Careers in IE

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Careers in Industrial Engineering

Industrial Engineers plan, design, and supervise the installation of operational systems.  Industrial Engineering is practiced in all kinds of endeavors such as industry, service business, government, health care, education and military and in levels of an organization such as production, marketing, procurement, personnel, and product design.  

Areas for Employment

Relationship with other Engineering Disciplines

Modern Industrial Engineering is concerned with designing and implementing "mechanisms of production."  The mechanisms of interest to Industrial Engineers are made up of people, equipment, information, and operating procedures.  Industrial Engineers plan, design, and supervise the installation of operational systems and is practiced in all kinds of endeavors such as industry, service business, government, health care, education and military. 

The professional expertise is applicable to many areas such as manufacturing processes, office practices, personnel policies, job safety, total quality management, statistical analysis, computer technology, pollution control, cost benefit analysis, and office and plant layout. It is practiced in all levels of an organization and in many functions such as production, marketing, procurement, personnel, and product design.  

Civil Engineers (CE) plan, design, and supervise the construction of large structures and facilities.  Examples of civil engineering are: buildings, bridges, highways, dams, airports, water treatment and supply systems, solid waste collection systems, and urban development projects.  The perspective of the CE is generally one of public safety and welfare.

Electrical Engineers (EE) plan, design, and supervise the manufacture of products that use electrical energy to provide: communications (radios, telephones, etc.), information processing (computers), illumination, power for other products (transformers) and control of other devices.

Mechanical Engineers (ME) plan, design, and supervise the design of machinery and equipment. Examples of mechanical engineering are: machine tools, vehicles (trucks, tractors, cars, etc.), tanks, piping systems, pressure vessels, and mechanisms for controlling processes (valves, sensors, switches, etc.)  All designs are based on the principles of mechanics and heat.

All engineering disciplines study the same fundamentals in physical science, mathematics, and basic engineering.  However, IE's also study people, arts and other sciences, including economics.  Additionally, an Industrial Engineer spends considerable effort in developing an overview perspective of systems; how they can integrate different elements from all engineering disciplines to work together effectively.

Industrial engineering principles emphasize multi-disciplinary perspectives on:

Human Capabilities

Equipment Capabilities

Information Required for Management and Control

Purposes of Mechanisms

Integration of Human and Equipment Performance

Analysis Methods

Creative Thinking

Team Projects in Problem Identification and Solution

The engineering of these mechanisms can be very challenging and thus, according to national surveys, employment, pay and job mobility are often better than any of the other engineering disciplines.

For more information regarding the disciplines of engineering go to the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).