Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University
    Go to Pennsylvania State University

    Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America
    United States of America, University Park
    University Rank:#82
    Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Pennsylvania State University offers the Bachelor of Industrial Engineering as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its Any Penn State Campus, Erie, and University Park campuses in United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 4 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for industrial engineering and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on June 1, 2027.

    About Bachelor of Industrial Engineering

    Industrial Engineering is rooted in the sciences of engineering, the study of systems, and the management of people. Industrial engineers are big-picture problem solvers who optimize complex engineering systems and processes. They bring together people, machinery, materials, information, energy, and financial resources to improve efficiency, performance, quality, and safety while reducing cost and waste. According to the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers, Industrial Engineers "work to eliminate waste of time, money, materials, energy, and other commodities." Because it is a broad and versatile discipline, study of industrial engineering prepares you for careers in every sector of the economy.

    You Might Like This Program If...

    Largely based in math and science, while incorporating business and psychology, the industrial engineering program is designed to prepare students to become leaders in engineering. We provide students with a comprehensive education in human factors/ergonomics; manufacturing; operations research; and supply chain/service engineering through coursework and hands-on experience. Our students become innovators who discover new solutions that address evolving challenges in a wide variety of sectors including academia, banking, communications, consulting, healthcare, information technology, transportation, etc.

    The undergraduate program in industrial engineering, being the first established in the world, has a long tradition of providing a strong, technical, hands-on education in design, control, and operation of manufacturing processes and systems. The curriculum provides a broad-based education in manufacturing, operations research and ergonomics through a base of mathematics, physical and engineering sciences, and laboratory and industrial experiences. It builds a strong foundation for the development of a professionally competent and versatile industrial engineer, able to function in a traditional manufacturing environment as well as in a much broader economy, including careers in financial services, communication, information technology, transportation, health care, consulting, or academia.

    After completing courses required for the core and fundamental competencies in the major, students can choose two IE technical elective courses from a department list. In addition, students must also complete the three-credit capstone design course.

    We expect our graduates to:

    1. Participate in and lead cross-functional teams, designing, implementing and improving processes and systems in the manufacturing, service, or government sectors;
    2. Work effectively in managerial and leadership positions;
    3. Work and communicate effectively with internal and external team members in the global environment; and
    4. Engage in continuous learning through varied work assignments, graduate school, professional training programs, and independent study.

    Program Outcomes

    The following outcomes are included in the courses taught in the program:

    1. Management and Information Systems for Industrial Engineering: apply time value of money to make financial decisions and understand cost-accounting principles; understand probability concepts applicable to solve engineering problems; including reliability issues; conduct tests of hypotheses, create regression models and understand and apply statistical quality control methods such as process capability and control charts; formulate, solve and analyze real problems using Markov chains, network models, dynamic programming, queuing theory and inventory models; create simulation models of manufacturing and service systems and analyze simulation output; and gain an in-depth knowledge of implementation-related issues and theoretical aspects of database and Web-based operations related to industrial engineering.
    2. Manufacturing Engineering: understand information contained in typical specifications and methods of product verification and conformance to specifications; and program flexible manufacturing equipment and system controllers; design logical manufacturing layouts and implement contemporary systems issues.
    3. Human Factors: analyze and design both the job and the work site in a cost-effective manner, as well as measure the resulting output; understand and apply cognitive systems engineering: identify visual, auditory, cognitive, perceptual and environmental aspects of human performance, perform task analysis and evaluate human-computer interfaces; and perform work measurement, develop an MTM analysis and carry out a work sampling study.
    4. General: present engineering study results in technical reports and in oral presentations, demonstrate life-long learning by synthesizing information from several sources, work effectively in groups on case studies and projects, demonstrate knowledge of contemporary issues, understand professional and ethical responsibility and the impact of engineering decisions in a global and societal context; and design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability.

    Disciplines

    Penn State Erie The Behrend College

    Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Entry Requirements

    Penn State requires the submission of specific academic credentials to complete your application. Review the secondary and post-secondary requirements for your country below.

    If you are a first year student applying to Penn State:

    Click Apply to start your Penn State application. Before starting, you can also review the Applying Online Worksheet for more details and helpful hints about the application.

    Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the Save and Continue button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

    After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). As you begin the SRAR process, a new window will open allowing you to complete your SRAR. SRAR will focus on your high school coursework. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. Therefore, have a copy of your secondary school records available as you complete your SRAR. You will need to enter every class and every grade earned for the last three years, as well as those classes in progress.

    After completing your SRAR, you will be directed back to the Penn State application in order to complete the Program of Study portion of the application. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for first-year students.

    After completing this section of the application, you will provide some additional information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

    If you are a transfer student applying to Penn State:

    All international transfer students will be required to submit official high school transcripts in order to complete the application. International transfer students will not complete the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) for either their high school or college coursework.

    If you have accepted your offer of admission to Penn State:

    If you completed SRAR and are accepted to Penn State, please provide the following for grade verification:

    • Official transcript from years 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the transcript is issued in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.
    • Official copy of the Tawjihi, accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.

    English Requirements

    • IELTSMin 6.5
    • TOEFLMin 80

    Career Opportunities after Completing Bachelor of Industrial Engineering

    An undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from Penn State is beneficial in a number of sectors, from finance and banking to manufacturing and material handling to ergonomics and workplace safety to a wide variety of industries within the service world (including theme parks, call centers, hospitals, etc.). Industrial engineers also have an attractive background to a number of graduate degrees that would compliment their skills including engineering design, operations research, mechanical engineering, supply chain management, business management, and more. 

    • Human Factors/Ergonomics: Business intelligence team leader, cognitive engineer, ergonomics assessment specialist, ergonomics expert, design engineer, systems engineer, usability expert, user experience engineer.
    • Manufacturing: Manufacturing operations manager, production engineer, process control analyst, quality engineering manager, lean Six Sigma manager, product design/specification specialist, cost analysis manager, supply chain manager.
    • Operations Research: Operations research engineer, applied research manager, performance engineer, process improvement engineer, global business intelligence and analytics director, operations engineer, statistician.
    • Production, Supply Chain, and Service: Enterprise Engineering Analytics manager, global statistics manager, quality assurance director, strategic sourcing manager, operations engineer, new product engineer, process engineer, e-commerce manager, material scientists, service business development manager, Six Sigma analyst.

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM

    Opportunities for Graduate Studies

    Opportunities for students with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering are vast. The following disciplines would highly value an education in industrial engineering in graduate studies: engineering science and mechanics, business management, supply chain management, mechanical engineering, statistics, computer systems, engineering design, operations research, systems engineering, engineering management, economics and more.

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

    Professional Resources

    • Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
    • Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
    • Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
    • Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)

    Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Application Fee 75

    How to Apply for Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Step 1: Choose Your Application Method

    Apply through MyPennState

    The first step of the application process is to create a Penn State account, if you do not have one already. MyPennState is where future students can access the online application.

    If you are new to MyPennState, you will need to establish a Penn State User ID and password, which you will access during the MyPennState profile creation process. Once you have your log in information, you can sign in to begin work on your application.

    When creating the profile, please use the name that is on your passport. Because materials are filed alphabetically under the family name on the application, it is important that all correspondence and records consistently use the same name (family and given) and spelling. If this name does not match your academic records, please notify us of the difference. Please note: In the U.S., the family name is usually referred to as the last name, and the given name is referred to as the first name.

    Additionally, Penn State requires a current, valid email address, as that is our primary means of communication with international students. To ensure deliverability, please make Penn State (psu.edu) an eligible sender to the account.

    Applying through the Common App

    Applying to Penn State via the Common App is available to first-year (freshman) international students. If applying through the Common App, Penn State will create a MyPennState profile when the application is submitted and you will receive instructions on how to access your profile. If you intend to apply with the Common App, you do not need create a MyPennState profile prior to submitting your application.

    Step 2: Access the Application and Review Important Dates

    While you can create a MyPennState profile at any time, the application for admission becomes available on the following dates:

    Fall/Summer Admission: August 1

    Spring Admission: June 1

    The application submission dates vary by applicant type and intended program of study. Some programs have specific deadlines or admissions requirements. Please refer to our Dates & Deadlines for more information about application deadlines, as well as our Admissions Requirements to review information about any additional materials required for your intended program of study.

    Step 3: Start Your Penn State Application

    If applying through MyPennState:

    Click Apply Online to start your Penn State application. 

    Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the "Save and Continue" button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

    After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR), unless otherwise directed. You will be directed to enter information about your secondary school coursework. Please have a copy of your secondary school records as you complete SRAR. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. You will need to enter every grade for every course you have taken in the last three years, as well as your current schedule of classes.

    Students educated in South Korea will not complete SRAR. The document requirements for South Korea can be found by reviewing our International Credential Requirements.

    After this section, you will be directed back to the Penn State application to complete the Program of Study portion. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for either first-year students or transfer students.

    After this portion, you will provide some additional application information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

    If applying through the Common App:

    Complete the Common App, which will then direct you to MyPennState to complete SRAR. Applicants using the Common App may feel that they provided their high school record via the Common App, but Penn State requires the completion of SRAR via MyPennState. We strongly encourage you to obtain an official copy of your high school transcript to ensure accurate entry of your coursework completed and grades earned. The SRAR will include all of your high school coursework from your last three years of work and your current year schedule. If your final year grades are available when you enter SRAR, you can enter them at that time.

    Step 4: Submit Your Application

    The application requires a nonrefundable application fee of $75 for international students. Be sure to complete the last step after Summary and Review, which finalizes payment of your fee, and be certain it is successfully submitted. Once the application is submitted, you can verify its completion by accessing your MyPennState profile.

    Step 5: Submit Required Application Materials

    In order to complete your Penn State application, we need the following materials:

    • Application
    • Secondary school record
    • Post-secondary school records (if applicable)
    • First-year applicants only: Official test scores: SAT (code #2660) or ACT (code #3656)

      Writing Component and Subject Tests

      Please note: The writing component of standardized tests (SAT or ACT) is not required. The writing component will not be used as part of our evaluation. If your test scores include the writing component, by all means, have those scores sent to Penn State. Additionally, we do not require SAT Subject Tests.

    • English language proficiency, if your native language is not English

    Please see the admissions requirements for international students to review the details about the required application materials. Some programs require additional items to complete your application. Please review our Admissions Requirements for those details.

    Penn State does not require letters of recommendation, nor are they used in a student’s evaluation (unless required for a specific program).

    Step 6: Check Your Application Status in MyPennState

    You can always check the status of your application in MyPennState. We will communicate with you via MyPennState and through a series of emails regarding the missing items for your application. When everything has arrived, you will see a status in MyPennState confirming the completion of your application.

    Please note: It is your responsibility to check on the status of your application and send us any missing materials.

    Step 7: Receive Your Admission Decision

    Once we have reached a decision regarding your application, we will update your status in MyPennState and provide a printable PDF of your decision letter. Review our Dates & Deadlines to see when you should expect your decision.

    If accepted, you can accept your offer of admission in MyPennState to begin the process of becoming a Penn State student. Visit our Accepted Students section to review the next steps in this process. Once you accept your offer of admission to Penn State, those students completing SRAR will submit their official records for validation purposes as soon as possible.

    Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America

    United States of America, University Park

    WhatsApp student consultation with YouApply