Industrial and systems engineering is concerned with the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment, and energy. It uses engineering analysis, design, mathematics, and the physical and social sciences to improve complex processes, systems, and organizations. Industrial engineering is important in manufacturing, logistics, health care, service systems, and many other industries. Let’s take a look at notable industrial engineering schools around the world!
Top Industrial Engineering Schools in the World
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1861 and moved to Cambridge in 1916. MIT does not list a stand-alone industrial engineering degree under that name, but it offers closely related graduate options in operations research, systems design and management, and manufacturing. These programs are strong options for students interested in optimization, systems, analytics, manufacturing, and engineering management.
Relevant MIT graduate pathways include the master’s and Ph.D. programs in operations research through the MIT Operations Research Center, the Master of Science in Engineering and Management through MIT System Design and Management, and the 12-month Master of Engineering in Advanced Manufacturing and Design. The operations research program focuses on analytical methods for improving decisions and systems, while the SDM program combines advanced engineering and management skills. The manufacturing program prepares students for technical leadership in manufacturing industries.
2. Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant university with its flagship campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. Founded in 1869, Purdue is home to the Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, which offers undergraduate and graduate study in industrial engineering. Students can earn bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in the field.
The undergraduate program leads to a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and combines engineering, mathematics, science, design, and management principles. Purdue also notes that industrial engineers work across manufacturing, service industries, logistics, health care, government, and other sectors. Graduate students can choose from several master’s options, including professional, online, thesis, and non-thesis tracks, as well as a Ph.D. program. Current research and graduate study areas include optimization, systems and networks, human factors, data science, manufacturing, logistics, health care, and other complex systems.
3. University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1817 in Detroit, the university later moved to Ann Arbor. Its Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate study in industrial and operations engineering, including bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programs.
Undergraduate study in Industrial and Operations Engineering at Michigan focuses on optimizing complex systems and processes through engineering, business, data, and human-centered problem solving. At the graduate level, students can pursue master’s programs in Industrial and Operations Engineering and Systems Engineering and Design, with online and on-campus options available for some programs. The Ph.D. program offers interdisciplinary research opportunities across engineering departments, Michigan Medicine, and other U-M schools and colleges.
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, founded in 1900. For students interested in the product innovation, systems, and technology-management side of industrial engineering, CMU offers related graduate programs through its College of Engineering and Integrated Innovation Institute.
Relevant programs include the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products & Services and the MS in Engineering & Technology Innovation Management. The MIIPS program brings together engineering, business, and design to help students develop new products and services. The ETIM program is designed for engineers and scientists who want to lead innovation and technology management, with tracks such as analytics, consulting, entrepreneurship, product management, and R&D technology management.
5. Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University is a state-related public university founded in 1855. With its administrative and research hub at University Park and additional locations across Pennsylvania, Penn State is home to the Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. The department offers undergraduate and graduate industrial engineering programs, including bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees.
The department offers a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering with thesis and non-thesis tracks, an online M.Eng. in Industrial Engineering through Penn State World Campus, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering. Graduate students can focus on areas such as human factors and ergonomics, manufacturing, operations research, operations, services and analytics, and service enterprise engineering.
6. Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology, better known as Georgia Tech, is a public institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs in industrial and systems engineering, meaning students can pursue bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees.
Undergraduate students can pursue the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. At the graduate level, the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering provides coursework in operations research, statistics, and applied industrial engineering, with an emphasis on modeling, analysis, and problem-solving in areas such as manufacturing, warehousing, and supply chains. Georgia Tech also offers other related master’s programs, including operations research, supply chain engineering, health systems, analytics, statistics, quantitative and computational finance, computational science and engineering, and urban analytics. The Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering includes a general track and specializations such as supply chain engineering, statistics and data science, economic decision analysis, and systems informatics and control.
7. Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University is a public university in Shanghai, China, founded in 1896. Its Department of Industrial Engineering and Management is part of the School of Mechanical Engineering and offers study and research in industrial engineering and related management fields.
The department offers bachelor’s degrees in Industrial Engineering, including Logistics Engineering, Ph.D. degrees in Industrial Engineering, and master’s-level study in related fields. Its research covers areas such as production systems engineering, quality and reliability, logistics and supply chain management, service engineering, manufacturing engineering, engineering management, and product engineering.
We hope that this article on Best Industrial Engineering Schools in the World was helpful. To learn more about studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students!
