Is Industrial Engineering easier/ Why is it a joke among some engineers?

College Majors Engineering Majors
21

“You can do the job an IE does with any engineering degree. The reverse is not true, you can’t be a chemical engineer with an IE degree.” So, you can’t be a chemical engineer with an ME degree either , so I’m not sure I get that point. IE has it’s own body of knowledge . It is more than “economics and financial questions.” Maybe all the IE departments should just shut down, then, since , in your opinion, any other type of engineer is learning the same stuff and can do the same job as an IE.

As Chardo says, It is very versatile and lots of consulting firms love IE’s. And my son is neither a “project manager” nor a “plant manager.”

22

The degree is versatile but the comment is also true in the sense that you can’t do Chemical engineering job with IE degree.

23

Of course not, but you can’t do Chemical engineering with a civil engineering degree either. That’ s common sense.

24

It’s not always clear or common sense unless you know engineering.

25

For my Masters in IE, the only math we used was statistics, linear algebra, and some financial math. No calculus, differential equations, physics.

26

Probably depends on the program. I don’t think a four hour class in stochastics is easier than much. So if it has a strong ops research bent it might begin to look like an applied math degree with a business minor.

27

@rhandco 8-|

What do you think an Industrial Engineer does? Update spreadsheets and play with PowerPoint?

Err…no. Not a lot of EE’s taking entry level IE jobs. As others have stated, IE covers a wide scope, but it includes manufacturing systems, supply chain management, transportation, information/communications systems, and logistics energy/water distribution systems and financial engineering (to list a few). None of which cry out for an EE or ME (even if they’ve taken an online accounting class…).

Not all IE’s are plant rats or dream of becoming a project manager (keep in mind any senior engineer/manager has to be able to “project manage”).

Any engineer can move up to senior leadership/executive positions. It may be more common for IE’s, due to the holistic/business process nature of the job (and where getting an MBA is more common), but EE/ME/CE’s, etc. also become CEOs. Of course, that means going up the career ladder…and doing jobs like “plant manager”.

28

@simba9 "For my Masters in IE, the only math we used was statistics, linear algebra, and some financial math. No calculus, differential equations, physics. "

That was my point. For IE, the calculus (including multivariable calculus), differential equations, and physics are taken for the undergraduate IE degree, not for the Masters.

29

I don’t think you get my point. An IE degree was essentially invented to put a management spin on an engineering degree. Where I went to college, there was no IE degree, there was a systems engineering degree and darn straight that everyone, including systems engineering majors, thought it was easier than the other engineering degrees. We had multiple people leave our major for systems engineering because the coursework was easier.

Every engineer must have a certain level of project management, economics, and analysis. It’s just that ChemEs, EEs, CEs, and MechEs all have their specialty classes on top of that. IEs (and my brother is one) tend to do senior projects on the analysis of the interaction of engineering projects and costs; other engineers tend to do senior projects on their specific area, often without a significant cost analysis.

Of course, that is contrary to real life unless you are working on a huge project; any medium or small engineering project often requires the engineer to do cost estimates and feasibility studies that someone on a huge project would leave to analysts with specific costing experience.

That being stated, I don’t think an average hiring manager would look down on an IE degree, but it would be harder to get certain engineering jobs with an IE degree than certain other combinations. For example, working in a chemical plant might entail a ChemE degree, but there are CEs who could do similar work, if we’re talking infrastructure and building process lines, and there are EEs who could do similar work if process control and monitoring is a more important issue.

For someone who wants a more impressive degree in the same realm, look at management and technology (M&T) programs. Generally you can concentrate in one area of engineering and get that degree, and get a business degree, and work the two degrees together.

http://www.upenn.edu/fisher/about

And that’s not even mentioning engineering technology degrees, which are assumed to lead to a technician level job. Where I teach, it is a 4-year degree that is basically half high school classes, for people who did poorly in high school or graduated many years ago.

30

IE tends to be very math heavy. I took an upper level applied math course as a grad student and the smartest guy in the room was an IE student. IE has really evolved. So, I would say, it depends. Chem E is in general difficult IMO. I am guessing IE at Georgia Tech is no walk in the park.

Some engineering students make fun of history majors. Yet, some of those engineers would be hard pressed to write an insightful, cohesive paper on a historical topic. My point is, it doesn’t matter what is perceived as difficult or easy. What matters is what you want to study. If it aligns with your skills, then you will find it easier than studying something that doesn’t appeal to you or doesn’t take advantage of you natural talent.

31

My guess is you’ve been out of college for awhile. Hmm, Interesting that your brother is an IE. Does he know how little you think of his major? :slight_smile:

Yes, some schools have Systems. UVa and Penn do. http://web.sys.virginia.edu/undergraduate.html At UVa , it is Systems and Information Engineering and it is one of the most popular majors in engineering . “Due to the overwhelming student demand for the major in recent years, enrollment in he Systems and Information Engineering Program is limited.” For my son at UVa , it was his first choice, after exploring all the options… Had nothing to do with a perception that it might be “easier.” He was a top student. Social, athletic, the best fit for him.

Same thing with my IE (Industrial and Systems Engineering ) son. Looked at all the options, also thought it was the best fit. Also social and athletic. Had a 3.9 + after his first year of college, so could have had his pick of any of the majors. IE was what he wanted and felt it was the best fit. Again, had nothing to do with any perception that it might be easier.

Husband is a CE (and his father was an ME). After seeing these threads, I asked him if he had any concerns that his sons went into IE/ Systems . He just laughed and said, “No why would I.” They both have great jobs that they enjoy, making great money. Could be a lot worse. :slight_smile:

32

To the OP, the answer is - because that’s just how it is. Why do we joke about anything? Mainly because there is a ring of truth about it, but fundamentally no basis. Kinda like blonde jokes (full disclaimer - Mrs. is blond) so just roll with it, better yet make up your own and enjoy a laugh at your own expense.

33

Exactly, If it is the best fit, go for it . And don’t worry about the jokes. And there are always also going to be negative people out there that want to put down what you are doing and elevate what they’re doing. Just ignore them, although sometimes that is easier said than done!

34

Don’t assume all the non IE majors are non social and non athletic either.

35

Yes, I agree and didn’t mean to imply that. My CE husband is social and athletic too!

36

@sevmom, my point was for a lot of IE jobs, maybe most, you don’t need advanced, calculus-based math. There was a never a point in my IE program where we made use of calculus. Most of the math we did was done in a spreadsheet.

37

Thank you for clarifying what your point was. That was unclear.

38

That would depend on the person I guess. A friend of mine in school was working on a double major in ME&EE, and did well in those areas, in our Quality Control course (heavy IE but everyone had to take it) he struggled. While typing this I can even think of another ME friend in school who needed help in our Lean & Six Sigma course. In the real world I worked for a year as an ME and I graduated as an IE and my ex-gf graduated as biomedical but is basically an IE. So it all boils down to the fact that your degree is just a step in the door and your work experience better defines what you actually “do”.

39

Well that’s honestly true in general for most engineers. You always learn the fundamentals without the expectation that you’ll use everything for every job. But knowing those details in general make you a better engineer.

I’d say that IE is pretty close to a business degree in purpose and line of work, and that’s where a lot of the stigma comes from. It really is of no significance and isn’t something to care about.

40

IE’s often encounter stuff that is more ‘understandable’ by the masses and hence there may be a tendency to under-appreciate us. Or the rest of the world can do things their way and who cares if it’s right. Two examples to stress this:

Just yesterday I was talking to my boss about some problem another part of the group has solved without really understanding the theory behind it (trial and error!). To someone with a background in Human Factors it was blatantly obvious why their solution worked (the laws of hand vs eye tracking and all that good stuff), but that was not my project so I did not get involved.

Likewise, we used to have manufacturing facilities where I work. But the lines were laid out by beancounters, not IE’s. Resulting in about as bad a layout as it can get in terms of efficiency. Sure, everyone can ‘lay out a production line’. How well…

And this is really the whole point behind IE. Not how you do something, but how well you do it.