physics
2 PHYS 214*—Univ Physics, Quantum Phys
3 TAM 212*—Introductory Dynamics
3 TAM 251*—Introductory Solid Mechanics
16 Total

Third year

Hours First Semester
4 IE 310—Intro to Operations Research
4 IE 340—Human Factors
3 MATH 415—Linear Algebra
4 ME 330—Engineering Materials
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities2
18 Total

Hours Second Semester
3 ECE 205—Intro Elec & Electr Circuits
1 ECE 206—Intro Elec & Electr Ckts Lab
3 IE 330—Industrial Quality Control
3 IE 360—Facilities Planning and Design
3 IE 361—Production Planning and Ctrl
0 IE 390—Seminar
3 ME 350—Design for Manufacturability
16 Total

Fourth year

Hours First Semester
3 IE 430—Economic Found of Quality Sys
3 Human factors elective3
3 Manufacturing elective4
3 Operations research elective5
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities2
3 Free elective
18 Total

Hours Second Semester
3 IE 470—Senior Design Project
3 ME & IE elective6
4 Technical elective7
3 Free elective
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities2
16 Total

* 2.25 GPA rule course.

1. RHET 105 may be taken in the first or second semester of the first year as authorized. The alternative is IE 170.

2. Each student must satisfy the social sciences and humanities requirements, including ECON 102 or 103, of the College of Engineering and the campus general education requirements.

3. Human factors elective—3 hours required. Choose from a departmentally approved list.

4. Manufacturing elective—3 hours required. Choose from a departmentally approved list.

5. Operations research elective—3 hours required. Choose from a departmentally approved list.

6. ME & IE elective—3 hours required. Choose from a departmentally approved list.

7. Technical elective—4 hours required. Choose from a departmentally approved list.

For the Combined Degrees of Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering

The department offers a combined Bachelor of Science and Master of Science program. This program allows students who wish to earn both degrees to become involved in graduate coursework and thesis research during their fourth year of study. It also offers the possibility to earn both degrees on an accelerated schedule. The educational objectives of the combined program are the same as for the individual degrees.

Course Requirements

The combined program requires 120 hours of undergraduate credit and 32 hours of graduate credit. This compares to 132 hours of undergraduate credit and 32 hours of graduate credit when the BS and MS degrees are earned separately. The undergraduate requirements are identical to the four-year BS program shown above, except that the following requirements are eliminated:

  • one M&IE elective — 3 hours
  • one Technical elective — 4 hours
  • Free electives — 5 hours

In addition, independent study project courses may not be used as M&IE or technical electives in the BS portion of the combined program.

A Master's thesis is required, and eight of the 32 graduate hours must be thesis units (IE 599). At least eight of the remaining 24 graduate hours must be 500-level courses. In addition, at least eight hours of the graduate courses must be IE or ME courses. Students in the combined program will also be required to register and complete the requirements for the graduate seminar course, IE 590, every semester following formal admission into the program. The non-thesis MS option is not available to students in the combined program.

A student in the combined program must spend at least two academic years in residence, full time in the combined degree program, and at least one of these years must be with graduate status. Students must maintain a graduate GPA of 3.0 in order to remain in the combined program.

The BS and MS degrees are granted simultaneously at the end of the program.

Admission

Students may request provisional admission to the combined program at any time after enrolling in the BS degree program. Provisional admission helps the department advise students who want to prepare themselves for the combined program.

Formal admission to the combined program normally occurs late in the junior year or early in the senior year. Undergraduate students in M&IE may apply for formal admission to the combined program with the following provisions:

  • Students must have a GPA of 3.6 or higher, and have earned, or anticipate earning, 96 credit hours by the time they enter the combined program. At least 60 credit hours must have been earned at UIUC.
  • Students must submit the combined-program application form and supporting documents to the M&IE Graduate Programs Office. There are two annual application deadlines: October 15 and March 15.
  • GRE scores are not required for admission to the program. However, students are strongly encouraged to take the GRE in their senior year in order, for example, to be eligible for national fellowship competitions.
  • Students in the combined program will be recommended by the department for admission to the Graduate College after they complete the 120 hours required for the BS portion of the combined program.
  • The department will reimburse students for the graduate school application fee.
  • Each student is required to identify a graduate advisor and file a graduate course plan in the semester the student is granted formal admission to the program.

Withdrawal

Students may withdraw from the program at any time by notifying the Undergraduate Programs Office. Students who do not meet the Graduate College and departmental requirements for admission to the graduate program at the time they complete the 120-hour BS portion of the combined program will be required to leave the program.

Students who withdraw from the program for any reason may continue in the regular four-year BS degree program, which currently requires 132 hours, provided they meet the normal GPA requirements of that program. Students who withdraw from the combined program after they have taken courses for graduate credit may petition to have those credits counted toward their undergraduate program requirements.

Continued Graduate Study

Students who complete the combined program may petition to continue in graduate school for a PhD. These students will hold the same status (post MS) as students entering the PhD program with an MS degree, and will be required to take the department's qualifying examination no later than the second calendar semester after graduation from the combined program.