Programs

The mission of the program in industrial and systems engineering is to provide high-quality education to graduate students, to conduct research, often in collaboration with industry and other disciplines, and to advance the state of knowledge and practice in our field. 

The program aims to ensure that each student is educated in mathematical and scientific principles and at the same time is able to implement these principles to solve relevant engineering problems in industry and the public sector.

For doctoral students, we provide specialized training to prepare students to become independent researchers and leaders in both the academic and industrial communities.

The program focuses its research in areas of critical importance to national competitiveness and productivity: systems engineering; production; supply chain and logistics; advanced manufacturing; laser-based additive manufacturing; and quality and reliability engineering. Both the curriculum and laboratories are designed to support these research foci.

Research is being conducted in many exciting areas. In aviation, for example, faculty members are involved in risk analysis of new technologies, hazard and risk analysis of unmanned aircraft systems, scheduling of aircraft for entry in the oceanic airspace, and collision risk models under different separation standards. Using analytic tools, deterministic and stochastic modeling, and simulation, projects are in progress in the areas of network protection and security and intelligent transportation such as traffic safety, and incident and congestion management systems.

In manufacturing engineering, faculty members investigate problems in process validation, computer-integrated manufacturing, automation, real-time machine control, and computational modeling and optimization of advanced manufacturing processes such as titanium- and nickel-based super alloy machining, laser micromachining, high-speed micromilling, additive manufacturing, and the design of lightweight, high-strength folded material for different applications.

In quality and reliability engineering, research is conducted on real-time process control, quality improvement through designed experiments, multivariate statistical models, data mining, stochastic control, reliability optimization, component and systems reliability, accelerated life testing, design of test plans, software reliability, data acquisition and analysis, maintenance models, and warranty estimation.

In production and logistics, faculty focus on supply chain logistics, inventory control issues, dynamic inventory competition via game theory, simultaneous pricing and inventory management, forecasting, and material-flow control issues.

Industrial and systems engineering offers programs leading to the master of science (M.S.) and the doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The Ph.D. degree requires 48 credits of coursework beyond the bachelor of science (B.S.) degree and 24 credits in research, a written qualifying examination, an oral examination, and the dissertation defense.

The M.S. degree requires 30 credits of coursework beyond the B.S. degree. Students who choose to write a thesis enroll for 24 credits of coursework and 6 credits of research. In the nonthesis option, students are required to present a project to the faculty. There are three concentrations for the M.S. degree. The industrial and systems engineering option requires core courses in production, stochastic, and deterministic models, simulation, and statistical analysis, and the opportunity to choose electives in related fields such as statistics, mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, and operations research. The quality and reliability engineering option, offered in cooperation with the statistics department, includes courses in process control, design of experiments, quality management, and reliability. The production and manufacturing systems engineering option includes courses in production analysis, simulation, supply chain engineering, and advanced manufacturing processes.

For more information about the Rutgers School of Engineering's interdisciplinary master of engineering (M.Eng.) in energy systems degree, please visit: http://soe.rutgers.edu/energy-systems-engineering.

Extensive research facilities are available for student use in manufacturing automation, manufacturing processing, microcomputer/multimedia, facilities design, quality and reliability engineering, and microprocessors. Specialized equipment includes a CNC machine, CAD facilities, and microcomputers; quality and reliability engineering metrology and life-testing equipment; temperature chambers; a vibration unit; metal-processing equipment; sheet-folding machines; universal-testing machines; and high-impact testing machines and materials handling.

To be admitted to the program, students must have completed a degree in engineering or a related field and basic industrial and systems engineering courses including four semesters of calculus; a high-level computer language; deterministic methods in operations research; calculus-based probability; and engineering economics. Students who are missing prerequisite courses may be admitted to the graduate program and complete missing courses during their studies in the program. 

Applicants are invited to contact the graduate director and visit the Graduate Handbook on our website http://ise.rutgers.edu.