The Systems Science and Industrial Engineering (SSIE) Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE). The Bachelor of Science program in Industrial and Systems Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, , under the General Criteria and the Industrial Engineering and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria and the Systems and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria.
The Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering (BS ISE) is a degree designed to combine engineering skills, systems thinking and business/information processing. The curriculum focus is on designing systems and processes which normally include the human element. The mathematical skills range from discrete techniques to stochastic techniques with a significant focus on variability.
°®¶¹´«Ã½ students typically enter our program in their second year, after they complete their first-year experience in Watson College's Engineering Design Division. The curriculum is also specially structured to enable transfer students to complete the program from any of the Two-Year Engineering Science Association (TYESA) community colleges in New York if they complete the required coursework while in the two-year program.
The program educational objectives (PEOs) for the program are as follows:
Within a few years of graduation, graduates will accomplish the following objectives:
- Designing, developing, and managing both deterministic and nondeterministic complex processes and systems involving people, information, equipment, and financial and material assets, with special emphasis on using probabilistic methods, design of experiments and simulation
- Joining and contributing to industrial, government and service organizations, and to operate effectively with a high level of professional and ethical standards
- Independent learning, acquiring professional certifications and/or advanced degrees in reputable graduate schools in manufacturing, service, and enterprise systems
- Communicating and contributing effectively in a diverse team environment
The emphasis is on the application of engineering fundamentals with a balanced treatment of theory, design, and experience. The use of industry-standard computer software is integrated throughout the curriculum. During the fourth year the primary focus is upon design. A two-course design sequence covers the concepts and terminates in a capstone design experience that normally involves a project with industry or community-based sponsors. The curriculum combines a solid set of core courses with (three) technical electives to give students a wide range of choices in meeting their individual educational objectives. A maximum of one of the three technical electives can be in a subject that is in another closely related discipline; ISE technical electives are preferred.
Note: Any undergraduate student taking an undergraduate course that is cross-listed with a graduate course will earn the credit for the undergraduate course only. Note that the student will not be eligible to earn graduate-level credit for the cross-listed graduate course at a later date. Refer to the sections below for students interested in the accelerated degree programs.
Requirements for the BS Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering
To receive the BS ISE degree, students must complete a minimum of 127 credit hours in the courses outlined below with a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 (C) in the core industrial and systems engineering courses and an overall minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.0. All °®¶¹´«Ã½ students must also meet the General Education requirements; for more details, refer to the General Education section of this publication or consult with the Watson College Advising Office.
In the table below, the courses listed in the first year/fall semester and first year/spring semester constitute Watson College’s common first-year program for engineering students. The common first year is administered by the Engineering Design Division, as described in the Engineering Design Division section of the Bulletin.
Note: To meet the ISE program prerequisites required by the major, courses in the second, third and fourth years should be taken in the prescribed sequence to ensure the opportunity to graduate in four years.
| First Year/Fall Semester | Credits |
| MATH 224/225 Differential Calculus/Integral Calculus | 4 |
| CHEM 111 Chemical Principles | 4 |
| EDD 103 Engineering Communications I | 2 |
| EDD 111 Intro to Engineering Design | 2 |
| General Education elective (G, D, A, N, H)* | 4 |
| Physical Activity/Wellness (Y, S, B) | 1 |
| Total | 17 |
| First Year/Spring Semester | Credits |
| MATH 226/227 Integration Techniques and Application/Infinite Series | 4 |
| PHYS 131 General Physics I | 4 |
| EDD 104 Engineering Communications II | 2 |
| EDD 112 Intro to Engineering Analysis | 2 |
| General Education elective (G, D, A, N, H)* | 4 |
| Physical Activity/Wellness (Y, S, B) | 1 |
| Total | 17 |
| * It is advised that students take one of the required General Education courses in both the fall and spring semesters of the first year. | |
| Second Year/Fall Semester | Credits |
| MATH 324 Ordinary Diff. Equations for Engineers or MATH 323 Calculus | 4 |
| PHYS 132 General Physics II | 4 |
| ME 273 Statics | 3 |
| ISE 231 Human Factors | 4 |
| ISE 295 Seminar Course | 1 |
| Total | 16 |
| Second Year/Spring Semester | Credits |
| ISE 211 Engineering Economics | 4 |
| ISE 261 Probabilistic Systems I | 4 |
| General Education elective (G, D, A, N, H) | 4 |
| General Education elective (G, D, A, N, H) | 4 |
| Total | 16 |
| Third Year/Fall Semester | Credits |
| MATH 304 Linear Algebra | 4 |
| ISE 311 Enterprise Systems | 4 |
| ISE 314 Computer Programming for Engineers | 4 |
| ISE 362 Probabilistic Systems II and DOE | 4 |
| Total | 16 |
| Third Year/Spring Semester | Credits |
| ISE 212 Engineering Computing | 4 |
| ISE 320 Optimization and Operations Research I | 4 |
| ISE 363 Quality Engineering | 4 |
| General Education elective (G, D, A, N, H) | 4 |
| Total | 16 |
| Fourth Year/Fall Semester | Credits |
| ISE 470 Industrial Automation | 4 |
| ISE 420 Optimization and Operations Research II | 4 |
| ISE 421 Modeling and Simulation | 4 |
| ISE 491 Systems Design | 4 |
| Total | 16 |
| Fourth Year/Spring Semester | Credits |
| ISE 492 Systems Design Project | 4 |
| Technical elective | 3 |
| Technical elective | 3 |
| Technical elective | 3 |
| Total | 13 |
Students must complete 30 credits of college-level math and basic science appropriate to industrial and systems engineering. If students fail to meet the minimum 30 credits, additional math and/or science electives will be required. It is important that students meet with their major department to discuss options. To ensure appropriate advising and timely completion of the BS ISE degree program, the department blocks limited courses each semester and requires all BS ISE students to meet with their department faculty advisor to receive approval before registering for blocked classes.
Note: For transfer students, consult your college/university, the Undergraduate Admissions Office and/or the Watson College Advising Office for additional information regarding course requirements.
Education Abroad Opportunities
Students interested in incorporating an international experience into their educational program can do so with careful planning. This is most feasible in the spring semester of the second year as the two core ISE second-year spring-semester courses required (ISE 261 Probabilistic Systems I and ISE 211 Engineering Economics) are available to take during winter/summer terms, thus creating an opportunity for ambitious students with strong academic standing to pursue an extended (industry) internship or semester abroad program. Students intending to pursue such opportunities must seek advising from both their class year advisor and the ISE Undergraduate Director.
Required Course Prerequisites
The following courses, or their equivalent(s), are required prerequisites for the major:
If students do not place into MATH 224, then MATH 223 (or its equivalent) and, if needed, MATH 108 (or its equivalent) and, if needed, MATH 107 (or its equivalent) and, if needed, MATH 106 (or its equivalent) are required prerequisites for completion of the major.
Students who have not had adequate course preparation may need to take CHEM 100 prior to taking CHEM 104 or CHEM 111.
While EDD 103/111/104/112 is preferred, in rare cases, under advisement from the Watson Advising Office and subject to department approval, a first-year composition course and an introduction to computer programming course may be used to meet the EDD 103/111/104/112 requirement. Subject to the approval of the undergraduate director or chair following careful evaluation of the student’s program of study, alternative substitutions may be considered.
Minor in Engineering Analytics
The engineering analytics minor (EAM) is open to undergraduate majors in engineering, computer science, mathematics, and business. Students in this minor will acquire a set of practical data analytics skills, including understanding of patterns in data, applying analytical frameworks, analyzing collected data in engineering problems, constructing predictive models, and discovering hidden relationships in data. Hence, students will gain a competitive advantage in this rapidly growing field and will be better prepared to enter the workforce and analyze large data sets in their chosen fields.
The EAM requires the completion of three core ISE courses (a total of 12 credit hours) and three ISE electives (nine credit hours). The total number of credit hours required for this minor is 21. A list of required core courses for this minor is given below. Students must earn a GPA of 2.7 or better in all required courses (with a letter grade being required for all courses in the EAM). These courses can be used to fulfill the requirements for the ISE major because some of them are ISE core courses.
Core Courses
- ISE 212 Engineering Computing
- ISE 314 Computer Programming for Engineers
- ISE 261 Probabilistic Systems I
Elective Courses: Choose three (minimum nine credit hours)
- ISE 414X Fundamentals of Energy Systems Engineering
- ISE 419 Applied Soft Computing
- ISE 423 Collective Dynamics of Complex Systems
- ISE 422 Advanced Decision Modeling
- ISE 426X Systems Dynamics & Systems Thinking
- ISE 448 Healthcare Data Science & Analytics
- ISE 464 Elem of Fuzzy Logic & Fuzzy Set Theory
- ISE 467X Smart Manufacturing Analytics
- ISE 497 Independent Study*
* This course should be designed to address important issues in the field of engineering analytics.
For students with non-ISE background, however, note that the above-mentioned core ISE courses have the following prerequisites:
- MATH 224 Differential Calculus
- MATH 225 Integral Calculus
- MATH 226 Integration Tech & Application
- MATH 227 Infinite Series
Any substitution of the above courses (core, elective, and/or prerequisite) is subject to the review and approval of the undergraduate program director or department chair.
For more information, visit the.
Minor in Computer Science
A minor in computer science is available for BS ISE majors. As a reminder, BS ISE majors who take a minor in computer science may choose a maximum of one computer science course to count as a technical elective; the other two technical electives must be ISE technical electives. Students may also apply for an extended program leading to dual degrees in industrial and systems engineering and computer science. For details, students should contact the Watson College Advising Office prior to registration.
Minor in Sustainability Engineering
A minor in sustainability engineering is available for BS ISE majors. As a reminder, BS ISE majors who take a minor in sustainability engineering may choose a maximum of one sustainability engineering course to count as a technical elective; the other two technical electives must be ISE technical electives. For details, students should contact the Watson College Advising Office prior to registration.