A master’s in
industrial engineering has been added to the programs at South Dakota Mines.
Pictured is Doug Bachand, owner of Full Send Ski Co., and a graduate of the
industrial engineering and engineering management bachelor’s program.
South Dakota Mines has added a master’s of science degree
in industrial engineering to support expanded university research and meet a
regional need.
Mines
has had an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering and Engineering
Management since 2006,
according to Jeffrey Woldstad, PhD and head of the
Department of Industrial Engineering.
“The addition of the master’s degree will complement the current master’s
program in engineering management and help support the research mission of our
department,” Woldstad says.
The
field of industrial engineering is
a diverse branch of engineering that focuses on maximizing efficiencies in
business and industry and eliminating waste. Industrial engineering grads work
in a wide range of fields, from automotive manufacturing, aerospace, mining,
healthcare, finance and education.
Mines
graduates of the bachelor’s program in industrial engineering and engineering
management enjoy an average starting salary of $66,525 and a job placement rate
of 97%. They have gone on to work for such companies as Lockheed Martin and
Tesla. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in industrial
engineering will grow by 10% from 2016-2026.
Woldstad says engineers who
earn advanced degrees “earn significantly higher wages and advance in their
careers faster than engineers with only B.S. degrees.” Obtaining a master’s
degree also allows engineers to specialize in areas such as production management,
quality control, operations research and ergonomics.
The addition of this program is also a great
economic benefit to the state of South Dakota due to having more engineers with
advanced degrees in production, manufacturing and safety, Woldstad says.
Woldstad expects to have the program’s first
graduate students this spring or next fall.