Industrial engineering (IE) is a profession that serves as a link between management and operations. It is an area of engineering that is oriented more towards people than any other area of engineering, with a goal of motivating people towards productivity improvement. Industrial engineers integrate human factors into finding good, efficient solutions to production problems. For example, an IE might be involved in designing the layout of a metal parts manufacturing plant, creating a more productive workflow in a hospital, or developing a computer-based information system. Although the main employers of industrial engineers are in the manufacturing industry, potential employment in this field could be in any type of business or institution.
The new IE major is more technically focused than the existing Management Engineering (MGE) major. MGE requires students to develop a broad base in different areas of management, such as accounting and marketing, whereas the industrial engineering major focuses more on math and science and requires more technical engineering courses than were required for MGE.
The department plans to seek ABET accreditation for the Industrial Engineering program. ABET stands for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. According to ABET literature, one purpose of accreditation is to identify institutions that offer professional engineering programs worthy of recognition as such. The ABET standards are designed to assist institutions in planning and improving their educational programs. Obtaining ABET accreditation for the new IE program could take as little as two years to accomplish, but may be longer. The sooner students start graduating from the IE program, the sooner this accreditation will come.
The curriculum requirements of the program include 10 units of study in the areas of mathematics, basic sciences and engineering topics, which includes the MQP.
Four units of mathematics and basic science courses are required. The math requirement includes differential and integral calculus, as well as differential equations and probability and statistics. The science requirement includes courses in both chemistry and physics, with at least a two course sequence in one of those areas.
The other five required units of study consist of courses in various engineering topics: 8/3 units of the industrial engineering core, 1/3 unit in engineering topics outside of the industrial engineering area, 1 unit of industrial engineering electives and 1 unit of technical electives.
Three new courses will be added to the curriculum in order to meet the needs of this new industrial engineering program. These courses cover areas which are required in most accredited industrial engineering programs.
The first, MG 3405, will be titled Work Systems and Facilities Planning. Topics such as facility layout, methods analysis, work measurement, material handling and material flow analysis will be covered in this course. These topics, in the past, have been briefly covered in MG 3400 (Industrial Engineering I), but will now be covered in depth in their own course.
Human Factors Engineering (MG 3450) will examine the human-machine interface in the workplace, concentrating on how workplace design can influence effectiveness and enhance health, safety, and satisfaction. The course will complement several other courses taught at WPI that address human factors engineering, including SS1401 - Introduction to Cognitive Psychology, CS 3041 - Human-Computer Interaction, and ME 3506 - Rehabilitation Engineering.
Finally, Global Planning and Logistics (MG 4460) will be added. It will deal with the management and control of material movement. It will also emphasize international operations, and is designed to complement WPI's international focus.
More detailed information on the IE program can be obtained from the Management Department office, which is located on the second floor of Washburn.
Give feedback: newspeak@wpi.wpi.edu