Deciding which academic degree will bring you closest to your career objectives is an important topic. Aspiring students who wish to pursue an industrial engineering degree will discover that the engineering sector provides an excellent choice in terms of employment versatility.
Industrial engineering refers more specifically to the processes of manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. A masters degree in industrial engineering online (or on-campus) is offered with two fundamental degree types –
- A Master of Science (MS) degree in Engineering.
- Master of Engineering (M Eng.) degree.
Each of these online programs will offer graduates the opportunity to earn the skills and expertise for gainful employment; however, each graduate degree differs slightly from the other in terms of the degree’s objectives and curriculum. In addition, industrial engineering degree candidates will explore the many qualitative and quantitative reasoning skills required for success in this field. This includes understanding the professional methods to maximize efficiency and improved processes achieve through the application of engineering methods and concepts. Let’s review the primary differences –
- An MS degree in Industrial Engineering will require students to complete a culminating capstone project or thesis to graduate. An MS degree in Industrial Engineering offers a more comprehensive curriculum that includes coursework in foundational scientific concepts that relate to the major. An MS degree is the right choice for students with a career objective as an administrator or a researcher. Many MS degree holders choose to further their education by earning a Ph.D.
- A Masters in Engineering (aka MEIE degrees) include a technically oriented curriculum. Students take classes that permit them to grasp the concepts of industrial engineering on a more specialized scale. An MEIE is generally considered a terminal degree in that graduates enter the workforce upon graduation.
But note that both master’s degree programs will serve students will as both academic graduate degrees take a deep dive into the related coursework of efficiency, productivity, and manufacturing. Industrial engineers focus on the integration of manufacturing systems that include both mechanical and human aspects.
Most masters in industrial engineering online programs offer a student the flexibility that is generally required to maintain a healthy work and study-life balance.
Best 11 Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering Online
1. Oklahoma State University (OSU – Norman)
The engineering, Architecture & Technology College at Oklahoma State University offers one of the best master’s degree in industrial engineering online (MSIEM) programs with its Master of Science degree program in Industrial Engineering and Management. Active military members are offered a discounted tuition rate.
- Tuition Fees – $ 230.45 per credit (Oklahoma residents), $360.00 per credit (nonresidents).
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 30 semester credits for thesis option and 33 semester credits without thesis option.
- Accreditation – HLC
2. Texas Tech University (TTU – Lubbock)
Texas Tech University’s Whitacre Engineering College offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in Industrial Engineering (MSIE) that can be completed entirely online. TTU’s graduate degree in Industrial Engineering offers degree candidates five academic concentrations – engineering management, manufacturing & quality assurance, ergonomics/human factors, and operations research, Classes for this master’s degree in industrial engineering includes principles of optimization, research modeling, advanced manufacturing, and human factors in engineering, among others.
- Tuition Fees – $ 393.00 per credit (District Residents), $ 1,022.25 per credit (nonresidents).
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 30 semester credits.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
3. Binghamton University (BU – New York)
Binghamton University offers two of New York’s best programs with its Master of Engineering and Master of Science degree programs in engineering, Industrial, and Systems degree. The MEng in Industrial Engineering is a part-time program for working professionals that offers practice-oriented coursework. The MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) is a research-oriented program that offers both a thesis and non-thesis option.
- Tuition Fees – $471.25 per credit (NY residents), $ 962.50 per credit (nonresidents).
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 30 semester credits.
- Accreditation – MSCHE
4. Mississippi State University (MSU)
The Industrial & Systems Engineering Department within Mississippi State University offers a Master of Science degree (MS) in Industrial & Systems Engineering that is available with a thesis option or a non-thesis option that can be completed entirely online. This master’s degree in industrial engineering online program from MSU offers several academic concentrations – industrial systems, management systems, manufacturing systems, operations research, human factors, and ergonomics. Classes include engineering statistics, process improvement engineering, and project management, among others.
- Tuition Fees – $ 489.00 per credit.
- Credit Units Required to Graduate –– 30 semester credits.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
5. The University of Illinois (UI – Urbana – Champaign)
The Grainger Engineering College at the University of Illinois offers a Master of Science degree (MS) in Industrial Engineering that can be completed entirely online. Students enrolled in the University of Illinois’s graduate degree in industrial engineering do not need to complete a thesis but must finish a four-hour independent study. This engineering online program offers students a concentration in advanced analytics.
- Tuition Fees – $ 490.00 per credit (Illinois residents).
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 36 semester credits.
- Accreditation – HLC
6. Auburn University (AU – Alabama)
The Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University Industrial and Systems Engineering Department offers a Master of Engineering degree (MEM) that is available 100% online. The classes for Auburn University’s innovative master’s degree engineering online program include Six Sigma, Human Factors Engineering, Lean Systems, and Engineering-Economic Systems, to name a few. Academic concentrations include manufacturing, occupancy safety & ergonomics, product innovation, and systems.
- Tuition Fees – $ 560.00 per credit (Alabama residents).
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 30 semester credits.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
7. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech Online) offers a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering (MSIE) that ranked among Georgia’s best industrial engineering online programs. Classes for this graduate industrial engineering include manufacturing systems, warehousing systems, and transportation and supply chain systems, to name a few. Georgia Tech allows incoming students to transfer up to six eligible credits. Degree candidates have nine credits of elective and technical classes.
- Tuition Fees – $ 586.00 per credit. (Georgia Resident), $ 1,215 per credit (Nonresidents).
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 30 semester credits.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
8. The University of Missouri (Mizzou)
The Engineering College at the University of Missouri offers one of the state’s best online programs with its MS in Industrial Engineering that is available 100% online. This two-year program includes coursework in big data, supply chain engineering, production analysis, and industrial energy efficiency, among others. Students may opt to earn a graduate certificate in Global Supply Chain Management while earning their MS degree in industrial engineering at Mizzou.
- Tuition Fees – $628.15 per credit.
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 30 semester credits.
- Accreditation – HLC
9. The University of Tennessee (UT Knoxville)
The Tickle Engineering College at the University of Tennessee offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in Industrial Engineering that offers degree candidates three academic tracks – systems engineering, engineering management, and automotive manufacturing. UT’s online program is available entirely online or on the school’s Knoxville campus. Students have the opportunity of completing the program with or without a thesis.
- Tuition Fees – $ 639.00 per credit (Tennessee residents), $ 1,650.00 per credit (non residents).
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 32 semester credits.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
10. Arizona State University (ASU Online)
Arizona State University Fulton Engineering School offers a Master of Science degree (MS) in Industrial Engineering that is ranked among the top twenty best master’s degree programs in the nation, according to US News & World Report. This MS degree in industrial engineering offers degree candidates a thesis and non-thesis track. Classes for ASU’s industrial engineering master’s degree include information systems engineering, financial engineering, analysis of decision processes, and management of technology, to name a few.
- Tuition Fees – $1,086.00 per credit.
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 30 semester credits.
- Accreditation – HLC
11. New York University (NYU – Manhattan)
The Tandon Engineering School at New York University offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in Industrial Engineering that is ranked among the nation’s most innovative online programs. The core coursework for this graduate degree in industrial engineering from NYU includes facility planning and design, factory simulation, production science, and quality control & improvement, to name a few.
- Tuition Fees – $ 1,943.00 per credit (all students).
- Credit Units Required to Graduate – 30 semester credits.
- Accreditation – MSCHE
Our Ranking Methodology
The masters degree in industrial engineering online programs included in the above analysis offers a cross-section of the programs available throughout the education marketplace in the United States.
The master’s degree programs are shown with the most cost-effective master’s degree in industrial engineering online programs listed first. It is noted that the tuition costs disclosed for these graduate industrial engineering programs are based on the latest available tuition data from the school year of either 2020 to 2021 or 2019 to 2020.
The tuition information and program/school data has been obtained from each of the college/university’s website, the US Dept. Of Labor (DOL) or the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The tuition fees are provided as ‘per-credit fees,’ which offers potential students the necessary financial insight regarding the fundamental fees of earning the degree. In addition, the above analysis includes the following data –
- Credit units are required to complete the master’s degree in industrial engineering online program.
- The school’s accreditation.
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