This degree program provides students with knowledge in the areas of supply chain engineering, operations research, financial systems, and more.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industrial Engineers, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/industrial-engineers.htm (visited March 24, 2022).
Full-time students can complete a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering online in four years. If they wish to accelerate the term of study, some online schools permit acceleration through testing that demonstrates competency. Students can use coursework taken during summer sessions to shorten the overall time required for graduation.
Many online students attend part-time. Using part-time attendance will lengthen the amount of time necessary to complete the program. In most programs part-time is anywhere under 15 credit hours per semester.
The range of costs for a four-year bachelor’s degree depends on the type of school and student’s residence. When adding tuition, expenses, and room and board, the prices end up as you see here:
Schools arrange majors to suit their ideas on coursework and the best way to prepare graduates. The labels do not translate exactly between different schools. Students should look past the label and examine the course structure for completion of the major.
It is important to align the choice of major with the student’s career goals. Some degrees open a wider path to career options than others. For example, a degree in Industrial engineering may be more specific than a degree in general engineering, yet both majors support entry-level graduates in the field of industrial engineering. Students that have a firm idea of the narrow area of concentration can choose a major in that field. Students with a less certain idea can take a broader major and accomplish a similar mix of coursework.
The US Department of Education provides a convenient tool for researching the on-time (4-year) and 150% of on-time (6-year) graduation rate for each accredited school. The collegescorecard.ed.gov/website provides detailed information. On-campus four-year programs have completion rates of about 60% at the six-year mark. Private schools’ average 53% on-time graduation and public schools average about 35%.
A significant trend in US education is moving towards longer terms of attendance and later graduation. On the whole, nationally, more students complete at 6 years rather than at the on-time date. The impact of longer terms for completing a degree can cause large increases in education expenses and a subsequent increase in student debt.
University HQ strongly recommends consideration of the school’s accreditation. It is important to select an accredited school, and a school accredited by an approved agency. The approved agencies have recognized status with the US Department of Education, the Council on Higher Education Accreditation, or both.
The most widely accepted form of accreditation comes from the Department of Education’s regional accreditation agencies. Employers and other educational institutions regard this as reliable accreditation to ensure high-quality education. Regional accreditation adds value to a degree because the Department of Education, most employers, and nearly all schools accept the credits and degrees. The Department of Education requires accreditation from an authorized agency for participation in the federal student loans program.
There are several types of accreditation. There is regional, as mentioned, and there is program accreditation , also widely accepted and conformation of a high-quality industrial engineering program. The national accreditation can work, but is generally not accepted as widely as regional. Some regionally accredited schools do not accept credits from nationally accredited schools.
Students must use extreme care when selecting a program that has no accreditation or accreditation from an agency not recognized by the Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. Unless that school is providing your terminal degree, you should probably keep looking.
University HQ recommends a close look at the resources that a school, college, or university commits to post-graduate job placement and career assistance. Schools are in an ideal position to attract interested employers, coach students for interviews, and operate a program to generate employment opportunities. Schools can start early in the college career with career counseling so that the student moves towards their goals effectively and efficiently during the course of study.
The school has many resources that can help students get off to a great start in their after-graduation careers. Most schools have an extensive network of alumni, partners, supporters, and thousands of employers that have previously hired their graduates. When turned to the advantage of seniors and graduates, the school community can boost careers and help with critical early jobs.
The national ranking of the school that you attend can impact salary. Employers rely on the school to provide high-quality education and equip graduates with the expected level of knowledge and skills. Rankings impress employers because of the factors used to rate schools. Rankings reflect schools high graduation rates, low dropout rates, and high success rates for graduates.
The other part of rankings that influence employers is the reputation of the school and faculty. In some fields, such as software engineering, there are no long-standing traditions. The entire computer industry is relatively young. Employers look to schools that have experienced faculty. Employers in the computing science fields appreciate teachers that have been in the midst of public and private information systems and that have wrestled with the barriers and issues that these systems must solve.
When selecting a school, students should place some weight on the rankings and reputation. However, rankings may or may not predict the full student experience. Many students value the scholarship aspect, the competition, or the sense of teamwork and support, which cannot be ranked. The learning environment can have a tremendous impact on the student experience and the student’s performance. In order to learn about the campus culture, you should read reviews from current or previous students. When two schools seem more or less equal, then that may be the best occasion to use rankings to make a selection.
University HQ recommends selection of an accredited college or university for a degree program in industrial engineering. Regionally accredited institutions and engineering programs with programmatic accreditation offer the best value and usefulness for college credits and degrees. Some schools have special accreditation from ABET and other accreditation agencies outside of the approval lists offered by the Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. Students should carefully consider that these ABET programs also have regional accreditation for maximum acceptance by employers and other educational institutions.
Accreditation is a key to value, and it is also a factor in student financial aid. The US Department of Education does not permit federal student loans at institutions that do not have accreditation from an approved accreditation agency.
