Online Bachelors Degree in Industrial Engineering

Can you spot the weak link in a process and devise an elegant alternative? Do you look for the most direct means of completing a task? In short, is efficiency your idea of beauty? If so, you may be an industrial engineer at heart.

Industrial engineers specialize in finding efficiencies and developing processes that make the most of an organization's resources. In this business and engineering specialty, you develop skills in analyzing complex commercial systems.

Earning bachelor's degrees in industrial engineering

Programs should cover the necessary science, mathematics, industrial processes and tools for quantitative modeling of business systems. Typical engineering courses deal with statistics, stochastic models, probability and risk analysis. Business-related topics include supply chain management and logistics network design. Here are some specialized courses for industrial engineering:

1. Automation and CNC or computer numerically controlled machines
2. Industrial data systems
3. Facilities design
4. Manufacturing systems design
5. Production systems analysis
6. Quality control
7. Service operations design and analysis

General education subjects such as English and social sciences can build interpersonal skills for project management. In addition to class instruction, bachelor's degrees in industrial engineering typically involve real-world experience with local companies.

Industrial engineering careers: opportunities and outlook

The four-year bachelor of science is the standard entry point into an industrial engineering career. With extensive experience in addition to your four-year degree, you could advance into management. In this competitive field, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a slower than average increase in employment from 2010 to 2020. Here are median salaries from 2010 and projected growth rates for related careers:

• Industrial engineers: $76,100; 6.4 percent growth
• Architectural and engineering managers: $119,260; 9 percent growth

Manufacturing is just one of many sectors of the economy that employ industrial engineers. Demand spans industries as diverse as health care, pharmaceuticals, airlines, hospitality, entertainment, retail, energy and banking.

Academic options in industrial engineering

Master's degree programs offer advanced skills, and MBA programs may specialize in industrial engineering or related topics like logistics. Doctorates in industrial engineering delve into areas such as operations research, manufacturing systems and enterprise information systems.

Industrial engineers find the most efficient means of completing a goal. When it comes to education, online coursework may offer that efficiency. Hybrid programs blend online and on-campus classes so that you can reach your target on your own terms, without putting your career or life on hold.

Can you spot the weak link in a process and devise an elegant alternative? Do you look for the most direct means of completing a task? In short, is efficiency your idea of beauty? If so, you may be an industrial engineer at heart.

Industrial engineers specialize in finding efficiencies and developing processes that make the most of an organization's resources. In this business and engineering specialty, you develop skills in analyzing complex commercial systems.

Earning bachelor's degrees in industrial engineering

Programs should cover the necessary science, mathematics, industrial processes and tools for quantitative modeling of business systems. Typical engineering courses deal with statistics, stochastic models, probability and risk analysis. Business-related topics include supply chain management and logistics network design. Here are some specialized courses for industrial engineering:

1. Automation …