If you like science and mathematics, are creative and oriented toward the new, the provocative, and the unusual, you will probably make a good engineer, and, specifically, a good industrial and systems engineer. In general, engineering is a demanding yet extremely rewarding field. Engineers must try to satisfy society's demand for improved performance, reliability, and safety of products. Engineers also are expected to supply solutions for environmental problems created by new technologies. Virginia Tech's College of Engineering is one of the best training grounds in the nation. Undergraduate engineering students at Virginia Tech are presented many exciting challenges during their program of study. Among the first of these challenges is selecting a major department to focus your studies. Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) is potentially a perfect match with your talents and ambitions.
The Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering offers a B.S. in industrial and systems engineering accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. It is one of the best known and highest rated ISE programs in the United States. The ISE Department represents a broad field concerned with the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, and equipment. The ISE undergraduate curriculum provides coursework useful in dealing with the physical aspects of systems, as well as with the organizational, economic, and human aspects. Such problems are found in industry and in service organizations and governmental agencies (for example, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, airlines and railroads, banks, and management consulting firms). In all of these capacities, the industrial engineer is concerned with improving productivity and quality.
Although many of our graduates continue their education in graduate schools around the world (including one of the graduate programs in ISE at Virginia Tech), many also accept exciting jobs in all branches of industry and federal agencies. Various placement opportunities are available for engineering students at Virginia Tech. Career Services provides career planning and job search assistance for students and alumni from Virginia Tech.
If you are a high school student interested in becoming an engineer, it is never too early to begin preparing for college at Virginia Tech.
Checksheet2008.pdf (Acrobat PDF)
