Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering

IE Ph.D. programs of study comprise a minimum of 108 credits* beyond the baccalaureate degree, distributed as follows:

1. Dissertation/Doctoral Thesis Credits

IE PhD students must complete a minimum of 36 credits of IE 603 Thesis. A maximum of 60 of an IE PhD student's 108 credits may be IE 603 Thesis.  Additional credits beyond 108 may be IE 603 Thesis, if desired.

2.    Core Coursework

IE PhD students must pass the six core courses, as described below, with a 3.5 GPA and no single grade lower than B. If a student receives a grade lower than a B in a particular class they may repeat the class one time, or complete a substitute course, approved by the students committee, with a B or higher grade.

With permission of the faculty teaching a core course, students may use a course taken and the grade received from a different institution as a substitute for that core course. In the event that the student substitutes prior courses for all of the first-year core courses, the student must pass a selection of other technical classes at OSU (approved by the student’s committee) with a 3.5 GPA and no single grade lower than B.  Students that transfer to OSU at an advanced stage in their Ph.D. program will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

All core courses must be completed within six terms (not including summer term) after starting the Ph.D. program. In the case a student’s progress is interrupted by extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness), their case will be addressed on a case-by-case basis by the student’s committee.

  • IE 512: Information Systems Engineering (4 credits)
  • IE 521: Industrial Optimization I (3 credits) or IE 522: Industrial Optimization II (3 credits)
  • IE 545: Human Factors Engineering (4 credits)
  • IE 570: Management Systems Engineering (4 credits) or IE 571: Project Management in Engineering (3 credits) or IE 575: Systems Thinking Theory and Practice (4 credits)
  • IE 552: Design of Industrial Experiments (3 credits)
  • IE 563: Advanced Production Planning and Control (3 credits)

3.    Additional Coursework

IE Ph.D. students are required to bring their coursework credit total to a minimum of 48 credits by choosing additional graduate-level coursework to complete their program of study. All courses on the Program of Study form must be approved by the student's major professor.

4.    Transcript-visible Option(s) Coursework

IE PhD students may declare a transcript-visible option (see OSU Catalog for available options). Declaring a transcript-visible option is not required.

5.    Transcript-visible Minor(s) Coursework

IE PhD students may declare an 18-credit minor from a program outside of Industrial Engineering. Declaring a minor is not required.

Program Requirements and Milestones