Industrial engineering

University of Missouri-Columbia
Master of science
Industrial engineer wearing a suit, holding a tablet, machinery in the background.
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Master of science

Prepare to develop more efficient, technologically driven processes that deliver results. The University of Missouri’s (Mizzou) online master of science in industrial engineering takes your career up a level through a two-fold approach. No matter your engineering specialty, learn to refine existing timelines and systems, taking the latest advances, manpower, materials and costs into account, and create a more organized work environment. Emphasis on leadership skills positions you to oversee and manage projects as they unfold, factoring in available resources, goals and the intersection between economics and engineering.

Get ready to take charge and achieve desired results. Based on where you plan to make an impact, consider earning a graduate certificate in global supply chain management while fulfilling the requirements for the master’s program.

Why earn an online master’s in industrial engineering

You see the workplace evolving: new technologies, processes and materials enter the picture and influence how projects take shape. As an engineering professional, you witness these changes firsthand and have started proposing ideas to harness these capabilities or upgrade existing systems.

Traditionally, the field of industrial engineering focused on the design and quality control of production, services and systems, with applications primarily overlapping with manufacturing. Today, its expanding scope extends to all engineering disciplines in some form. In turn, organizations recruit industrial engineers to reimagine and improve systems and processes, implement the latest technologies and better utilize resources. To this last point, these professionals structure projects and timelines based on available labor, costs and materials and desired outcomes.

Giving you the tools to manage and analyze all related factors, the online master’s in industrial engineering:

  • Focuses on the management, production, quality control, economic and materials sides of engineering projects
  • Equips you to make existing structures more efficient and take aspects related to inventory, planning and control into account
  • Explores developing solutions in relation to technological advancements and globalization
  • Introduces the role of data to build more efficient processes, products and systems and support your proposed changes and project timelines
  • Prepares you to assess risks and financial concerns as you plan projects
  • Considers human factors, managing employees and sustainability in structuring processes and systems

Quick facts

Official name

Master of science in industrial engineering

Campus

University of Missouri-Columbia

Program type

Master's degree

Academic home

College of Engineering | Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Delivery mode

100% online

Accreditation

Higher Learning Commission

Credit hours

30

Estimated cost

$20,475.00

*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.

Industrial engineer on laptop.

Career prospects

Bring a new level of efficiency and innovation to manufacturing, distribution, transportation, aviation, service delivery, health care, finance, logistics, government and more fields. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a 12% greater demand for industrial engineers through 2032, potential opportunities include:

  • Industrial engineer/manager
  • Factory engineer/manager
  • Industry analyst
  • Manufacturing and production engineer/manager
  • Process engineer/manager
  • Supply chain engineer/manager
Burning Glass Technologies. 2021. Salary numbers and employment growth numbers are based on models that consider advertised job posting salary, Bureau of Labor Statistics data and other proprietary and public sources of information for multiple occupations.
$91,000
Median salary

Program structure

The online master’s in industrial engineering requires 30 credit hours of courses. Students either complete a thesis based on original research or produce a project report by the program’s end.

All candidates get introduced to strategic and technical solutions for addressing cost, quality and productivity concerns and data analysis applications. From here, each student creates a customized, fully online plan of study pulling from data analytics and operations research, manufacturing and production, sustainability, service and supply chain systems, health care and human-centered processes.

Students typically take two classes each semester and finish the program in two years. The online master’s in industrial engineering does not require students to visit campus.

Course work covers

However you structure your degree, industrial engineering students delve into topics involving:

  • Smart manufacturing and supply systems
  • Industrial energy efficiency
  • Big data
  • Supply chain engineering
  • Advanced integrated production systems
  • Production and operations analysis

Review all requirements for the online master’s in industrial engineering.

Delivery

100% online

Calendar system

Semester-based

Typical program length

2 years

Typical course load

2 classes per semester

Accreditation

The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.

Faculty spotlight

Bin Wu

Wu is an internationally-recognized expert in the design and management of manufacturing and supply systems. He has written a number of books on the subject that have been adopted as standard undergraduate and postgraduate texts worldwide. Professor Wu is the founding director of Mizzou Industrial Assessment Center, one of the 24 industrial assessment centers funded by the U.S. Department of Energy across the nation, as centers of research, education and services for industrial energy efficiency. Many energy-savvy students have been educated and trained through this effort and are now industrial leaders in the field.

Bin Wu, PhD
Professor and Program Director
Ronald McGarvey

McGarvey’s primary research interest is in applied optimization and its applications to public policy and resource management. This research aims to advance the methods for modeling public sector problems and improve policymakers’ decision-making. Professor McGarvey has more than 10 years of experience working as a researcher in Project AIR FORCE, a federally funded research and development center operated by the RAND Corporation that is tasked with performing policy analysis on behalf of Air Force leadership.

Ronald McGarvey, PhD
Assistant Professor

Learn more about this program

This program is administered by the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering