ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Industrial engineering (IE), operations research (OR), and systems engineering (SE) are fields of study intended for individuals who are interested in analyzing and formulating abstract models of complex systems with the intention of improving system performance. Unlike traditional disciplines in engineering and the mathematical sciences, the fields address the role of the human decision-maker as key contributor to the inherent complexity of systems and primary benefactor of the analyses.
In short, as practitioners and researchers in IE/OR/SE, we consider ourselves to be technical problem solvers. We are typically motivated by problems arising in virtually any setting where outcomes are influenced by often complicated and uncertain interactions, involving a variety of attributes that affect system performance. Against this backdrop, students have historically been attracted to our academic programs with a variety of career objectives and from a host of disciplines and academic interests.
The academic program serving these interests at Georgia Tech is the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE).
Following are some interesting facts relating to our program:
- With over 1000 undergraduates, we are the largest industrial (or similarly named) engineering program in the country; the second largest is not even half our size.
- We have nearly 350 graduate students, 158 of whom are pursuing one of seven distinct masters options with the remaining studying for the Ph.D. in one of seven concentrations.
- We currently have 60 faculty members.
By virtue of its size, ISyE is able to provide substantial breadth in its course offerings. Moreover, these courses are generally taught by the very faculty who created them and/or whose primary professional or research interests and expertise pertain to the corresponding subject matter. ISyE also provides ample opportunity for and, in fact, encourages students to engage in extracurricular activities. Numerous ISyE students are active in campus professional activities, student government, and even Division I athletics.
If you are a newcomer, or still unclear regarding what it is that industrial engineers might do, you should find Problems for Industrial and Systems Engineers informative. Included are some examples of real-world applications that fall within the domain of an industrial engineer (at least one graduating from Georgia Tech). Beyond this, we invite you to take a closer look at our academic profile. We think that you will find that ISyE has much to offer, whether you are considering an undergraduate degree in our field or seeking a program in which to pursue a Masters degree or the Ph.D.
