Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering

Interim Head of Department: Deborah L. Thurston
117 Transportation Building
104 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2732
E-mail: ge-grad@uiuc.edu

Graduate Degree Program

The Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering offers graduate study leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering (IE), and Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering (SEE). The department also offers a joint degree program, the Master of Science in Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering and Master of Business Administration (MSIESE/MBA). The program offers an approach to industrial engineering and systems engineering, engineering design, and entrepreneurial engineering that crosses disciplinary lines. The SEE program is founded on the premise of dual competency in both traditional engineering and in the business side of engineering. The SEE program offers flexibility by permitting the student to select from a menu of advanced courses and take a wide range of electives to meet individual career goals. Graduates of these programs are prepared to enter professional engineering positions in industry, government, and private practice. The joint MSIESE/MBA program allows the student to earn both the Master of Science in SEE or IE and the MBA degrees.

Admission

Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering. Applicants who have completed degree requirements in an accredited engineering program or its equivalent are eligible to apply for admission. Qualifications for admission include a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for the SEE programs but is only recommended for the joint MSIESE/MBA program.

Industrial Engineering. An unofficial minimum grade point average of 3.25 (A = 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate study is required and a 3.5 for any previous graduate work completed. Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test are required of all applicants.

All applicants to either program whose native language is not English must submit a TOEFL score of at least 613 (paper-based), 257 (computer-based), or 104 (iBT). Applicants may be exempt from the TOEFL if certain criteria are met. Based upon the previous preparation of the student for either program, prerequisite courses may be specified by the advisor, but the credit may not be applied toward a degree.

 

Master of Science

Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (MSIE). A total of 32 graduate hours is required for the thesis option including 24 hours of formal graded coursework and 8 hours of IE 599. Of the 24 hours of formal graded coursework in the thesis option, 8 hours must be at the 500 level with 4 of these hours in the major field. No more than 8 hours of IE 599 credit can be applied towards the degree. For those students terminating their studies with the MS degree, a non-thesis option is also available upon consent of the advisor and approval by departmental petition. Those pursuing the non-thesis option are required to complete a minimum of 36 graduate hours including 32 hours of formal graded coursework and 4 hours of IE 597−Independent Study (4 hours maximum allowed towards the MS degree), since each student is required to show evidence of the ability to do independent research. Of the 32 hours of formal graded coursework in the non-thesis option, 8 hours must be at the 500 level with 4 of these hours in the major field. Continuous registration is required in IE 590−Graduate Seminar, throughout the Master’s program. Also as part of the requirements to obtain the MS degree, students should register for, and take, MSE 492−Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety. Credit obtained in this course may not be used toward a degree.

Master of Science in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering (SEE). A total of 32 (thesis option) or 36 (project option) graduate hours of credit are required. For both the thesis and project options, 28 hours of coursework must be completed: 12 hours of 500-level GE courses with 8 of these on the technical side and 4 on the business side of engineering; 16 additional hours of coursework with at least 4 hours in an engineering department. In addition to 28 hours of coursework, 4 hours of GE 599 (Thesis Research) credit are required to complete the thesis option or 8 hours of GE 594 (Project Design) credit to complete the project option. Continuous registration is required in GE 590−Graduate Seminar throughout the Master’s program.

Master of Science in Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering and Master of Business Administration (MSIESE/MBA). This program is under revision at this time, and potential applicants should contact the department for the most up-to-date information.

 

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering. For those students entering the program with a master’s degree, a total of 32 graduate hours of formal graded coursework is required. Of these 32 hours, 16 must be at the 500 level. A maximum of 4 hours of IE 597−Independent Study may be used to satisfy the 500 level coursework requirement. Thirty-two hours of IE 599 thesis research credit is required in addition to the 32 graduate hours of coursework. Qualifying examinations are required and should be taken no later than the second calendar semester after initial enrollment.

A student entering with a bachelor’s degree has the option of a direct PhD program. A total of 56 graduate hours of formal graded coursework (including 24 at the 500 level) is required in addition to 40 graduate hours, minimum, of thesis research credit. Qualifying examinations should be taken as early as possible, generally no later than the third semester of enrollment.

As part of the requirements to obtain an IE PhD degree, students must take MSE 492−Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety. Credit for this course may not be used towards the degree. Students must also maintain continuous registration throughout the program in IE 590−Graduate Seminar.

Doctor of Philosophy in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering (SEE). A total of 96 graduate hours of credit including a PhD thesis are required for the PhD in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering. At least 64 of the hours of credit, which may include thesis credit, must be earned in residence. In addition, the student must take the departmental PhD Qualifying Examination, and by passing it be admitted to PhD candidacy, and then must pass the Preliminary and Final Examinations for the PhD degree. Students in the SEE masters program must take the Qualifying Examination before obtaining the MS degree; students entering the program with a masters degree earned elsewhere must pass the Qualifying Examination before or during their third semester in the PhD program.

The 96 graduate hours of credit may be divided into three stages of 32 hours each, consisting of 32 hours generally represented by an MS degree or equivalent (Stage I), 32 hours of course work beyond the MS degree (Stage II), and 32 hours of thesis work for the doctoral thesis (Stage III). Stage I requirements are satisfied by completion of an MS degree in the Department or in a related engineering or technical discipline from the University of Illinois or other accredited university. A non-technical MS or MBA would normally not count toward the completion of Stage I. Such students would be required to enroll in one of the Master of Science Programs in the Department and satisfy the requirements therein in order to satisfy Stage I of the PhD degree.

In Stage II, a total of 32 hours of formal graded coursework are required, at least 16 of which must be 500-level engineering courses and at least 16 of which must be from the list of approved GE courses. To advance to Stage II all students must pass the Qualifying Examination. To advance from Stage II to Stage III the student must pass the Preliminary Exam. Stage III is comprised of a minimum of 32 hours of GE 599 (Thesis Research) credit and a written dissertation followed by a final oral thesis defense.

For both the IE and SEE PhD programs, the Preliminary Examination is taken after the Qualifying Examination. A minimum of six months should elapse between the successful completion of the doctoral Preliminary Examination and the doctoral final examination (oral dissertation defense).

Research Interests

Graduate study and research in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering may be pursued in the following fields: computer-aided design, optimization, design systems, manufacturing systems, nondestructive testing and evaluation, system dynamics and simulation, control, robotics, real-time decision making, reliability, entrepreneurial engineering, operations research/management science, and biomechanics. In Industrial Engineering, studies are conducted in human factors, operations research, and production engineering. Study in the areas of cognitive engineering, computer-aided manufacturing, ergonomics, facilities planning, human-machine interaction, large-scale systems analysis, machine tool systems design, mathematical programming and optimization, production planning and control, and project management is aimed at improving the design and implementation of integrated systems of persons, materials, and equipment.

 

Financial Aid

Qualified students may compete for financial assistance in the form of teaching/graduate/research assistantships, fellowships, and tuition waiver scholarships. Under certain conditions, fellowships may be augmented by part-time assistantships. All applicants, regardless of U.S. citizenship, whose native language is not English and who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships must take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and achieve a score of 50 (or take and pass the SPEAK test on campus), and arrive on time to attend orientation programs on campus.