Dec 07, 2025  
2025-2026 University Catalog 
    
2025-2026 University Catalog

Industrial Engineering, MSIE

Location(s): West Lafayette, Online


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Undergraduate Programs List

About the Program


The School of Industrial Engineering has been defining the field and educating future leaders in industrial engineering for 65 years. The graduate program in Industrial Engineering is ranked in the top 10 and the IE online degree program is ranked #1 in the nation. The program’s researchers perform field-defining research that is regarded worldwide for its impact and quality. 

Industrial Engineering advances the science of optimization, systems integration, and process improvement across diverse industries. The School of Industrial Engineering’s faculty and students blur the lines of traditional IE academic pillars and rethink the basics to best tackle tomorrow’s challenges. They develop innovative methods for improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing productivity in nearly every sector of society. Students will join a welcoming environment of inclusive excellence and belonging and make their mark on the world. The program will help students shape the future by finding new ways to address both current and emerging challenges in the complex systems that surround us all.

Master’s students can pursue a thesis, non-thesis (also availabe online), or non-thesis/Professional Master’s. See below for each set of requirements.

Program Website

Non-thesis Program Website (online version)

Program Requirements - Thesis


30 Credits Required

Required Courses (12 credits)


At least 12 credits must come form 500/600-level IE courses.

Electives (9 credits)


Students must take at least 9 credits of graduate-level coursework from either IE or a related area. Pre-approved related areas include:

  • other engineering disciplines
  • mathematics, statistics, computer sciences, biology
  • psychology, sociology
  • economics, management

Thesis Research (9 credits)


Additional Requirements


Pre-approval is required for non-IE 1-credit courses and courses from areas not in the pre-approved list. All courses must be 500/600-level courses with the exception of up to one 400-level course. Courses NOT allowed on the Plan of Study:

  • Professional Master’s (PMP) Industry Capstone Project courses
  • P/NP or S grade courses
  • Audited courses
  • Zero credit courses
  • Research credit hours (IE 69800)
  • Individual Study (these are listed as “variable title courses” in the registration assistant)
  • STAT 50100, 50200, 50300, 51100, 51300
  • Polytechnic courses (AVTH, CNIT, CGT, BCM, ECET, ENGT, MET, TLI, TECH, etc.)
  • Courses irrelevant to the degree

Program Requirements - Non-thesis


30 Credits Required

Required Courses (21 credits)


At least 21 credits must come form 500/600-level IE courses.

Electives (9 credits)


Students must take at least 9 credits of graduate-level coursework from either IE or a related area. Pre-approved related areas include:

  • other engineering disciplines
  • mathematics, statistics, computer sciences, biology
  • psychology, sociology
  • economics, management

Additional Requirements


Pre-approval is required for non-IE 1-credit courses and courses from areas not in the pre-approved list. All courses must be 500/600-level courses with the exception of up to one 400-level course. Courses NOT allowed on the Plan of Study:

  • Professional Master’s (PMP) Industry Capstone Project courses
  • P/NP or S grade courses
  • Audited courses
  • Zero credit courses
  • Individual Study (these are listed as “variable title courses” in the registration assistant)
  • STAT 50100, 50200, 50300, 51100, 51300
  • Polytechnic courses (AVTH, CNIT, CGT, BCM, ECET, ENGT, MET, TLI, TECH, etc.)
  • Courses irrelevant to the degree

Program Requirements - Professional Master’s


30 Credits Required

Required Courses (21 credits)


At least 21 credits must come form 500/600-level IE courses.

Capstone Project (9 credits)


Additional Requirements


All courses must be 500/600-level courses with the exception of up to one 400-level course. Courses NOT allowed on the Plan of Study:

  • P/NP or S grade courses
  • Audited courses
  • Zero credit courses
  • Research credit hours (IE 69800)
  • Individual Study (these are listed as “variable title courses” in the registration assistant)
  • STAT 50100, 50200, 50300, 51100, 51300
  • Polytechnic courses (AVTH, CNIT, CGT, BCM, ECET, ENGT, MET, TLI, TECH, etc.)
  • Courses irrelevant to the degree

Concentrations


All concentrations are available for both the residential and online program.

Departmental concentrations:

  • Healthcare System Engineering Concentration for Industrial Engineering, MSIE
  • Manufacturing Engineering Concentration for Industrial Engineering, MSIE

Interdisciplinary concentrations:

GPA Requirements


A grade of C or better on every course listed in the plan of study and an overall GPA of 3.0 or better on all courses listed in the plan of study is required.

Graduate Programs Disclaimer


  • The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
  • Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary. 
  • Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
  • Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
  • Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Undergraduate Programs List