<p>I always hate asking if a major is "good" but since I didn't want a thread title that's a paragraph long I'll stick with it. So I've been going back and forth as to whether I should switch to Industrial engineering from Civil engineering. I'm a transfer to a university and this is my first quarter. I'm doing well and I should have pretty solid grades this quarter but I just can't help but feel that Civil just isn't for me.</p>
<p>So I had been looking at Industrial Engineering. I liked that it was more business oriented and that I would be providing a service that would add value to companies, also it sounds more interesting. However the problem is that it seems there is very little information on the subject compared to Civil engineering. So if you have any knowledge of Industrial engineering please share it. Here are the areas I want to really know about.</p>
<ol>
<li>How are the job prospects? Is it hard to find a long term job?</li>
<li>Are people generally happy in this major/career? (I always seem to find Civil engineers to be unhappy.)</li>
<li>What kind of jobs are available?</li>
<li>Is the earning potential as good as Civil? I have heard they barely make more than their starting salaries mid career to many make well over $200k. Both don't sound right at all to me.</li>
<li>Do people normally move on to management positions?</li>
</ol>
<p>I am a high school student, so I might not be the best help, but i did do research on various engineering majors. Currently the job prospects for IE are DEFINITELY better than job prospects for civil engineering, but that might change depending on the future economy. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Job prospects are pretty good, and it really isn’t a “true” engineering major. Unlike most engineering major, which have ups and downs (like civil engineering currently), industrial engineering will always be somewhat demanded because companies need them to be efficient., i heard it isnt as prone to economic recession as other engineering majors. If you get a 3.0 gpa in college, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a job.</p></li>
<li><p>idk sorry. but i know that a lot of corporate people are pissed, so maybe IE’s are pissed? to me it seems stressful to work in management, but dont trust me on this one</p></li>
<li><p>most IE’s end up doing Operations Research. They basically just figure out how a company works and try to make the company run more efficiently and save money (to me it sound completely business like, and i dont see how it is related to engineering). you can also get manufacturing jobs, supply chain management jobs, and ergonomics jobs (im not sure how the job prospects on these 3 fields are though).</p></li>
<li><p>Civil engineers don’t make too much money now (they’re on the lower end of the engineers). However, I heard industrial engineers dont make TOO much either. i head that once ur experienced u will make prolly around the 90k region (unless u end up with a good managerial position), unlike mechanical, cs, electrical engineers who can make a six figure after 5 years of experience easily. Starting salaries however for IE though are pretty good… they are competitive with mechanical engineers… ive seen a lot of colleges where the average starting salaries for IE’s are 60k (gatech’s is 65k).</p></li>
<li><p>yes, i heard that IE is a very good way to move into management positions, and I think this is where IE’s have the potential to get 6 figure salaries. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>again, i am still a high school senior, so i dont have any real life experience or seasoned knowledge in the field, but i was interested in IE before, and did significant research on the field online. whatever i stated above is just what i heard from others. </p>
<p>also, idk what school u go to, but i see that you live in california. cal poly SLO is very good for industrial engineering and the IE program isnt that hard to get into. u might want to look into their program. starting salary at Cal Poly SLO industrial engineering is 60k.</p>
<p>Depends on what specialization you end up - Technically I’m IE (Human Factors Engineering) and that by itself is not in super high demand but if you can write software you’re golden. Likewise my wife is IE (Manufacturing / Plant Rat) and she’s an IT / Supply Chain consultant (SAP and the like). Good money there too.</p>
<p>I know a lot of IE’s and most end up doing something way off the wall but related to IE. One friend ended up in an insurance company doing process improvements. Like, following paper or electronic forms around to see what’s going on. Then there’s financial/OR type stuff where a minor in econ/finance/etc is helpful, and so on.</p>
<p>With the right coursework (Operations Management) IE’s also make good managers, I know a few. But they have to go thru the ranks, nobody gives a management job to rookies :)</p>
I decided to post in this thread because I didn’t want to fill the forum with repetitive new discussions.
I am a high school student and I am considering studying Industrial Engineering in the Netherlands. I read a lot of controversial comments that IE is “imaginary engineering” and so on, but I think IE is what I am looking for. However, I am not sure whether I should go for a bachelor degree in IE, or better get a bachelor in Electrical or Civil Engineering and then go for a master in Industrial Engineering. What do you guys think? I would appreciate your advice, since I don’t have much time do decide.
Other engineers say IE stands for Imaginary Engineering. Industrial engineers say it’s for Instant Employment.
Engineers design things. Industrial engineers design ways to do things. I don’t think there is a more versatile major than IE. They are in demand by nearly every industry for countless functions, right out of undergrad.
For two reasons. First, IE is versatile and I will be able to find a job in almost every industry. Second, it suits my future career goals. I am planning to either work for a big copper production company near my home town or set up my own business in the field of transportation. In both cases a degree in IE will be benefitial. As I mentioned above, I can’t decide whether I should go for a bachelor in IE, or a bachelor in CE/EE and then master in IE. I think a degree in both CE/EE and IE will give you an advantage on the labour market, but I would like to hear other opinions as well. I am considering Civil Engineering or Electrical Engineering because they might also be benefitial for my future career.
Well, I did make the switch from Civil Engineering to Industrial Engineering. I am very glad I did, but I will add it is not for everyone.
Civil Engineering - I enjoyed the major, you can get a job pretty much anywhere theoretically. Also the jobs seem to be long term if you work for the government.
Electrical Engineering - I don’t know much about this major, maybe watch youtube videos of these engineers being interviewed to get an idea.
Industrial Engineering - My experience so far with this major has been great. I really enjoy doing process improvements to save companies money.
I kept my posts on each major short just due to the fact that I don’t think this is the best way to pick a major. What you need to do is visit people that work in these fields. Also talk to professors that have worked in these fields. That is the best way to get a gauge on how you will like each major. I switched majors 5 or more times because I didn’t know that. Trust me, if you really want to know, you need to go to the source.
I’m clearly not an expect on employment in the Netherlands, but I really don’t see that much of an advantage with a BS in CE/EE while your MS is in Industrial. You’ll be applying for IE jobs, which don’t (with a few possible exceptions in Civil engineering firms) require a CE or EE background. If you apply for a CE or EE job, your MS in IE would be viewed as a negative (as someone who really wants to be an IE and not a CE/EE).
It would be better to get your BS in IE, and then have the option of working in the field you want to work in, or go to grad school for your MS. Also, having taken all of your core IE classes for your BS, you’ll not have to take any lower level IE classes for your MS (unlike an CE/EE who may be required to also take 2 to 4+ lower level classes, such as “Operations Research” or “Inventory and Supply Chain Systems”). It may be possible to take these classes while pursuing your BS in EE/CE, but only at the cost of EE/CE technical electives (which in turn could hurt your chances at a EE/CE job).
I am a process engineer who work closely with IE, so maybe I can shed some light here. I work in a high volume manufacturing facility where we manufacturer 300mm wafers.
As an IE, you will be responsible for identifying bottle neck in the manufacturing process and work with owning process engineer to resolve. There are various ways you can tackle it such as eliminating waste (wafer measurement) or improving idle with wip (minimize time in which tool sits idle waiting for products to load), working with process engineers to improve process variability (cp/cpk) and many more.
IE also hold meetings regularly with process engineers to review product loading for the factory and identify problematic areas/tools. You will also be responsible for bringing new tools or idling tools based on projected product loading.
IE is definitely an exciting career, but it comes with heavy responsibility as miscalculation can potentially lead to a productivity loss for the entire factory. I know because it has happened in the past.
Yes, people can move onto management position, but it can happen with any majors. I believe starting IE makes around 70k/year, but can vary depending on location/company/background.
Some people advised me to get a degree in a main engineering branch like EE and then go for a master in IE. Others the other way around - first a bachelor in IE. I think the first option is better, and I’m not sure if it is even possible to get a master in EE after a bachelor in IE. However, I am waiting to receive the full curriculum of the three IE bachelor programmes I am considering applying. This will help me decide if I will go for a bachelor in IE or EE. I will share them here so you could give me an advise which of the three (or nether of them) will be best.
What do you think you might like more, working with invisible forces or working with people and tangible systems?
Why does any prospective engineer start out with the intent to get a masters before they even start undergrad? It may be the one undergrad degree where you can enter lucrative careers with just a bachelors. A masters is for honing a particular focus.
I have a Masters in IE. I loved the program, but have rarely been able to make use of it in my career. I have a Bachelors in CS, and when looking for a job, that’s all anyone’s ever been interested in.
After you’ve worked your first job or two, the most important part of your resume, to recruiters, become your demonstrated skills. If you started out working in CS, then that’s what recruiters would be interested in (far more than your degree). It then becomes hard to “switch” fields, for example into IE, without taking a significant pay cut.
It’s a very common to find IE’s, EE, ME, etc., working in CS (or some other field), if that’s where the job demand (and pay) was highest at graduation.
It is a great major if you plan on working in manufacturing. I’m a senior executive in a Fortune 500 mfg company. It is difficult to find IE graduates from US colleges. Companies like GE, Honeywell, Emerson hire hundreds of IEs every year
Wje9164be: I have an MS in Accounting and Information Management (UT-Dallas) and currently pursuing an MS in Industrial Engineering, with Manufacturing as my specialization (UT-Arlington). How should I feel about my job prospects?
I have kind of a soft spot for IE, although I’ve never knowingly worked with one… Most engineering involves understanding and essentially making mathematical models of systems. IE differs a little from most other engineering by modeling human designed systems rather than modeling physical phenomena. At least that’s my take on it. I enjoyed the IE classes I took; they made sense to me although I’ve generally bounced between systems and software engineering mostly because I can see and play with the actual product - engineers can be such children that way.
FWIW, I suggested that DD look at IE even though she’s intending to study CS.
