Industrial Engineering Major
Department: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Technology
The baccalaureate programs in industrial engineering and manufacturing engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.
Program Educational Objectives
Within five years into their careers, the graduates from the Industrial Engineering Program at Bradley University will have successful careers based on
- Demonstrated ability to recognize business and technical engineering problems and implement effective solutions to such.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively lead cross-functional multi-disciplinary diverse teams in the design, implementation, and/or improvement of processes and systems both regionally and globally.
- Demonstrated professional development through continuous learning opportunities such as varied work assignments, promotions, graduate schools, and/or professional associations.
- Demonstrated involvement in service activities that benefit the profession or the community.
Student Outcomes
In order to meet these program educational objectives, students graduating from Bradley’s industrial engineering program will attain the following outcomes.
- an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
- an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
- an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies
Industrial engineers design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing production processes including human work factors, inventory control, logistics and material flow, quality control, cost analysis, and production coordination. Industrial engineers apply engineering methods to a variety of activities in the design, production, and distribution of goods and services; work in organizations including manufacturing, hospitals, commerce, and government agencies; and operate in such specific professional areas as human work measurement, management systems design, human factors engineering, applied statistics, operations research, reliability and quality control, and systems engineering. Industrial engineering is the combination of engineering and business administration.
The curriculum provides a sound basis in the fundamentals of engineering, physical and behavioral sciences, and theoretical and applied mathematics. The emphasis on problem solving of both structured and unstructured types prepares students for a wide variety of industrial & manufacturing engineering (IME) related employment opportunities as well as for graduate training in IME, or such associated professions business, law, or medicine. This diversity of career opportunities is a major reason that students choose IME. The student is encouraged to select a minor in a supporting area such as business, quality engineering, computer science, manufacturing, math, psychology, or economics. Some minors will require additional hours beyond BSIE requirements.
Most faculty teaching in the IME program have had full-time industrial experience. The emphasis of the department is directed towards real-world problems. During the senior year, students work under faculty supervision on actual problems that exist in the community in manufacturing organizations and service organizations such as hospitals, government agencies, air transport companies, court systems, and utility companies.
Programmatic Distinctions
Industrial engineers determine the most effective ways to use the production resources (people, machines, materials, information, and energy) to make a product or provide a service. They are concerned primarily with increasing productivity through the management of people, methods of business organization, and technology. They develop management control systems to aid in financial planning and cost analysis, and they design production planning and control systems to coordinate activities to meet the demand and ensure product quality. They also design or improve systems for the physical distribution of goods and services and determine the most efficient plant locations. Industrial engineers develop wage and salary administration systems and job evaluation programs. Many industrial engineers move into management positions because the work is closely related to the work of managers. Manufacturing engineers apply knowledge of materials and engineering theory and methods to design, integrate, and improve manufacturing systems and processes. They may work with designers to refine product designs to increase productivity and decrease costs.
The department works closely with industry and has an outstanding Industrial Advisory Council (IAC) consisting of distinguished members from industry, government, and education.