UB Programs At-A-Glance

Industrial Engineering

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
438 Bell Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-2050

Phone: 716.645.2357
Fax: 716.645.3302
Web: www.ie.buffalo.edu

Rakesh Nagi
Chair

Ann Bisantz
Director of Undergraduate Studies

About the Program

The Industrial and Systems Engineering (IE) department at UB offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate programs in industrial and systems engineering, including an accredited bachelor of science degree in Industrial Engineering (B.S.I.E).

Industrial engineers apply knowledge from mathematical, physical, information and human sciences to study, design and improve systems which combine people, computers, automation, transportation, energy, and information. A B.S. degree in industrial engineering from UB leads to fascinating careers in industries as diverse as airline operations, automotive manufacturing, health services, military operations, and financial services. IE graduates have maximum flexibility to pursue their goals for advancement in management as well as systems design.

At UB, students are taught by award-winning faculty, and can learn about and participate in cutting-edge research in areas such as biomedical prototyping, human-computer interaction, design for disabled individuals, hazardous materials routing, aviation safety and security, and data mining.

IEs are well suited to solve modern management problems, using sophisticated quantitative analysis, and dealing with highly technical issues. With the rapid infusion of computer technology into manufacturing processes, coupled with the demand for higher product quality in a competitive marketplace, IEs are in a special position to tackle many corporate challenges.

All undergraduate IE students are required to complete a faculty supervised, industry based internship or co-op -- we make sure students have the job skills they will need.

At our departmental website, http://www.ie.buffalo.edu, there is a complete description of the department, profiles of current students and faculty, and exciting news and events about the students, faculty, and research programs in IE.

About Our Degrees

Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum GPA of 2.0 in technical and engineering courses.

Current Application Information
Deadlines: The general application deadline for the Fall semester is before the Spring semester ends in May. However, individual applications may be accepted at any time during the year.
Number of accepted majors (2005-2006): Approximately 35
Total number of majors currently enrolled: Approximately 90

Degree Requirements

See the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Courses

Freshman and sophomore course requirements are consistent with those of other engineering departments, and consist of mathematics, physical (and/or biological) sciences, engineering science, and computer programming. It is simple to transfer among engineering majors in the freshman and sophomore years.

Junior and senior level IE courses focus on the application of mathematics and engineering science to IE problems in areas of operations research, human factors, facility design, engineering economy, quality control, production planning, and simulation.

Many IE courses take advantage of UB’s technologically equipped classrooms. The IE department provides its students with a computing laboratory equipped with state of the art software, as well as a recently renovated manufacturing and human factors laboratory.

Our students have the flexibility to take technical electives from a broad range of disciplines including behavioral sciences, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and management.

The typical class size for:

Freshman/introductory courses is: over 100 (engineering-wide courses)
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 50-80 (engineering-wide courses)
Upper level/advanced courses is: 20-40 (industrial engineering courses)

In the Department of Industrial Engineering, what do teaching assistants do?

They hold office hours to answer students’ questions about homework and exam preparation, grade homework (exams are normally graded by instructors), manage lab assignments, and hold recitation sessions.

For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Faculty

Undergraduate IE students at UB have access to award-winning faculty who maintain high standards in teaching and research activities in diverse expertise areas (Human Factors, Operations Research, and Production Systems). The Department of Industrial Engineering has eleven full-time faculty, and four affiliated or adjunct faculty and several instructors, all holding a Ph.D. degree. Class sizes in IE are small (often less than thirty-five students) insuring personal connections between students and faculty. In addition to teaching undergraduate courses, our faculty regularly involve undergraduate students in ongoing engineering research. In surveys of our graduating seniors, interactions with faculty are consistently cited as one of the best aspects of the department.

The Undergraduate Director, Dr. Ann Bisantz, can be contacted at bisantz@buffalo.edu.

See a list of our undergraduate faculty.


Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities

Notable Program Features

Many IE courses take advantage of UB’s technologically equipped classrooms. The IE department provides its students with a computing laboratory equipped with state of the art software, as well as a recently renovated manufacturing and human factors laboratory.

Our students have the flexibility to take technical electives from a broad range of disciplines including behavioral sciences, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and management.

Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience

Undergradutes are encouraged to work with faculty members on independent study (student initiated) or participate in faculty members' ongoing research involving studies of systems, humans, and their interaction. Students may receive academic credit or in some cases may be paid as undergraduate research assistants. Recently, undergraduates have participated in projects involving aviation safety and security, production systems, and human decision-making. Students may complete a senior thesis if appropriate.

Internships and Co-op Opportunities

All undergraduate IE students complete supervised projects as a required part of the IE curriculum. These projects can be completed as a one-day per week
internship during the fall semester of the senior year, or between the junior and senior years as a student identified internship. Students can also take advantage of the co-op program administered through the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which blends work experiences with an undergraduate degree.

Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

The department annually awards the Frederick Thomas Scholarship to an outstanding junior; students are also eligible for a number of other School of Engineering scholarships.

Extracurricular Activities

Our undergraduate students are active in student chapters of many national professional societies, including:

Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME)
American Society for Quality (ASQ)
INFORMS
Alpha Pi Mu, the industrial engineering honor society
Omega Rho, the operations research honor society
Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society

See the UB Student Association.

Complementary Programs and Courses

Majors that Complement Industrial Engineering


Minors that Complement Industrial Engineering


Courses outside Industrial Engineering that could improve employment opportunities or can serve as technical electives:

Career Information and Further Study

Career Choices:

  • Ergonomist
  • Facilities designer
  • Human-computer interface design
  • Logistics analyst
  • Manufacturing or operations supervisor
  • Manufacturing systems engineer
  • Operations analyst
  • Process engineer
  • Quality control specialist/engineer
  • Safety engineer
  • Space planner


Work settings include:

Banking/finance, manufacturing, health, transportation, social services, construction, facilities design, government, military, libraries and educational systems.

What percentage of graduates goes on to find related employment?

The majority of our graduates find industrial engineering-related jobs or pursue related graduate degrees.

Salary Information

Industrial engineering graduates command high salaries. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the starting IE BS salary in 2003 was over $47,000, and was over $54,000 for a starting MS. The median income of all IEs in 2002 was $62,000 (BS) and $150,000 (MS), while the 90th percentil earnings were $87,000 (BS) and $250,000 (MS). Finally, according to the IIE 2000 Salary Survey, IIE members reported that they bring home an average total annual compensation of $76,000, up from 1998's average of $71,000 (cited in http://www.iienet.org).

Post-undergraduate Opportunities

Students who receive a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering have opportunities for graduate-level work in areas such as human factors, operations research, production and manufacturing systems, production management, and systems engineering. Students may choose to pursue non-engineering degrees such as an M.B.A.

The IE department at UB offers several five- and six-year programs, including the Combined B.S./M.B.A., the M.Eng. in Production Management, and the M.S. in Industrial Engineering (all five-year programs); as well as the M.S. with specializations in operations research, human factors, or production systems (six-year program).

Links to Further Information About This Program

Last Modified: Tuesday, 7-Nov-2006 10:26:10 EST