College of Engineering
Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
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Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering

About the Department

researcher tests lab equipment

Cutting-edge industrial engineering program

Our department is small enough for you to have personal attention from faculty but large enough to choose from a wide variety of educational opportunities. Our programs and labs provide hands-on learning—the kind of learning that gives students a competitive advantage. Many of our graduates have built successful careers not only as engineers, but also as managers, entrepreneurs, sales representatives, and consultants.

Strategic Plan 2025-2029

Mission

The mission of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering is to meet the highest standards of excellence in teaching, research, service and professional practice and thereby establish itself as a leader among academic departments of industrial engineering.

Vision

Our vision for 2030 is to be a leading department in 1) delivering experiential education that produces career-ready industrial engineers; 2) providing advanced training that prepares engineering graduates to provide technical leadership; and 3) conducting student-involved research that leads to fundamental advances in industrial engineering knowledge with innovative practical applications.

 

Pillar Objectives
Undergraduate Program • Achieve and maintain our target enrollment
• Maintain the relevance of our curriculum for changing industry needs
• Increase student participation in High Impact Practices
Industry Engagement and Professional Master’s Programs • Provide industry engagement experiences that make graduates professionally competent in applying core industrial engineering skills
• Increase enrollment and industry preparedness of students in the MEng in Engineering Management and MEng in Systems Engineering degree programs
Research and IE Graduate Programs • Increase the quantity and quality of scholarly research
• Grow the size and quality of the PhD and Masters programs in Industrial Engineering

Key Focus Areas

Learn the fundamentals of the profession and develop specific expertise in areas that interest you most.

Learn strategies necessary for solving internal and external problems of a company in areas such as production, quality, project management, sales, and marketing strategies.

Learn about the relationships between people and their

  • work tasks,
  • machines,
  • information,
  • and environment.

Learn how to make good engineering decisions using quantitative models and methods for production and service systems such as,

  • inventory control,
  • scheduling,
  • transportation,
  • and logistics.

Learn how to design, analyze, operate, and control manufacturing processes and systems.

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Department History

Industrial engineering has existed on the Iowa State campus for more than a century. The original curriculum was a five-course sub-track within the mechanical engineering major and today the department offers one undergraduate degree, one undergraduate minor, and five graduate degrees.

Learn more about the department’s history in ‘Through the Seasons: 100 Years of Industrial Engineering at Iowa State University’.

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