Operations Management vs. Industrial Engineering

<p>DS is interested in industrial engineering. As we understand it, IE is about optimizing the way things are designed or produced. Not so much building a better mousetrap, but designing a better way to build and distribute that mousetrap in the most efficient and profitable way. Seems to be somewhat a business-oriented engineering discipline, which is appealing to DS.</p>

<p>One of the problems we are encountering in our college search is that many great schools, including those with engineering, do not offer IE. Some of those schools do offer Operations Management. The description of the major seems pretty close to that of IE, specifically learning to improve the way businesses do the things they do.</p>

<p>What are the differences between these two majors, as far as what you learn and employment prospects?</p>

<p>One of my kids was an Industrial and Systems Engineering major (at Virginia Tech). Georgia Tech is #1 for Industrial and I think Virginia Tech is #7. I can’t speak to the differences between operations management and industrial as I’m not an engineer. He really liked industrial and it seems like a pretty flexible degree with good job prospects. You can go in many different directions with it which is appealing to some kids. My other kid studied Systems and Information Engineering at UVa . You may want to look at schools that offer Systems Engineering as well as that is also flexible and has business applications. Good luck.</p>

<p>My daughter knows of a friend at USC for this major and she ended up with 7 job offers. She ended up in consulting in sf and now moving to NYC. Seem to be a lucrative degree.</p>

<p>^ which major?</p>

<p>Sorry, it was ie</p>

<p>Just like Virginia Tech, USC’s department is Industrial and Systems Engineering. </p>

<p>I know IE is great. I’m trying to learn more about how operations management compares.</p>

<p>The obvious is that in industrial and systems, he would need to get an engineering degree. Operations management would be in business as I’m sure you already know. Does he lean toward wanting to be in engineering or business? You are employable in consulting, manufacturing, all kinds of businesses, etc. depending on what you choose to concentrate on. I would think either path would be fine, so maybe look at job outlook, post grad surveys to see where people are working , etc. . He may change his mind about all of this so I hope he will find a school he can be happy at , that has good academics , and that fits your budget. <a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?;

<p>Any major with the word engineering in it is more impressive than not. I would say that people with these two majors can do the same job but the one that is an “engineer” will get hired if all other things are equal. I am a recruiter and recruit a lot of engineers and operations managers </p>

<p>I would check the specific program in the catalogue. The name itself doesn’t ring a bell as to what’s the difference. I’m familiar with IEOR from Columbia, I took some classes there. Most people from this program were probably aiming for Wall Street because it covers a lot of stocks and investment theory.
The ordinary IE leans toward business and consulting like.
I have no idea what Operations Management means.</p>