Industrial Engineering, B.S.

The Industrial Engineering program at Navajo Technical University focuses on design of systems for manufacturing and service applications. Students learn material science, manufacturing processes, CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping and other subjects which allow them to build or rebuild systems in organizations. Industrial Engineering is a branch of engineering that deals with design and improvement of integrated systems, including human resources, materials, equipment, and energy; using mathematics, physical sciences, and social sciences to maximize production of goods and services. In order to maximize efficiency, industrial engineers study product requirements carefully and design manufacturing and information systems to meet those requirements using physical and mathematical models. In addition, they develop management control systems to help in financial planning and cost analysis, design production planning and control systems to coordinate activities and ensure product quality. Furthermore, they design and improve systems for the physical distribution of goods and services and determine the most efficient plant locations as part of facilities planning operations. In a nutshell, industrial engineers determine the most effective ways to use the basic factors of production; namely people, machines, materials, information, and energy to make products and provide services.

The program is designed to help the Native Nation, state, and federal agencies and companies prepare for careers in the 21st century. Graduates of Industrial Engineering should be able to seek gainful employment in manufacturing and servicing companies such as petroleum, pharmaceuticals, automotive, industrial products, transportation, aerospace, food products, consultants, computers, and consumer products, and communications. Graduates of this program can be employed in companies that need the following personnel: manufacturing engineers, quality control engineers, process engineers, field engineers, facilities engineers, logistic managers, operations managers, materials engineers, and project managers.

A Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering requires 123 credit hours and is designed for a four- year program of study. Students in the baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours in the upper division courses, i.e., 300 and 400 level courses before they can graduate. The minimum credit load for a full-time student is 12 credit hours per semester.