Industrial Engineering & Operations Research

Bachelor of Science (BS)

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) is designed to prepare students for technical careers in production or service industries. It provides a strong foundation for those headed for engineering management positions or for those intending to go on to specialized graduate study in operations research, industrial engineering, or business administration.

Students interested in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research may also be interested in the Operations Research and Management Science major in the College of Letters & Science. For further information on this program, please see the Operations Research and Management Science page in this Guide.

Course of Study Overview

The core of the program includes basic science, mathematics including probability and statistics, engineering optimization, and stochastic models. This forms the methodological foundation for upper division IEOR electives involving the analysis and design of production and service systems, information systems, and human work systems and organization, among others.

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Admission to the Major

Prospective undergraduates to the College of Engineering will apply for admission to a specific program in the College. For further information, please see the College of Engineering's website.

Admission to Engineering via a Change of College application for current UC Berkeley students is highly unlikely and very competitive as there are few, if any, spaces that open in the College each year to students admitted to other colleges at UC Berkeley. For further information regarding a change of college to Engineering, please see the College's website.

Minor Program

The department offers a minor in IEOR. Students must have a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the minor's prerequisite courses in order to be considered for departmental acceptance into the minor.

For the minor to be added to the transcript, students must file the Declaration of Minor form with the Office of Undergraduate Advising in 4145 Etcheverry Hall before or during the semester prior to their last semester on campus, and complete the minor requirements by their final term.  

Visit Department Website

The IEOR Department has five general objectives for its Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program. It aims for BS degree graduates to become highly skilled in:

1. Quantitative modeling and analysis of a broad array of systems-level decision problems concerned with economic efficiency, productivity, and quality.
2. Development and creative use of analytical and computational methods for solving these problems.
3. Collection of and analysis of data, and the use of database and decision-support tools.
4. Comprehension and analysis of uncertainty.
5. In addition, the department expects their graduates to obtain the broader skills, background, and knowledge necessary to be an effective professional in a rapidly changing global economy.

All Berkeley engineering graduates acquire the following skills and knowledge:

1. Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
2. Ability to design and conduct experiments, analyze, and interpret data.
3. Ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs.
4. Ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
5. Ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
6. Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
7. Ability to communicate effectively.
8. Understand impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context.
9. Recognition of need for and ability to engage in life-long learning.
10. Knowledge of contemporary issues.
11. Ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools for engineering practice.

More specific outcomes of the IEOR BS degree program are as follows:

1. Identify opportunities for improvement in practical settings.

2. Document process, material and information flows.

3. Collect and structure data to support decision-making.

4. Define appropriate goals and constraints for decision-making.

5. Formulate mathematical optimization models for decision-making.

6. Model the probabilistic aspects of a system.

7. Validate modeling assumptions and model implications.

8. Explore model sensitivity to assumptions and parameters.

9. Apply appropriate solution techniques for optimization problems.

10. Perform statistical analysis to identify patterns, test hypotheses, and make estimates or forecasts.

11. Utilize decision support (e.g., optimization, simulation, decision analysis) software.

12. Use business software (e.g., Excel) and the Internet to analyze and solve problems.

13. Utilize quantitative tools for specific applications (e.g., inventory, scheduling, supply chain design, quality control).

14. Adapt or modify known solution approaches for new problem settings.

15. Consider humans and organizations in designing systems.

16. Communicate orally and in writing.

17. Work in a team.

18. Understand professional and ethical responsibilities.

19. Recognize need for and possess ability to engage in lifelong learning.

• finish secondary school and
• earn a certificate of completion, which allows admission to a university in their home country or country of graduation

In addition:

Students who have completed the IGCSE or O-level exams have not yet met the requirements for admission at UC Berkeley. The university requires further study, either completion of the two-year A-level program with a minimum of three academic exams, the IB diploma program, or another similar academic curriculum.

Students from countries requiring entry into military service upon completion of secondary education should not submit an application until the obligation has been met. UC Berkeley cannot defer admission to a later term.

Students may have to meet additional admission requirements and follow certain guidelines for filling out the undergraduate application, depending on country or educational system.

Student Groups and Organizations

The Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) Department is very proud that its students not only excel in academics but also in social organization. The department hosts three professional student organizations that engage in activities such as advising, recruiting and graduate schools information, alumni relations, academic conference organization, and social events. For information regarding student groups, please see the following websites:

IEOR Alumni
Alpha Pi Mu (Industrial Engineering Honor Society)
IISE Student Chapter (Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers)

Study Abroad

The College of Engineering encourages all undergraduates in the college to study abroad. Whether students are interested in fulfilling general education requirements, taking courses related to their major/career, or simply living and studying in a country that is of interest to them, the department will work with students to make it happen. For information about study abroad programs, please see the Berkeley Study Abroad website.

Career Services

The Career Center offers personalized career counseling and a wide variety of professional development workshops on topics such as networking as a job search strategy, getting results from the internet job search, internship search and success strategies, and applying for graduate school. For further information, please see the Career Services website.

Apply to Berkeley by filling out the UC application. You can begin working on the application as early as August 1, and must submit the application November 1-30. You can apply to as many UC campuses as you like with one application, and each campus will receive your application and official test scores. If you have difficulties, contact the UC Application Center at [email protected] or (800) 207-1710.