Undergraduate Programs & Courses
Page Updated September 2012
Bachelors and Minors
We offer the following Bachelor Degrees
Minors are available in
- Engineering Leadership
- Manufacturing Systems Engineering (minor not available to Industrial Engineering majors)
- Business
- Entrepreneurship
- Mathematics Minors (Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Probability and Statistics, Actuarial Science)
To see the complete Lehigh University Course Catalog, click here.
B.S. in Industrial Engineering
Industrial Engineering (IE) is concerned with the analysis, design, and implementation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, and equipment to accomplish useful work. The discipline of industrial engineering is applicable in nearly all industries, whether the industry involves manufacturing of a product or delivery of a service. Job functions performed by IEs include: systems analysis, cost estimation, capital equipment selection, engineering economy, facilities planning, production planning and scheduling, inventory control, quality control, information systems, project management, operations management, engineering management, as well as methods analysis and work measurement. Manufacturing systems engineering (MSE) is a specialty field associated with industrial engineering that emphasizes functions and technologies such as process planning, plant layout design, manufacturing resource planning, production management, production line design, automation, robotics, flexible manufacturing systems, and computer integrated manufacturing.
The Industrial Engineering major is accredited by ABET.
Career Opportunities
IE graduates are sought by nearly all industrial corporations as well as government agencies and other service institutions. Major employers of our graduates include management consulting firms, manufacturing companies, banks, hospitals, railroads, the postal service, and transportation/logistics services. A typical career path of an industrial engineer is to start in an entry-level engineering position or as a technical analyst and to progress through various management positions in the firm or institution. Significant numbers of industrial engineers ultimately become chief executive officers, chief operating officers, and chief technology officers in their respective organizations.
IE Major Requirements
To see the full up to date listing of IE major requirements, please visit the Lehigh Registrar's web site.
Please select from below based on year of entry into the College of Engineering:
IE Major Requirements |
IE Prerequisite Map |
IE Curriculum
The IE curriculum is designed to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge that employers expect of young industrial engineers beginning their professional careers, and to instill the ability for life-time learning. It includes the basic mathematical, physical, and social sciences, together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design that are specific to industrial engineering. These principles and methods include probability and statistics, engineering economy, cost accounting, operations research, computer simulation, work methods and measurement, manufacturing processes, production and inventory control, and information technology.
Specialized industrial engineering electives in the senior year include: advanced operations research, operations management, organization planning and control, statistical quality control, database design, web technologies, and data communications technologies. Electives related to manufacturing systems engineering include: computer integrated manufacturing, industrial robotics, facilities planning and material handling, production engineering, and metal machining analysis. The IE degree requires a minimum of 131 credit hours.
Program Educational Objectives
The set of key, over-arching objectives of the Industrial Engineering program are to prepare our students, within the first several years of the beginning of their careers, to
1. meet the expectations of employers of industrial engineers,
2. pursue advanced study, if desired,
3. be active leaders in their profession and/or community.
Specifically, these general objectives can be met by graduates that
1. recognize and analyze problems, design innovative solutions, and lead their implementation,
2. excel as industrial and systems engineering professionals who are able to operate effectively in a global, culturally diverse society,
3. communicate effectively using written, oral, and electronic media,
4. pursue life-long learning and professional growth as ethical and responsible members of society,
5. form, lead, and participate on multi-disciplinary teams that solve problems in engineering and business.
In each course in the Industrial Engineering program, a subset of the course achievement outcomes, listed below, are pursued to prepare students to achieve the Industrial Engineering program’s stated objectives. This list of student outcomes articulated by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Inc., (ABET) have been adopted by the program and are as follows:
a) An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
c) An ability to 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
d) An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
e) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
f) An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
g) An ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
h) The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
i) A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
j) A knowledge of contemporary issues
k) An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Specialty Areas in Industrial Engineering
The industrial engineering curriculum emphasizes four specialty areas: (1) manufacturing systems and processes, (2) operations research, (3) information and systems engineering, and (4) production and operations management. The IE curriculum includes 18 credit hours of advanced (300 IE level) courses plus 3 credit hours of engineering elective and 6 credit hours of free elective. Students can emphasize one of these areas if they choose, or select courses from several areas to design their own individual programs. Listed below are the advanced courses associated with the four specialty areas (including courses in other departments).
Manufacturing Systems and Processes. Students interested in this area should select courses from the following list:
- IE 300-level electives: IE 319, IE 324, IE 332, IE 340, IE 344 (cross-listed with Mat 344), IE 345
- ENGR or free electives: Mat 309, Mat 314, Mat 335, Mat 342, Mat 367
Operations Research. Students interested in this area should select courses from the following list:
- IE 300-level electives: IE 316, IE 332, IE 339, IE 372
- ENGR or free electives: CSE 327, CSE 340, ME 340
- Free electives: ECO 358, MATH 312, MATH 338, MATH 341
Information and Systems Engineering. Students interested in this area should select courses from the following list:
- IE 300-level electives: IE 316, IE 339, IE 341, IE 345, IE 372
- ENGR or free electives: IE 170, IE 275, CSE 327, CSE 340, ECE 319, ECE 320, ECE 345
Production and Operations Management. Students interested in this area should select courses from the following list:
- IE 300-level electives: IE 319, IE 324, IE 332, IE 334, IE 340
- Free electives: MGT 331
To see the prerequisites of the Industrial Engineering degree, please see the IE Prerequisites flow chart.
BS in Information and Systems Engineering
Information and systems engineering (I&SE) is a bachelor of science degree program that produces graduates who understand the complex facets of modern information systems, and the integration of these systems in industrial, service and financial organization. The degree program, offered through the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, constitutes a broad based curriculum focusing on three core areas:
- Information Economics,
- Quantitative Systems Analysis, and
- Information Technology.
The core areas are coupled with general engineering and business background courses.
Information economics studies the formulation, structure, and operational dynamics of information-centric systems in the context of industrial organizations, service sector economics, and financial institutions. Topic areas range from fundamental theory and methodologies in systems science and engineering, to issues in complex supply networks, e-Business, electronic marketplaces, and financial engineering.
Quantitative systems analysis studies operations research and computational tools for analyzing complex systems and their information components. Topic areas include mathematical programming, optimization, decision analysis, large-scale modeling and simulation, decentralized decision processes, stochastic processes, sequencing and scheduling, parallel and distributed algorithms, and algorithm design.
Information technology and applications studies computer and communication technologies needed to design and implement information system applications. Topic areas include the applications of information technology in manufacturing and business environments, including electronic commerce, supply chain and enterprise information systems, manufacturing information systems, and intelligent manufacturing control.
The I&SE degree requires 129 credit hours.
The Information and Systems Engineering major is accredited by ABET.
Information and Systems Engineering Major Requirements
To see the full up to date listing of I&SE major requirements, please visit the Lehigh Registrar's web site.
Please select from below based on your year of entry into the College of Engineering:
IE Major Requirements |
IE Prerequisite Map |
Program Educational Objectives
The set of key, over-arching objectives of the Information and Systems Engineering program are to prepare our students, within the first several years of the beginning of their careers, to
1. meet the expectations of employers of information and systems engineers,
2. pursue advanced study, if desired,
3. be active leaders in their profession and/or community.
Specifically, these general objectives can be met by graduates that
1. recognize and analyze problems, design innovative solutions, and lead their implementation,
2. excel as industrial and systems engineering professionals who are able to operate effectively in a global, culturally diverse society,
3. communicate effectively using written, oral, and electronic media,
4. pursue life-long learning and professional growth as ethical and responsible members of society,
5. form, lead, and participate on multi-disciplinary teams that solve problems in engineering and business.
In each course in the Information and Systems Engineering program, a subset of the course achievement outcomes, listed below, are pursued to prepare students to achieve the Information and Systems Engineering program’s stated objectives. This list of student outcomes articulated by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Inc., (ABET) have been adopted by the program and are as follows:
a) An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
c) An ability to 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
d) An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
e) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
f) An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
g) An ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
h) The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
i) A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
j) A knowledge of contemporary issues
k) An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
To see the prerequisites of the Information and Systems Engineering degree, please see the ISE Prerequisites flow chart.