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Undergrad Students

As companies adopt management philosophies of continuous productivity and quality improvement to survive in the increasingly competitive global market, the need for industrial engineers is growing on an international scale. We are cultivating the next generation of innovative thinkers through our comprehensive undergraduate program that prepares students for successful careers in the field of industrial and systems engineering, equipping them to meet the challenges of today’s most pressing issues.

Program Overview

Through a blend of rigorous course curriculum, hands-on research opportunities, and public service engagement, students develop a strong foundation in engineering principles and critical thinking skills so they can make meaningful contributions in an evolving global landscape. As a student in our program, you’ll have access to undergraduate research, co-ops, and internships with ORNL and other industry partners to reinforce classroom learning, clarify career interests, and stimulate interest in graduate study.

Our industrial engineering undergraduate degree program is accredited by ABET. Learn more about our accreditation.

Why Study

Industrial Engineering is a multidisciplinary and evolving field focusing on efficiency and sustainability, where engineers create real-world impacts in high earning jobs. Our program prepares students for such a future in industrial engineering, with possibilities for thinking outside the box, honing problem-solving skills, growing leadership and management potential, and creating strong industry connections.

Minors

We offer the following minors:

Five-year BS/MS Program

Qualified students can join the five-year BS/MS program to work on completing their MS while still working toward their bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. Use the link below to learn more about the program.

Five-Year MS/BS Program

Curriculum

Students pursuing a BS in Industrial Engineering will have the opportunity to take courses in diverse areas. Here is an example of just a few of the required courses:

Human capabilities and limitations affecting work, workplace, and work environment design. Emphasis on human factors methodology, human input requirements, human outputs, the design of human-machine interfaces, the analysis of stress on performance, and environmental factors such as noise, lighting, and atmospheric conditions. Focus on designing the task to fit the person.

Theory and application of forecasting systems, including regression and time series models. Independent demand inventory models, including development of safety stock. All modules of Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) Systems. Master production scheduling, resource requirements planning, bill of material and inventory file structures, material requirements planning, capacity planning, shop floor and purchase order control. Overview of just-in-time inventory concepts and MRP’s role in manufacturing automation.

Introduces an engineering based framework to implement process and system improvements within both the manufacturing and service enterprises. The students will be introduced to the basic concepts of lean systems including facility design and six sigma. The focus of the course will be to enable students to design complex processes and systems based on the physical system and the associated information system. Activities will include case studies, industry based projects, and the preparation of engineering reports.

Current real-world problems will be drawn from local production and service organizations and presented by personnel from these organizations. Senior industrial engineering student teams will solve these real-world problems under the guidance of their instructor using industrial engineering methodology. These problems emphasize problem definitions, analysis, and presentation with considerations for engineering standards and realistic economic, environmental, ethical, safety, social, political, and other pertinent constraints.

Check out the course catalog for more information on our undergraduate curriculum.