Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineers solve problems through the integration of engineering, mathematics and business principles. Industrial engineering is a discipline that encompasses the analysis, development, implementation and optimization of integrated systems and their components, including materials, supply chains, information, energy, people, money, time, equipment and associated processes. Industrial engineers design efficient, productive systems in a wide range of business, technical, industrial and governmental settings. Upon graduation, you will know how to optimize a range of engineering processes and manage budgets and projects. This major may be for you if you are interested in streamlining processes, evaluating and reducing strain on workers and the environment, saving companies money and eliminating waste of time, materials, energy and other commodities.
The curriculum offers flexibility by allowing you to choose one of seven track options, which provide a deeper understanding of one of the core areas within the field of industrial engineering. You can further tailor your studies to your interests and career goals through both technical and nontechnical electives.
Career options include supply chain logistics, operations and quality control, human factors, business systems integration and consulting, financial and economics engineering, communications and computer systems, manufacturing and robotics, and engineering administration.
Highlights
- Our industrial engineering program is ranked #10 by U.S. News & World Report.
- 91% of students reported having an internship or co-op during their degree program.
- 98% of students reported securing their first choice destination upon graduation.
- The average starting salary for an industrial engineering graduate is $85,450 with a median signing bonus of $6,250.
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What You'll Study
The industrial engineering major fuses engineering, economics, design and optimization and draws upon computer science, math, production management, process control and psychology. The industrial engineering curriculum brings together basic sciences, engineering sciences, engineering design, engineering business and communication. As a student, you will be trained in all aspects of project management, working in multiple disciplines, and getting results in a real-world team environment. Engineering design, communication, teamwork and laboratory experiences are integrated throughout all four years of the curriculum.
Minor in Computer Science
The CS Minor is offered for students seeking significant knowledge of digital computing without the more complete treatment of a major in computer science. This minor may be taken by any student except majors in the Computer Science degree programs and in Computer Engineering.
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Post-Graduation Success
As an industrial engineering graduate you are well-positioned to find or create jobs in a variety of fields. About sixteen percent of our industrial engineering graduates continue their education in graduate school, and about eighty-two percent take positions in industry. Common career options for industrial engineering graduates include automotive engineering, control systems and manufacturing, business systems integration and consulting, communication and computer systems, construction, engineering administration, marketing and product testing, operations and quality control, and robotics. Also, businesses have been hiring industrial engineers in areas like sales and marketing, finance, information systems, and personnel.
Other industries employing industrial engineers are hospitals, airlines, banks, railroads, and social services. The average salary for Industrial Engineering grads in 2022-2023 was reported as $85,450 with a median signing bonus of $6,250.
98%
employed or continuing education*
82%
employed after graduation
16%
attending graduate school
$85,450
average starting annual income*
Sample employer destinations: Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), AIG View All
Sample grad school destinations: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, London Business School, Northwestern University View All
*Post-graduate data was collected through the Illini Success initiative, which primarily relies on self-reported survey data sources. Statistics reported are from 2022-2023. Please note that total compensation may be greater than annual salary as other forms of compensation (e.g., signing bonus, commission, benefits) are not included. For more information on Illini Success data and methods, please visit the Illini Success website.
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