Industrial engineering is an interdisciplinary program by nature. Industrial engineers design, install, fabricate and integrate systems that include people, materials, information, equipment and energy necessary to accomplish the desired function. The main areas of employment are in manufacturing, service, consulting and healthcare.
Industrial engineers often are responsible for productivity improvements, supply chain optimization, project management, feasibility studies for new technologies and applications, lean and just-in-time implementation, health care management and logistics, and systems integration and engineering. Whether it’s shortening a rollercoaster line, streamlining an operating room, managing a worldwide supply chain, manufacturing and designing superior automobiles, or solving logistics problems, industrial engineers are at the forefront.

Career Opportunities

The IME programs can help you to open the door to various opportunities starting your professional career in a wide range of industries or to seek advanced degrees at NDSU or another university. The IME programs will help you to develop a strong base in general education and engineering fundamentals that provide the foundation for a very wide range of career choices and a lifetime of growth. The IME program’s core will help you develop industry-standard skills—the skills you can use to open the door to many career opportunities that can offer you financial rewards and exceptional professional growth.
Graduates of the IME programs have become a source of talent working in industries such as health care, manufacturing, consulting, food, transportation and distribution, and information systems. Recent IME graduates command starting salaries in the top rank of engineering disciplines. The 2014 Annual Employment Report provided by the NDSU Career Center shows an average salary of $57,000 for industrial engineering and management graduates.