UF vs ASU vs Northeastern for MS in Industrial Engineering

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Florida
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Hi everyone ! I am an international student and intend to begin my graduate education in the US this fall. I need some guidance in university selection. I have been accepted to the MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering program at University of Florida, the MS in Industrial Engineering program at Arizona State University and the MS in Industrial Engineering program at Northeastern University. I have a few more decisions pending but I wish to decide between these three schools.

UF and ASU are ranked higher than Northeastern for Industrial Engineering but Northeastern is known for it’s Co-op program. I don’t intend to pursue a PhD after my masters (at least right now) hence getting a good job post graduation is important for me. I also value a good education and wish to go a school that is known for great professors and an engaging learning experience. UF initially seemed like the most “reputed” university out of the three (considering US News university rankings) but I have heard that getting internships and jobs while staying in Gainesville is a lot harder. Northeastern despite having apparently better job opportunities is also the costliest. ASU also seems like a good choice but the other two universities are ranked higher.

Any advice on which university I can choose would really help.
Thanks !

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The challenge with getting asked to compare different schools, is that few if any of us have any real knowledge about more than 1 or two of these schools. We can give you some feedback on UF, but your best bets are the ASU and NEU forums for info on those programs.

UF does have an excellent MS program in IE. My daughter is thinking of enrolling in it (while still working in Florida).

At UF, you would most likely be looking for a summer internship (1 year school, internship, 2nd year school), but you could do the co-op (less likely) and Fall/Spring internships have become more common. You would need to start research/searching for an internship in September, and then gearing up later in the fall.

For example, last year, the first ISE career fair was on September 22nd:

https://www.ise.ufl.edu/careerfair/

The BIG career showcase was Sept. 27 (I think). Here’s a list of employers that participated. You can search the list looking for those interested in ISE’s.

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-florida/2158116-uf-career-showcase-fall-2019-participants-employers.html

By the way, it’s easier to find that first job, than that first internship. An internship is great to have, but it’s not a must have. Both of my kids found companies where much more interested in offering full time positions than internships. You still WANT an internship, but it’s not something that’s a MUST have.

These career fairs are just one way to land that first internship. Much of your search will be done online (applying via websites). Which leads to this next item…

One thing to keep in mind, during this Coronavirus outbreak, is that UF has a well established distance learning (online) program. If we’re still dealing with issues in the Fall, it’s easy for UF to switch the classes to 100% online.

The state of Florida has invested a LOT of $ into UF Online, and it shows. The ISE MS program is already geared to be taught online, so switching for the fall shouldn’t impact your learning.

I believe ASU has also invested a lot into online, but I"m not familiar with it’s MS IE program.

Good Luck!

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Gator88NE thank you so much for your reply :smile: I always believed that UF has a great ISE program and what you have said just confirmed that. There are a lot of companies that do come for career fairs but is there a way for us to know which ones are interested in picking international students ? As the ones that do will have to sponsor work visas. If not all companies do that then international students will have fewer companies they can try working for and UF is known to have a large number of international students.

Despite the obvious fact that I really like UF as a school , what made me think a little ( and ultimately post this question) is my concern that staying in Gainesville would make it harder to ultimately get an internship or a job. Not just Gainseville but the state of Florida itself has fewer tech companies as compared to say Boston or Phoenix or the silicon valley. Wouldn’t you agree ? Do you think my concern in valid ? If yes do you feel that going to ASU or Northeastern because their locations (Boston and Phoenix) provide greater accessibility to tech companies and jobs is justified ?

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Any concerns you have, are of course valid!

Tech companies? A few points.

ISE’s are hardly limited to tech companies. They work in several fields. Some of those other fields would likely be more open to international students (logistics, manufacturing, etc). Don’t limit your range of possible options. My daughter had two internships, in two different fields, and ended up taking a job in a 3rd (manufacturing).

I recommend you use LinkedIn. Look up each of these Universities. Then select “Alumni”. You can now view information such where they live, where they work, what they do and what they studied. You can sort the data, for example, under what they studied, by selecting Industrial Engineering (and Engineering/Industrial Management).

Florida is the 3rd most populous state, behind California and Texas. It has no shortage of jobs, including those in the tech field. However, there is a good chance, no matter which of these three schools you attend, that you end up working in another state. All three are well recruited nationally. You can see that in the LinkedIn information.

You may want to reach out to the UF International Center and UF career resource center with your questions about international student/work visas.

Good Luck!

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By the way, if you see an alumni in LindedIn, that’s an ISE grad and international student, feel free to ask them questions (but be respectful of their time). I’m sure many would be willing to share their insights into the school, work visas, etc.

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Thank you very much Gator88nE. Your advice and recommendations will help a lot. :smiley: I will try to connect with alumni to get insights in those areas.