Industrial Engineering (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

Program Overview

Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering that is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis and synthesis, as well as the mathematical, physical and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering design to specify, predict, and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems or processes. It encompasses specialized knowledge and skills in the physical, social, engineering, and management sciences, such as human and cognitive sciences, computer systems and information technologies, manufacturing processes, operations research, production, and automation. The industrial engineer integrates people into the design and development of systems, thus requiring an understanding of the physical, physiological, psychological, and other characteristics that govern and affect the performance of individuals and groups in working environments.

Industrial engineering (IE) at LSU is a unique academic program in Louisiana, bringing together in one program, opportunities for students in ergonomics and occupational health, information technology, and production/manufacturing systems, and to develop skills in traditional industrial engineering activities. The program relies on rigorous mathematical and logical approaches to theoretical and practical problem solving, with extensive use of computers and industrial-class software for optimization of integrated processes and systems. The program has a formal program leading to the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering. Students may also pursue master’s and doctoral programs in engineering science, with specialization in industrial engineering.

Administration

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: LSU Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Applications for admission are received and evaluated by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate School.

Applicants for admission to the master’s program in industrial engineering or the interdisciplinary doctoral program must meet or exceed all requirements stipulated by the Graduate School, including satisfactory scores on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE, an overall grade point average of 2.75 or a 3.00 for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work, and a satisfactory TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score for international students. Although most applicants will have undergraduate degrees in engineering, applicants from other disciplines may be accepted if they complete a sequence of engineering science prerequisite courses. Applicants with baccalaureate degrees in engineering, other than industrial engineering, must complete a sequence of 12 semester hours, including IE Fundamentals, Engineering Statistics, Engineering Economy, and Scientific and Professional Writing. This requirement may be waived if the applicant is judged by the faculty to have taken the equivalents of these courses.

Financial Assistance

Some departmental/programmatic assistantships are available for qualified students and are awarded each semester, based on programmatic needs and student qualifications. Except in unusual cases, no master’s candidate will be awarded a departmental/programmatic assistantship for more than four semesters. A doctoral candidate may be awarded a departmental/programmatic assistantship for up to six semesters. Faculty who have funded research projects provide additional assistantships for participating graduate students. Faculty members also recommend students for fellowships and stipends when these become available.

Facilities

The Industrial Engineering (IE) Computer Laboratory, used for computer lab instruction and open use by IE students, is equipped with 48 computers. Software includes Microsoft Office Professional, Visio, Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, AutoCAD, Arena (factory simulation), Lingo (optimization), SAS, Minitab, MATLAB, Maple, Visual Studio.NET (C++, C#, VB, ASP), Java, and many other applications supporting IE coursework. The lab is supported by a bank of twelve servers providing support of coursework in development of information systems, Web application systems, eCommerce systems, and client/server support for project management and simulation courses.

The Human Factors Laboratory offers and supports training and research in safety engineering, human factors, and ergonomics by providing laboratory space and computing equipment. Two laboratories supporting human factors and safety, the Work Evaluation Laboratory and a Human Factors Laboratory, provide students with the appropriate tools and environment for research in the areas of biomechanics, work environment design, cognitive ergonomics, and control systems. Some of the available research equipment includes a treadmill, 2-D and 3-D Motion Analysis System (Ariel performance analysis system), force platform, 8 Channel Wireless EMG System, Dual Axis Goniometers, GPM Anthropometer, Computerized Exercise Machine, C-Motion - Motion Analysis Software, Human CAD Software, 3D Static Strength Prediction Program, Deltatrac metabolic monitor), human musculoskeletal models, vibration meter, and the like. The Safety Laboratory allows hands-on demonstrations of industry safety equipment in addition to simulation software for modeling petrochemical control room operations.

The Systems Integration Laboratory is used for research and instruction in the integration, automation, and control of process and discrete-part manufacturing systems with particular emphasis on the application of information technologies to these systems. The Systems Integration Lab has twelve workstations. Equipment includes three Allen Bradley PLC with modules for digital and analog I/O and thermocouple measurement; AC and DC motor controllers; a four-axis motion controller; servo and stepper motors and other actuators; high speed data acquisition and control boards; a remote national instruments data acquisition fieldpoint unit, digital and analog sensors and instrumentation, a visual inspection system, and networking equipment for use in laboratory instruction. Software available includes WonderWare and Lookout SCADA software, Labview Development Suite (virtual instrument development), Visual Studio.NET, Java, SAS, Lingo, ARENA, and Rockwell Software RSLogix Ladder Logic programming, AutoCAD, Matlab, and numerous other application and development packages.

Graduate Faculty

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Fereydoun Aghazadeh (M) • Human Factors Engineering, Construction Ergonomics, Work Physiology, Occupational Biomechanics, Safety Engineering
Craig M. Harvey (M) • Human Factors Engineering, Safety Engineering, Human Computer Interaction
Laura Ikuma (M) • Human Factors Engineering, Safety, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Psychosocial Factors
Gerald Knapp (M) • NLP, text & data analytics, Information Systems and Technology, Systems Integration, Maintenance Management, Reliability Engineering
Richard Koubek (M) • Usability Engineering, Job Design, Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics.
T. Warren Liao (M) • Soft Computing, Supply Chain Management, Logistics & Distribution, Lean Six Sigma, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, Data Mining
Lawrence Mann, Jr (EM) • (Professor Emeritus) Maintenance scheduling, planning, computer systems, design for maintenance, inventory control, reliability, industrial and labor relations.
Isabelina Nahmens (M) • Quality Management, Lean, Six Sigma, Project Management, Healthcare Systems Engineering, Construction
Bhaba Sarker (M) • Production and Manufacturing Systems Engineering: Production Planning & Control, Flexible/Cellular Manufacturing Systems, Material Handling, Scheduling, Location Theory, JIT Inventory Systems, Warehouse Logistics and Distribution, Lean Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Military Logistics, Renewable Energy Systems, and Applied Operations Research.

Programs

• Engineering Science, Ph.D.

• Engineering Sciences, M.S.E.S.

• Industrial Engineering, M.S.I.E.