UC adds new industrial and systems engineering degrees

The versatile degrees, housed in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, will equip students with skills and experiences that will prepare them to design, analyze and optimize complex systems and processes within various industries using a blend of skills from engineering, data science, computer science and business. Students can choose to focus their degree on the growing fields of data analytics, health care systems and Industry 4.0/5.0. 

These degree programs prepare students to develop a holistic approach to streamline operations, reduce waste, improve productivity and quality, and achieve overall organizational goals. Often referred to as the "people engineers," industrial and systems engineers implement human-centric approaches to solve problems. 

"There are so many things students can do with an industrial and systems engineering degree," said Jing Shi, professor and program chair for ISE. "This is arguably the only engineering major that has a job market in all industries. An ISE degree gives students versatility, allowing them to be employed across sectors." 

Students will take courses that will prepare them for a career in industrial engineering by garnering skills such as digital manufacturing, quality control, data analytics, data modeling and how to be successful in the evolving digital world. 

Like all undergraduate engineering programs at UC, the bachelor's degree in industrial and systems engineering is a five-year program that alternates classroom instruction with real-world learning experiences through UC's No. 4 ranked cooperative education (co-op) program.

Colleen Arrasmith, a current ISE undergraduate student, chose the major for the diverse career options available. 

"I chose ISE largely for the versatility of the degree," she said. "Being an industrial engineer enables you to work for all sectors of industry. I am hoping to get into health care with my degree, which could involve data analytics for patients or focusing on optimization to improve the efficiency of our health care systems."

The Master of Engineering (MEng) degree in industrial and systems engineering is a one year, 30-credit-hour program designed for working professionals to enhance their technical skills. Like the undergraduate degree, the ISE master's curriculum provides those skills and experiences necessary to contribute to the technical workforce. Explosive growth in data science has led to its integration into almost all industries seeking efficiency improvement and system optimization. 

The three concentration areas in the program (data science, health and service systems, and Industry 4.0/5.0) allow students to apply knowledge to a variety of industries and organizations. ISE graduates could hold positions including data scientists, business analysts, process engineers, safety engineers, supply chain managers and more, Shi said. 

The master's of engineering degree culminates in a capstone project or an internship, with a dedicated adviser who can prepare students for the U.S. job market.

"The program's core areas of study are relevant and sought after by many business leaders who have experienced benefits by turning data into business value through understanding of data systems, data analysis techniques and operationalization," said Laura Pahren, a machine learning engineer and UC CEAS graduate.

Featured image at top: A student works in UC Professor Ou Ma's robotics lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand 

Featured Image at top: UC student uses robotic device in a lab. Photo: Andrew Higley/UC Creative + Brand.