Industrial Engineering Technology (IET)

List of CoursesDegree Requirements

What is Industrial Engineering Technology?

Industrial Engineering Technology (IET) is about determining the most effective ways to use people, machines, materials, and information to make a product or to provide a service.

As companies adopt management philosophies of continuous productivity and quality improvement to survive in the increasingly competitive world market, the need for Industrial Engineering Technologists is growing.

Industrial Engineering Technologists figure out how to do things better. They engineer processes and systems that improve quality and productivity. They work to eliminate waste of time, money, materials, energy, and other commodities and therefore save companies money.

This is why more and more companies are hiring Industrial Engineering Technologists and then promoting them into management positions.

What type of courses will I take?

Students begin the Industrial Engineering Technology program by studying fundamentals of raw materials and manufacturing processes along with computer aided drafting and design. Then, they learn principles of problem solving and data analysis. Later courses like plant layout, material handling, quality control, work measurement and ergonomics along with industrial experimentation prepare students for the development of effective and efficient processes and systems.

Throughout their studies, students undertake projects drawn from businesses or their personal lives. The project work allows them to apply their newly developed skills and gain some genuine experience.

Design of Experiment Project: Tony, Ryan, and Steve investigated which combination of lures, line size, and fishing style to use while bass fishing.

Design of Experiment Project: Susan and Mindy are investigating the strength of dog biscuits on the Instron Universal Testing Machine. Their project involved applying experimental design principles to the breakage of dog biscuits.

What is the difference 
 between engineering 
 and engineering technology?

Engineers and Engineering Technologists are often called by similar titles or even the same titles. They often work in the same organizations at the same kinds of tasks. In common practice, the work of both engineers and engineering technologists are called the “field of engineering.” Hence, job titles for both are often just “engineer.”

Engineers typically take more courses in math and physics and develop a deeper view of the theory than Engineering Technologists.

Engineering Technologists gain a broader perspective of business enterprises by taking a variety of technology related courses and apply theory as well as practical experience to decision making and problem solving.

Will I be able to find a good job and have good career potential?

The career potential for graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering Technology is excellent.

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that “Industrial engineers are expected to have employment growth of 20 percent over the projections decade, faster than the average for all occupations.

As firms look for new ways to reduce costs and raise productivity, they increasingly will turn to industrial engineers to develop processes that are more efficient and reduce costs, delays, and waste. This should lead to job growth for these engineers, even in manufacturing industries with slowly growing or declining employment overall.

Because their work is similar to that done in management occupations, many industrial engineers leave the occupation to become managers. Many openings will be created by the need to replace industrial engineers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.”

From U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook

Is this a profession where I sit in front of a computer all day?

Industrial Engineering Technology is different from other engineering technology functions. You do not sit at a desk all day. You work with engineers, management, and supervisors. You may also interface with craftspeople and operational employees.

What is the Six Sigma certification at Missouri Southern all about?

Our students have the unique opportunity to gain Six Sigma Green Belt and/or Black Belt certification, which will give them a competitive edge when starting their careers.

The certification will guarantee future employers that graduates will have proficiency in using a disciplined process and statistical techniques to achieve near perfect processes. It also guarantees that students have actually applied the methods and techniques successfully and caused a positive impact to the bottom-line of an organization.

Program Mission

The mission of the industrial engineering technology program is to provide theory-based curriculum with applied learning experiences resulting in a competent and diverse engineering technologist. Graduates are multi-skilled to work in a team environment, prepared to become an integral part of world-class organizations. Faculty and students continuously engage in applied research and problem solving for our varied constituents.

Program Learning Goals

The Industrial Engineering Technology program learning goals are as follows:

• The student has mastered the knowledge, techniques, skills and modern tools pertaining to industrial engineering technology.
• The student can solve open-ended problems.
• The student has developed written and oral communication skills.
• The student has learned to work effectively as a team member.
• The students conduct themselves in an honorable and ethical manner.

For specific information refer to:

• Course Descriptions
• Degree Requirements