DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING (IE)

Professor William G. Nichols, Interim Department Head
Office: 233 Mineral Industries Building

Industrial engineering is about choices. Other engineering disciplines apply skills to very specific areas. Industrial engineering gives you the opportunity to work in lots of different kinds of businesses. The most distinctive aspect of industrial engineering is the flexibility it offers.

The industrial engineering discipline looks for ways to integrate people, materials, information, equipment, and energy into financially efficient systems. Unlike other engineering fields, industrial engineering is concerned with people as system components. Because of its broader perspective, it is used in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, health care, banking, insurance, transportation, construction, utilities, and government. Industrial engineers can be involved in ergonomics/work design to improve the work environment; in developing mathematical and computer models to provide better information for managers; in planning facility layouts and material-handling systems; in using statistical and mathematical methods to improve service and product quality; in forecasting, scheduling, and managing production; and in investigating and evaluating investment alternatives. Many companies value the systems viewpoint of the profession, and industrial engineering graduates often move into management.

One of the first industrial engineering programs in the United States, the UA Department of Industrial Engineering offers training in the scientific principles that underlie the profession. The program provides a background in mathematics and the physical and social sciences, as well as specialized courses needed by today's industrial engineers.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the Department of Industrial Engineering include

• preparing our students for professional practice, graduate study, and continuing life-long intellectual development by providing quality undergraduate and graduate programs leading to the B.S. in IE, M.S. in IE, and M.S.E. degrees
• supporting other degree programs at the University by providing service courses in the areas of engineering computing, engineering statistics, engineering economy, engineering management, manufacturing systems engineering, statistical quality control and reliability, human factors engineering, and operations research
• conducting strong research programs that fortify the educational process and which advance engineering knowledge
• serving communities and industries in the state and nation by providing educational opportunities for practicing engineers, research services, and technical assistance
• participating and providing leadership in technical and professional organizations associated with engineering

Manufacturing engineering certificate program. The manufacturing engineering certificate program is available to undergraduate industrial engineering students. Most certificate program courses are taken concurrently with courses required for the bachelor of science degree. The program restricts elective courses, and it adds 10 semester hours to the basic degree for a total of 138 required semester hours. A student who completes all the requirements of the certificate program receives the B.S.I.E. degree and a manufacturing engineering certificate indicating that he or she has completed these additional requirements. The student's transcript likewise indicates that the student has completed the requirements for the manufacturing engineering certificate program. Students interested in this program should see their advisers for specific details and program requirements.

Industrial Engineering Computer Laboratory. This laboratory provides a Novell LAN and a variety of personal computers, software, and other facilities for computer-aided design, analysis, and evaluation.

Manufacturing Systems/Robotics Laboratory. Robots, tabletop CNC equipment, and a variety of software products are arranged to support experimentation within a manufacturing cell.

Systems Design Laboratory. A design clinic for seniors allows students to apply what they have learned by spending two semesters working with local businesses to address real problems. The Systems Design Laboratory supports the senior Capstone Design courses with a variety of hardware and software for computer-aided and video-aided design.

Human Information Processing and Biomechanics Laboratory. This laboratory is used for experimentation and research in human information processing, motion analysis, and biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system. The lab is used primarily by graduate students.

Ergonomics Laboratory. This laboratory is well equipped with precision instrumentation for sensory, perceptual-motor, and psychological measurements. In addition, equipment is available (and its use encouraged) for more advanced research on human capacities related to man-machine systems.

Graduate programs. Graduate study in industrial engineering leading to the master of science in industrial engineering degree and the master of science in engineering degree is designed to appeal to those superior students who are highly analytically oriented. Graduate studies emphasize a broad range of problem-solving methodologies of a mathematical, statistical, behavioral, and computational nature. Thesis research may be concerned with the development of new methodology, the use of standard methodology, or a combination of these. Advanced work in industrial engineering is designed so that a graduate of any quantitative program or branch of engineering can, with limited prerequisite work, enter into advanced instruction in the various quantitative and analytical techniques. Please refer to the University of Alabama graduate catalog for details of the program.

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM
Effective fall 1999

FRESHMAN YEAR
First Semester	Hours
CH 131 General Chemistry for Engineering Students I (N)	4
DR 125 Engineering Graphics	3
EC 110 Principles of Microeconomics (SB)	3
EN 101 English Composition I (FC)	3
MATH 125 Calculus I (MA)	4
	--
	17
Second Semester
EN 102 English Composition II (FC)	3
EC 111 Principles of Macroeconomics (SB)	3
GES 126 Introduction to Engineering Computing	3
MATH 126 Calculus II (MA)	4
PH 105 General Physics with Calculus I (N)	4
	--
	17
SOPHOMORE YEAR
First Semester
GES 255 Engineering Statistics I	3
IE 203 Engineering Economics	3
MATH 227 Calculus III (MA)	4
PH 106 General Physics with Calculus II (N)	4
PY 101 Introduction to Psychology (SB)	3
	--
	17
Second Semester
ESM 201 Statics	3
GES 257 Engineering Statistics II	3
IE 253 Work Methods Design and Measurement	3
Science elective1	4
Humanities (HU), literature (L), or fine arts (FA) elective	3
	--
	16
JUNIOR YEAR
First Semester
ECE 320 Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering	3
IE 351 Human Factors Engineering I (W)	3
IE 363 Operations Research I	3
MTE 271 Engineering Materials I: Structure and Properties	3
MATH 238 Applied Differential Equations I	3
	--
	15
Second Semester
EN 319 Technical English	3
IE 321 Manufacturing Systems (C)	4
IE 364 Operations Research II	3
IE 461 Systems Simulation (C, W)	3
IE 467 Production Planning and Control	3
	--
	16
SENIOR YEAR
First Semester
IE 425 Statistical Quality Control	3
IE 463 Systems Design I (C, W)	3
IE 464 Information Systems Design (C)	3
ESM 250 Mechanics of Materials or ESM 264 Dynamics	3
Industrial engineering or business2 elective	3
	--
	15
Second Semester
IE 485 Systems Design II (C)	3
Industrial engineering or business2 elective	3
Humanities (HU), literature (L), or fine arts (FA) electives	6
ME 215 Thermodynamics I	3
	--
	15
Total: 128 hours

¹BSC 215, CH 105, CH 132, or PH 253 (3 hours).

²MGT 300, MKT 300, FI 311, AC 210 (4 hours).