Academics

The undergraduate program is designed to prepare students to become the next generation of global leaders in industrial engineering (IE). The curriculum and faculty expertise provide a distinctive combination of breadth and depth across fundamental IE areas, including data analytics, engineering economics, manufacturing, human factors and ergonomics, service systems, and operations research. Students may choose between two degree options, described below, as well as a range of available minors to tailor their academic experience and pursue individual career goals. Through a combination of coursework and hands-on laboratory experience, the program prepares students to solve problems in an effective, efficient, sustainable, and socially responsible manner.

General Option

The General Option provides a core set of skills for the modern industrial engineer and allows students to select electives that customize the degree. Students may choose additional coursework in manufacturing, human factors, service systems, operations research, data science, other industrial engineering technical topics, and non-IE engineering subjects to broaden their expertise.

Learn more about general option requirements in the Bulletin and the undergraduate handbook.

Service Systems Engineering Option

The Service Systems Engineering Option also provides a core set of industrial engineering skills while emphasizing elective coursework focused on service industries, including health care, financial services, retail, and supply chain management. Service systems engineering encompasses the study, design, and implementation of systems that enhance processes and efficiencies within the service sector, which employs approximately 80 percent of the U.S. workforce. Students completing this option develop proficiency in applying industrial engineering and operations research tools to the modeling, analysis, design, and control of service enterprises, positioning them for careers in service-oriented organizations.

More information about service systems engineering option requirements are available in the Bulletin and undergraduate handbook.

For more information, visit Service Systems Engineering.

Our students leave Penn State as innovators with an eye for discovering new solutions and processes that address ever-evolving industry challenges in a wide variety of sectors including academia, banking, manufacturing, communications, consulting, financial services, healthcare, information technology, and transportation.

Our program includes more than 8,000 graduates and maintains an active alumni network, many of whom hold leadership positions at organizations such as Accenture, Bank of America, Caterpillar, Cummins Power, Disney, ExxonMobil, Herren Associates, The Hershey Company, Honda, Intel, John Deere, Kimberly-Clark, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Lockheed Martin, Michelin, and Walmart.

The bachelor of science in industrial engineering at University Park is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (https://www.abet.org) under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Industrial and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. See the program objectives and ABET outcomes here.

Many U.S. states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. Students intending to pursue licensure after completing the program should consult the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map for more information.