Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Industrial Engineering

Advance the state of the art and embark on a self-directed career. The Ph.D. in IE program prepares students for careers in consulting, industrial research, and academia. It provides an opportunity to explore challenging research problems and make a research contribution to the field of industrial engineering. Students learn how to write proposals, plan and conduct research, write research papers, and make technical presentations. The Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering degree requires 48 credit hours of coursework beyond the bachelor?s degree and a 24-credit dissertation. The primary focus of the program is on the research process. Students must successfully complete and defend a dissertation that describes the significance, methods, and results of their research investigations. The Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering has research programs in applied operations research, enterprise informatics, advanced manufacturing systems and ergonomics. Applied operations research focuses on quantitative models that can provide new insights into the behavior of complex systems, identify areas where significant improvements can be made in system performance, and provide a basis for effective decision making. Quantitative models include mathematical and computer models based on principles of simulation, optimization, probability, and statistics. Enterprise informatics research is focused on enhancing the decision making process through knowledge discovery methods and information modeling that helps us understand how information is used within an enterprise. Students and faculty working in this area conduct research related to data mining, experimental design, decision theory, and statistical analysis. Advanced manufacturing research includes the investigation of new production methods for advanced products, studying process parameters of new processes, and understanding the interaction of processes in advanced manufacturing systems. Current IMSE efforts in this area include rapid manufacturing systems, advanced metrology and inspection, control and automation systems, and industrial energy efficiency. Ergonomics is the application of our understanding of the capabilities and limitations of human beings in the design of the workplace and consumer items. Current emphasis areas in IMSE include 1) physical ergonomics with a particular focus on spine biomechanics, prevention of low back injury and hand/wrist disorders such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome and 2) cognitive engineering with a focus on augmented human performance and human computer interaction.