Overview

Nature of the Work Industrial engineers determine the most effective ways for an organization to use the basic factors of production - people, machines, materials, information, and energy - to make or process a product or produce a service. They are the bridge between management goals and operational performance. They are more concerned with increasing productivity through the management of people, methods of business organization, and technology than are engineers in other specialties, who generally work more with products or processes.

To solve organizational, production, and related problems most efficiently, industrial engineers

• study the product and its requirements
• use mathematical methods to meet product requirements
• design manufacturing and information systems
• develop management control systems for financial planning and cost analysis
• design production planning and control systems to coordinate activities and control product quality
• design or improve systems for the physical distribution of goods and services
• determine which plant location has the best combination of raw materials availability, transportation, and costs
• develop wage and salary administration systems and job evaluation programs

Many industrial engineers move into management positions because the work is closely related.

Employment Industrial engineers held about 115,000 jobs in 1996. About 73 percent of these jobs were in manufacturing industries. Because their skills can be used in almost any type of organization, industrial engineers are more widely distributed among manufacturing industries than other engineers. These skills can be readily applied outside manufacturing as well. Some work in engineering and management services, utilities, and business services; others work for government agencies or as independent consultants.

Job Outlook Employment of industrial engineers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2006, making for favorable opportunities. Industrial growth, more complex business operations, and the greater use of automation in factories and in offices underlie the projected employment growth. Because the main function of an industrial engineer is to make a higher quality product as efficiently as possible, their services should be in demand in the manufacturing sector as firms seek to reduce costs and increase productivity through scientific management and safety engineering. Most job openings, however, will result from the need to replace industrial engineers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

Degree Plan

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Engineering majors must earn a grade of C- or better in all engineering, mathematics, and science courses. No grade lower than C- will be accepted on any courses transferred to the University of Houston.

Students must earn a 2.250 grade point average in all courses and in INDE major courses in order to enroll in 3000-level and above INDE courses. A major grade point average of 2.000 or better is required for graduation. The major grade point average is calculated using all INDE courses.

1 Refer to the University of Houston Admissions website for information on equivalents and substitutions and for information on advanced placement examinations.
2 Students not qualified to enter MATH 1431 must complete MATH 1300, 1310 and/or 1330, as indicated by results of the Mathematics placement examination, prior to enrolling in MATH 1431
4 This degree may require three additional semester hours. Note the graphics requirement described under this department section.
11 Approved technical courses are MATH 3336, 3333, MANA 3335, MIS 3370, INDE 4397, INDE 4373. Other technical courses must be approved in advance by the Industrial Engineering departmental advisor.

Industrial Engineering Degree Program for Other UH Engineering Graduates

Students who have completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Houston in another field of engineering may obtain a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering degree by completing, at the University of Houston, the additional year of course work shown below. Required prerequisites for this program are INDE 2333 and 3333, in addition to those courses required for the first degree.

Courses must be approved by the Industrial Engineering departmental advisor.

Scholarships and Financial Aid
Scholarships and Financial Aids are available: Click here for the application.


Advising
Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Program Director

Christopher Chung, Ph.D.
Associate professor
E-mail:  cchung@uh.edu
713-743-4195

Academic advising is designed to help students make decisions about their educational and career goals. Faculty and staff in various colleges and departments are available to assist students who have chosen a major. Students who have not yet made a commitment to a major field will be assisted by the University Studies Division staff. Advising is viewed as an ongoing activity and not just as a schedule planning function. Students should schedule an appointment with an academic advisor each semester to review their progress and to make plans for the future.