University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Engineering Outreach
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Whether it's streamlining an operating room, distributing products worldwide, improving customer relationships through the internet or designing an airplane cockpit, all industrial engineers share the common goal of increasing an organization's efficiency, profitability and safety. Industrial engineering is concerned with solving problems through the application of scientific and practical knowledge.
You see “the big picture” and understand issues that cut across entire organizations within many industries and work environments, including information technology, healthcare, aerospace, power generation, finance and business consulting. To succeed in such diverse workplaces, you possess strong leadership skills and a commitment to working with teams of managers, scientists and other professionals. That's why industrial engineering is considered one of the most 'people-focused' fields of engineering.
Sometimes referred to as “systems engineering,” the name “industrial engineer” is a traditional name derived from the manufacturing roots of the discipline. Today, “industrial” no longer means just manufacturing – it can be used to evaluate and improve productivity and quality in all industries.
The program balances a traditional engineering curriculum with courses encompassing management science, IT, human physiology and psychology. In Year 1, you learn engineering basics, sharing your classes with Mechanical Engineering students. Year 2 allows you to delve into the fundamentals of statistics, operations research, and human-centred systems design. These courses serve as a great introduction to the problem-solving skills that are at the core of industrial engineering.
Design and synthesis are the themes of Years 3 and 4, when you will put into action the concepts and tools you developed in your foundational years. For instance, you'll tackle issues such as how to provide doctors and nurses with timely access to electronic patient data, or how to design an information system to run an online music download store. Typical Year 4 classes include decision analysis, scheduling and healthcare systems. The breadth of courses in our program allows you to explore other facets of industrial engineering including management science, manufacturing, innovation and entrepreneurship. A Year 4 thesis applies your cumulative knowledge in a year-long research project where you solve a real-world problem.
To get to know some of our students in the Industrial Engineering program as well as recent graduates of this program, please visit the Meet Our Students section.
For more information about Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, please visit the program website: www.mie.utoronto.ca
"I’ve been dyed purple, co-founded the Engineering Photography Club, played Innertube Waterpolo, played the ‘kettle pot’ with the Lady Godiva Memorial Band in the Santa Claus Parade, been a F!rosh leader, been a mentor, a class rep, and an External Director for the U of T Engineering First Responders, just to name a few."