Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial and Systems Engineering

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A Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE) allows graduates to pursue professional careers at academic institutions, national research labs, federal and state agencies, and private and public corporations. Students enrolled in the program will develop the ability to identify and pursue important research questions pertaining to the field of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Students will also acquire the quantitative, qualitative, and methodological research skills needed to advance research findings that contribute to the development of the economy, society, and industry, either locally or globally. Training focuses on the engineering process, skills, and critical thinking necessary to design and execute scientific and engineering research. Training through research and study of the primary literature endows graduates of the program with enhanced content knowledge, applied skills and a fundamental understanding of the engineering process and technology to prescribe scientific solutions. The overall goal of the program is to train and develop advanced practitioners, researchers and teaching scholars in Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Learning Objective and Outcomes

Graduates of the Ph.D. program in Industrial and Systems Engineering will be able to demonstrate the following objectives/outcomes:

1. Advanced Knowledge. Master advanced concepts, methods and technologies in industrial and systems engineering thrust areas.

2. Methods. Understand and apply research methodologies to relevant industrial and systems engineering questions, issues, and problems.

3. Research. Conduct independent research that results in an original contribution to knowledge that meets all the standards for responsible conduct of research.

4. Ethics. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of ethical standards in executing research.

5. Communication. Communicate research to both technical and general audiences in an effective manner through oral and written formats.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the Ph.D. program in Industrial and Systems Engineering must have a B.S. degree. In addition to the Graduate School minimum requirements, applicants must also have a minimum GPA of 3.20 - (out of 4.00 scale), GRE test score, statement of purpose, resume, and three letters of recommendation.

Course Requirements

The Graduate Studies Committee, in consultation with the faculty advisor and the chair of the department, is responsible for approving each student’s program to meet the course requirements specified below. Each student must complete at least 90 semester hours of graduate course work after the baccalaureate degree. Students with a master’s degree can transfer up to 30 semester hours of graduate course work. The committee will assess all work done at other institutions and will recommend acceptance of transfer credit for any graduate work deemed appropriate, subject to the policies of and approval by the Graduate School. In addition to meeting all of the course requirements below, students must ensure at least one half of their course work is at the 600-level or above, excluding dissertation hours.

The Graduate Studies Committee of the department is also responsible for the administration of the candidacy examination. In addition, all students are required to complete the following.

Core Courses (12)

All Ph.D. students must successfully complete:

ISYE 671 - Linear Programming and Network Flows Credits: 3

Students must complete at least three from the following list:

ISYE 510 - Human Factors Engineering Credits: 3
OR ISYE 691 - Occupational Ergonomics (3)
ISYE 530 - Quality Control Credits: 3
OR ISYE 630 - Advanced Quality Control (3)
ISYE 540 - Production Planning and Control Credits: 3
OR ISYE 640 - Advanced Production and Inventory Control (3)
ISYE 570 - Introduction to Data Analytics for Engineers Credits: 3
OR ISYE 670 - Data Analytics for Engineers (3)
ISYE 580 - Simulation Modeling and Analysis Credits: 3
OR ISYE 680 - Advanced Simulation Techniques (3)

Graduate Seminar (1)

Students are required to complete one (1) semester hour of ISYE 695, Graduate Seminar.

Doctoral Seminar (2)

Students are required to register for two (2) semesters of ISYE 795, Doctoral Seminar.

Industry Residency (3)

All students must take ISYE 701, Industry Residency after successfully completing the candidacy examination.

Electives (48)

An additional 48 semester hours of graduate course work as electives. Elective courses can be graduate courses in Industrial and Systems Engineering and related disciplines outside the department. All elective courses must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, in consultation with the faculty advisor and the chair of the department.

Dissertation (24)

A minimum of 24 semester hours of ISYE 799, Doctoral Dissertation must be taken. The student must successfully pass the candidacy examination before taking ISYE 799.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying exam is a written examination based on the core courses. The examination is to be taken within one year after completion of the core courses. The exam will cover linear programming, statistics, ergonomics, quality, production planning and simulation. A student who fails the qualifying examination may be granted the opportunity to retake it. Failure on the second attempt denies the student admission to qualification.

Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee for each student will be nominated by the chair of the department and appointed by the dean of the Graduate School. This committee will consist of three to five graduate faculty members and will otherwise meet the specifications of the Graduate School. It will be chaired by the faculty advisor, who is appointed by the chair of the department and the dean of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology and the dean of the Graduate School.

Candidacy Examination

An oral examination of a proposal of a dissertation topic is required after the student has completed at least 45 semester hours of courses. This examination will be evaluated by the dissertation committee and must be found satisfactory before the candidate may continue their progress towards completion of the doctoral degree requirements. A student who fails the examination may be granted the opportunity to retake it. Failure on the second attempt will terminate the student from the Ph.D. program in Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Oral Dissertation Defense

An oral examination on the dissertation will be conducted by the dissertation committee according to the Graduate School regulations.