Managing industrial, business, or service activities in the modern world is a complex task as engineering, the sciences, and the humanities have become much more interdependent. All organizations need individuals capable of designing, installing and operating systems that will function in a society made more complicated by the technological explosion.

The orientation is "productivity through quality," and there is a need for people who can:

The Master of Science in Industrial Engineering program prepares engineers to be the research and technical leaders of the future. The departmental philosophy is to provide those earning a master's degree the technical and managerial skills necessary to practice at a sophisticated technical level, to provide those earning a doctoral degree the scholarly experience necessary for a lifetime of innovation and research, and to develop a strong commitment to the profession.