Major in Industrial Engineering - An Overview

Industrial engineering is a broad based and versatile discipline that involves the design, analysis and improvement of systems and processes. It is the branch of engineering that has universal applications ranging from a consumer product to large business, societal, and environmental systems. Industrial Engineers find ways to utilize the basic factors of production—people, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service most efficiently. It is concerned with the Design, Analysis, and Operation of Systems.

It is this emphasis on people, science and technology that distinguishes industrial engineering from the other engineering disciplines. However, industrial engineering also emphasizes the life sciences and social sciences.  If you are concerned with enhancing the quality of life for all people, both as producers and consumers of products and services then explore and learn to acquire education in the best colleges with our Industrial Engineering Major Guide.

The Industrial Engineering concentrates on the following branches:

Quality: The quality of the system and processes, as well as the quality of the products or services provided.

Manufacturing: Manufacturing processes and systems, production planning, factory layout, ergonomics and reduction of waste.

Logistics: Transport networks, movement of material, scheduling, project management, etc.

Faster, easier, more efficient; that’s what natural industrial engineering is all about.

• Improve the World: Industrial engineers are systems engineers who focus on the integration of people, materials, information, equipment and energy to design, implement, and improve systems. This focus on the big picture makes industrial engineering the most people oriented engineering discipline who are involved in wide ranging activities streamlining an operating room, distributing food and shelter after a disaster, or optimizing the flow of products around the globe.
  
  
• Green Economy: Industrial Engineers will play a significant role in the emerging green economy. They will assist with the research and design of industrial, manufacturing, or other processes to face the challenges of today’s world by using fewer natural resources, produce less waste, and be more energy-efficient.
  

Industrial Engineering is a thriving, innovative and fulfilling career. To be a part of such a flourishing career, all you need is right preparation and guidance right from high school. We at USAeducation.info have prepared a section on guidance required to choose majors from high school, college prep to take up career as Industrial Engineer. Take a look at all our articles on Industrial Engineering Major prep guide.

Why Consider Industrial Engineering?

• The Field Is Broad
  Industrial engineering is an exceptionally broad field, which means you will not be stuck doing the same thing day-in and day-out. Besides being able to switch roles within an industry, you can try out a different industry if you desire a change.
  
  
• Benefits and Pay Is Exceptional
  The median annual wage for industrial engineers is approximately USD 80K. Actual earnings will vary depending on your job type.
  
  Industrial Engineers also receive excellent benefit packages, including health and life insurance, vacation, sick leave, and pension plans.
  
  
• Diverse Career Opportunities
  Industrial engineers have an almost unlimited range of career fields available, including retail distribution, banking, health-care delivery, corporate management, consulting firms, aerospace systems, research groups, government and military agencies as well as manufacturing. In all areas of manufacturing, service and government, there is increasing emphasis on the goal of improving quality and productivity.
  
  The most distinctive aspect of industrial engineering is the flexibility it offers. Industrial engineers can work in any context or environment. As companies across all industries are increasingly striving to control costs and maximize efficiencies, the versatile skill set of Industrial Engineers opens doors for numerous career opportunities in virtually every sector of the economy.
  
  
• High Demand
  Employment of industrial engineers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2012 to 2022. With the increased focus on environmentally sustainable business practices, Industrial Engineers should expect to have increased job opportunities.
  

Jobs and opportunities offered for the industrial engineers:

The occupational filed of the industrial engineering is really wide and big, this is the principal reason why the professionals of this kind of career can obtain a good job on the following areas:

• Engineer: To design and operate production systems of benefits and services, like company generator, to create production companies of benefits and services.
  
  
• Administrator: To develop high management plans, also to develop different negotiations and take decisions inside an organization.
  
  
• Advisory – Consultant: To guide and give a diagnostic to many companies.
  
  
• Technical Researcher – Scientist: To improve the processes and technologies, and to find new processes.
  
  
• Project Managers: Many industrial engineers of all types eventually find themselves in the position of project manager. As project managers, industrial engineers are in charge of coordinating a team to accomplish a set of objectives. The project manager will assign responsibilities to team members and monitor the project’s progress.
  
  
• Quality Assurance Engineer: Quality assurance engineers are found in almost every manufacturing industry, and their main task is to ensure that products are consistently high quality.
  

You can be part of this most booming career if you prepare and plan well ahead right from high school. Explore all about Industrial Engineering Major Guide.