Industrial Engineering Degree Online

What Is Industrial Engineering?

Industrial Engineering students learn how to develop and maintain efficient systems. These systems might involve people, materials, money, equipment, energy, and information. For example, Industrial Engineering students may look at the most efficient way to lay out a factory floor. Or, they might explore a way to reduce byproduct during processing, or increase output while saving on energy.

This major is very closely related to “Industrial Engineering Technology.”

Is Industrial Engineering a Good Major / Degree for Me?

Are you a “big picture” kind of thinker? Are you good at math? Do you like to problem solve? Are you good at setting goals and taking the smaller steps necessary to reach them? Then you may want to explore Industrial Engineering further.

High School Classes Needed for an Industrial Engineering Degree in College:

• 4 English Credits
• 4 Math Credits
• At least 3 Science Credits
• 3 Social Studies Credits
• At Least 2 Foreign Language Credits
• If your high school offers the following courses:
  • AP Physics
  • AP Calculus
  • AP Statistics
  • CADD (Computer Aided Drafting and Design)

Common Industrial Engineering Courses in College:

• Calculus
• Dynamics
• Engineering Drawing and CAD/Drafting
• Engineering Economic Analysis
• Engineering Materials
• Ergonomics
• Facility Layout and Material Handling
• Manufacturing Processes
• Methods Engineering
• Operations Analysis
• Operations Research
• Quality Control and Design
• Simulation Methodology
• Statics
• Statistics
• Thermodynamics

Similar Degree Programs You Might Want to Explore:

• Civil Engineering: the study of how to plan, design, and build large construction projects
• Construction Management: the study of budgeting for, bidding on, hiring form managing, and completing a construction project
• Environmental Engineering: the study of how to design, create, and implement practical solutions to environmental problems
• Statistics: the study of the collection, organization, and interpretation of numerical data

Industrial Engineering Careers:

Industrial Engineers can work just about anywhere, in any type of industry, even nonprofit. They might work for the government, or for businesses, or in manufacturing.

According to the National Science Foundation, Industrial Engineers made up 13% of employed engineers. This made them the third most popular form of engineers. (Civil engineers took first with 17%.)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted in 2010 that employment of Industrial Engineers would grow 6% in the next ten years, which was slower than the average for all occupations.