Industrial Engineering
What this engineering major studies in college, how to prepare in high school, the licensing exams, and careers open with a bachelor’s degree. Every fact below names its source.
Last checked:
What it is
Industrial engineering offers an education in manufacturing, operations research, ergonomics and service, grounded in mathematics and the physical and engineering sciences. [1]
Penn State's industrial engineering program delivers a technical, hands-on education in the design, control and operation of manufacturing processes and systems. [1]
Typical college courses
ABET-accredited programs in this major must include the design, analysis, operation and improvement of integrated systems that produce or supply products or services, and the topical areas of productivity analysis, operations research, probability, statistics, engineering economy and human factors. [2]
The B.S. requires Statics and Strength of Materials, Engineering Economy, Probabilistic Models in Industrial Engineering, Statistical Methods in Industrial Engineering, Introduction to Work Design, and Deterministic Models in Operations Research. [1]
The rows below show one named program as an example: the Penn State bachelor of science in this major, 2026–2027 bulletin. Course descriptions are in our own words. Course names and numbers differ at every college; confirm each college’s own list.
| Course | Status | What it covers (example: Penn State bulletin) | Comes after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statics and Strength of Materials | Required in this example program[1] | Statics and Strength of Materials (EMCH 210) covers the equilibrium of particles, rigid bodies, frames, trusses, beams and columns, and the analysis of stress and strain in rods, beams and pressure vessels. [3] | It comes after MATH 140. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Newton's first law and forces · Newton's second law: net force, mass and acceleration · Friction and inclined planes · Torque, rotation and equilibrium · Vectors: components and operations · Dot product and applications · Vectors and navigation | |||
| Probabilistic Models in Industrial Engineering | Required in this example program[1] | Probabilistic Models in Industrial Engineering (IE 322) studies probability theory and uses it to solve engineering problems. [4] | It comes after MATH 141. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Probability rules · Conditional probability and independence · Random variables and expected value · Binomial distributions · The normal model | |||
| Statistical Methods in Industrial Engineering | Required in this example program[1] | Statistical Methods in Industrial Engineering (IE 323) studies statistics and uses it to solve engineering problems. [4] | It comes after IE 322. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Measures of center · Measures of spread · The normal model · Conditional probability and independence · Confidence intervals for a proportion · Significance and p-values | |||
| Deterministic Models in Operations Research | Required in this example program[1] | Deterministic Models in Operations Research (IE 405) covers models such as linear programming and flows in networks. [4] | It comes after MATH 220. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Linear inequalities in two variables and systems of inequalities · Modeling with systems of equations · Matrices and matrix operations · Determinants, inverses and systems · Optimization | |||
| Introduction to Work Design | Required in this example program[1] | Introduction to Work Design (IE 327) covers job analysis, the cognitive and physical sides of designing work, and work measurement. [4] | It comes after MATH 141, with EMCH 211 or EMCH 210 before or at the same time. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Sensation: vision and hearing · Perception and illusions · Thinking, problem solving and bias · Joints and movement · The muscular system and movement · Measures of center | |||
| Engineering Economy | Required in this example program[1] | Engineering Economy (IE 302) covers principles and methods for analyzing whether technical options are economically feasible, leading to a decision or recommendation. [4] | It comes after MATH 141. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Saving, inflation and compound interest · Credit basics and the cost of borrowing · Car loans, mortgages and big purchases · Investing basics: risk and return · Scarcity, choices, incentives and opportunity cost · Interest rates, saving and borrowing | |||
Typical high school preparation
- In addition to university requirements, its applicants need 4 units of high school math, including Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, and pre-calculus/trigonometry or calculus, and 3 units of high school science that must include physics and chemistry, and they must also meet one of its ACT or GPA standards. [5]
- If the minimum admission has not been met, a student may be admitted based on an individual review. [5]
This is one university’s admission list for its engineering college, not a rule for every college. Confirm each college’s own list.
Other engineering majors
Each card opens that major’s page. Compare the courses before you choose, and confirm each college’s own list.
Engineering: the first-year core
First-year courses, ABET accreditation and licensing, with sources.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, and it is divided into two broad areas: mechanical systems and thermal systems. [6]
Computer Engineering
Computer engineering students take a balanced program of instruction covering the basic principles of the design and application of computer systems. [7]
Where this degree can lead with a bachelor’s
National figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies by state, setting and experience. This is not a promise of pay or a job.
Examples from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Other careers may need more study after the bachelor’s degree.
Industrial engineers
Industrial engineers design, develop and test integrated systems for managing industrial production processes. [8]
The median annual wage for industrial engineers was $102,440 in May 2025. [8]
Employment of industrial engineers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. [8]
Industrial engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering or a related field, such as mechanical or electrical engineering. [8]
Health and safety engineers
Health and safety engineers apply their knowledge of industrial processes, mechanics, psychology and other disciplines to promote worksite or product safety. [9]
The median annual wage for health and safety engineers was $115,160 in May 2025. [9]
Employment of health and safety engineers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations. [9]
Health and safety engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, often in an engineering discipline such as chemical, mechanical, industrial or systems engineering. [9]
Getting licensed: the FE and PE exams
Overview only. For dates, registration, rules and scoring, see each test maker's own site.
The FE exam
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is generally the first step in the process of becoming a licensed professional engineer (PE). [10]
The FE exam is designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program. [10]
The PE exam
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam tests for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline and is designed for engineers who have gained a minimum of four years of post-college work experience. [11]
NCEES offers more than 20 different PE exams, including one listed as Industrial. [11]
The path to a PE license
To use the PE seal, engineers must earn a four-year degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program, pass the FE exam, complete four years of progressive engineering experience under a PE, and pass the PE exam. [12]
Exam names are trademarks of their owners. NCEES and NSPE are not affiliated with and do not endorse UpOnly Learning.
Questions people search
Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.
What is industrial engineering?
Industrial engineering offers an education in manufacturing, operations research, ergonomics and service, grounded in mathematics and the physical and engineering sciences. [1]
Penn State's industrial engineering program delivers a technical, hands-on education in the design, control and operation of manufacturing processes and systems. [1]
What can you do with an industrial engineering degree?
Industrial engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering or a related field, such as mechanical or electrical engineering. [8]
Health and safety engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, often in an engineering discipline such as chemical, mechanical, industrial or systems engineering. [9]
Your next step
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Sources
- The Pennsylvania State University. Industrial Engineering, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/engineering/industrial-engineering-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- ABET. Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, 2026–2027. https://www.abet.org/2026-2027_eac_criteria. 2026–2027 review cycle (Engineering Accreditation Commission). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Engineering Mechanics (EMCH) course descriptions. https://bulletins.psu.edu/university-course-descriptions/undergraduate/emch/. current University Bulletins (the MATH and EDSGN course pages show the 2026–27 edition). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Industrial Engineering (IE) course descriptions. https://bulletins.psu.edu/university-course-descriptions/undergraduate/ie/. current University Bulletins (the MATH and EDSGN course pages show the 2026–27 edition). Checked .
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln, College of Engineering. Admission Requirements. https://engineering.unl.edu/undergraduate-programs/admission-requirements. no edition stated (page footer © 2025). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Mechanical Engineering, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/engineering/mechanical-engineering-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Computer Engineering, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/engineering/computer-engineering-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Industrial Engineers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/industrial-engineers.htm. OOH page last modified October 29, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Health and Safety Engineers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/health-and-safety-engineers.htm. OOH page last modified August 27, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). FE exam. https://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/. no edition stated. Checked .
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). PE exam. https://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/. no edition stated. Checked .
- National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). What is a PE? https://www.nspe.org/about/about-professional-engineering/what-pe. no edition stated. Checked .
Format: Publisher. Page title. URL. Edition or catalog year. Checked date.