Industrial Engineering
Optimize systems, processes, and people to save time and money
What You'll Study
Industrial Engineering (IE) is about making things better, faster, safer, and cheaper. It combines engineering with business to optimize complex systems—like a factory line, a hospital ER, or a supply chain.
- Operations Research
- Supply Chain Management
- Statistics & Probability
- Ergonomics / Human Factors
- Manufacturing Systems
- Quality Control (Six Sigma)
- Engineering Economics
- Simulation Modeling
Example Classes
How to Know If You'll Like It
You'll probably enjoy this if...
- ✓You love efficiency and hate wasting time
- ✓You are good at seeing the "big picture" of a system
- ✓You enjoy business and management but want technical skills
- ✓You like statistics and data analysis
- ✓You are interested in how factories or airports run (logistics)
- ✓You want a role that interacts with both engineers and managers
You might not enjoy this if...
- ✕You want to design physical products (that's ME)
- ✕You hate statistics
- ✕You prefer working alone on one deep technical problem
- ✕You aren't interested in business/money aspects
Self-Check Quiz
Answer these questions honestly to see if this major might be a good fit for you.
When waiting in a long line, do you think of ways to make it faster?
Career Outcomes
Featured In-Demand Careers
Supply Chain Manager
Coordinate and process the movement of goods, people, and information across the supply chain.
Management Consultant
Advise organizations on strategy, operations, and transformation to improve performance and solve complex problems.
Environmental Engineer
Develop solutions to environmental problems including pollution control, waste management, and sustainability.
Other Common Career Paths
- •Supply Chain Manager
- •Operations Manager
- •Quality Engineer
- •Process Engineer
- •Data Analyst
Industries
Try It First
Test if you like this field before committing to a major:
Map out the process of making your breakfast. Find 2 ways to do it faster.
Organize your closet or desk using "5S" principles (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain).
Analyze a local coffee shop line and propose a better queuing system.
Related Majors
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! It involves rigorous math and system analysis. It's just focused on processes, not products.
Yes, Tim Cook (Apple CEO) was an Industrial Engineer. It's great for management.
Manufacturing, Logistics (Amazon/FedEx), Healthcare (Hospital flow), Airlines, Disney (Line management).
More data/stats heavy (SQL, R, Python for analysis), less software dev.
Available, but less common than for Civil/Mech/Electrical.
Ready to Explore This Major?
Get personalized guidance on whether Industrial Engineering is right for you and how to build a competitive profile.