Industrial engineers (IEs) apply scientific knowledge to solve problems in manufacturing, service industries, businesses and institutions, and are focused on the design modeling and analysis of complex systems to achieve productivity improvement through better use of human resources, financial resources, natural resources, and man-made structures and equipment. IEs apply a full range of analytical, simulation and experimentation tools to problems in designing, planning, implementing and operating systems. These problems are found in a wide variety of organizations (such as banks, hospitals, social services and government agencies), project-based firms (such as construction and consulting) and product-based firms (such as processing, manufacturing and electronics). The focus of industrial engineering is systems design, systems integration and improvement.

Program Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of the industrial engineering program are driven by WSU’s mission as an urban university. Industrial engineering graduates are expected, within three to five years after graduation, to meet the following Program Educational Objectives (PEOs):

• PEO1: Be engaged, innovative professionals and leaders in designing, modeling, analyzing, implementing, managing and improving modern complex systems in sectors of local, regional, national and global industries.
• PEO2: Pursue life-long learning, such as graduate studies and research, certification and licensure from professional organizations, Fundamentals of Engineering certification, or active participation in professional societies/activities.
• PEO3: Achieve professional success through the program's emphasis on experiential learning through solving real world problems.

Program Requirements

The BS in industrial engineering program requires the completion of 125 credit hours for graduation, minus hours commensurate with advanced placement credit. Students may select 19 credit hours of technical electives to emphasize the study of systems engineering; supply chain and analytics; or manufacturing, robotics and automation. This allows students to specialize in a specific area of industrial engineering. Students’ programs are determined by their own interests in consultation with their faculty advisors. All the prerequisite courses must have a grade that generates 2.000 or more credit points per credit hour.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of the College of Engineering, students must meet the specific requirements for the industrial engineering program given in the accompanying table.

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See the requirements of the WSU General Education program. Starting in fall 2021, first-year college students must take a First-Year Seminar (FYS) within their first two semesters at WSU. Required major courses may also count towards General Education requirements. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 125 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.

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May count as a general education course.

³

Anyone, who is already a student in the BSIE degree program at WSU, can only transfer a maximum of 9 credit hours of IME 400+ level courses to be used towards the major courses requirement.

• A written preapproval of the ISME chair is required to take courses from outside WSU.
• IME 590 and IME 690 must be taken at WSU.

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At least 9 credit hours of technical elective courses (including track and additional electives) must be from the ISME department.

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There are three tracks from which the students may take technical electives. At least three of the technical elective courses must be from the same track.

Track I – Manufacturing, Robotics and Automation:

• IME 425, IME 557, IME 558,   IME 561, IME 625, IME 676, IME 758,   IME 761, IME 762,   IME 767,   IME 775,   IME 780AM, IME 788,   ME 250 or  ME 672.

Track II – Supply Chain and Analytics:

• IME 664,   IME 734, IME 754, IME 755, IME 765, IME 780AL,   IME 780AN, IME 783, DS 725 or IB 400.

Track III – Systems Engineering:

• IME 664, IME 749, IME 755, IME 759,   IME 764, IME 767, IME 780AL or  MGMT 460.

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Other courses that may be used as technical electives:

• College of Engineering courses from other programs may also be used as technical electives with written preapproval of the ISME faculty advisor. Up to 3 credit hours of  IME 481N/ IME 481P could be used as technical electives.
• Non-engineering technical electives:  ACCT 210,   ACCT 220,   ACCT 310,   ACCT 420,   ACCT 430, BLAW 431,   ECON 201,   ECON 202,   ECON 660,   ENTR 310,   ENTR 440,   IB 333,   MGMT 360,   MGMT 450,   MGMT 462,   MGMT 463,   MGMT 662, MIS 600 or  MIS 605.
• Other courses with permission from the chair of the ISME department.

Applied Learning

Students in the Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing the two-course capstone design experience consisting of IME 590 and IME 690.