Industrial Engineering Department

Contact Information

Dr. Jeffrey C. Woldstad, Professor and Head
Department of Industrial Engineering
LIB 148
(605) 394-2628
E-mail: Jeffrey.Woldstad@sdsmt.edu

Faculty

Professors Kerk, and Woldstad; Associate Professors D. Jensen, Matejcik, and Piper; Assistant Professors Dubey and Na; and Professor Emeritus Kellogg.

Engineering Management

The MS degree in Engineering Management (MSEM) is designed to provide students who have a BS degrees in engineering and scientific disciplines the training necessary to pursue managerial careers. It is a multi-disciplinary applications-oriented degree, which draws from the fields of engineering, management, business, operations research and management science.  Graduates of the MSEM program are likely to find an initial position as a mid-level supervisor within a broad range of applications requiring the use of quantitative models to integrate human and material resources necessary to perform an integrated function. Program specific information and resources may be found at the department of industrial engineering website: http://ie.sdsmt.edu.

Research Areas

Faculty in the Industrial Engineering department are involved in a variety of research projects in the areas of: human factors, ergonomics, operations research, transportation, manufacturing and engineering education.

Degree Options

The MSEM program can be completed using a thesis or non-thesis option.  The thesis option requires enrollment in a minimum of 6 credits of thesis research (maximum 12 credits) and preparation and defense of a formal thesis document.   Students choosing the thesis option must be on-campus to complete this requirement.  The non-thesis option can be coursework only or can incorporate a project.

Most courses in this program are taught both on-campus and using a distance/online format.  On-campus courses are taught in the evenings to accommodate working professionals.  Students have the option of completing coursework on-campus, off-campus through distance/online, or by combining on-campus and off-campus coursework.  The program is designed to allow the MSEM degree to be completed using entirely distance/online courses in a 2-year time frame.

Certificates

Students enrolled in graduate programs at SD Mines may choose to enroll in the Occupational Safety, Six-Sigma Green Belt, or Technology Innovation Certificate programs.  For students admitted to an SD Mines graduate program, there are no separate admissions requirements for these certificate programs, but a formal letter of intent is required.  Students interested in the certificate programs should contact their advisor or the program director (Dr. Woldstad).  Individual courses in these programs may have prerequisites that must be met prior to enrolling.

For students enrolled in the MSEM degree program, courses taken at the 400 level or above as part of the Occupational Safety, Six-Sigma Green Belt, or Technology Innovation Certificates may be counted as elective courses. 

Accelerated MS option

The accelerated MSEM degree option enables students enrolled at SD Mines to complete both the BS and MS degrees in as little as 5 years.  Up to 9 credits of coursework may be applied toward the BS degree and may also be used to satisfy MSEM requirements. Dual-counted courses must be taken at the 500/600 level as an undergraduate student.  Only courses taken at SD Mines are eligible for dual credit.

Students interested in the accelerated program are strongly encouraged to apply at the end of their junior year.  Applications must be approved prior to the beginning of the final term of the undergraduate degree.  A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time the student applies to the program is required.  In addition to the standard application, students applying to the MSEM accelerated program must complete an accelerated advising plan documenting courses that will be dual-counted.  These courses must be approved by both the student’s undergraduate degree program (advisor and/or department head) and the MSEM program coordinator.  Please contact the program coordinator (Dr. Woldstad) for further information.

Additional policies concerning accelerated MS degrees can be found in the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees  by the Council of Graduate Education.

Outcomes

Students who successfully complete the MS Degree in Engineering Management will be able to:

1. Use quantitative tools to solve engineering management problems;
2. Apply scientific data on human capabilities and limitations to effectively manage human capital;
3. Evaluate and compare business opportunities using engineering economics and financial management;
4. Effectively employ contemporary tools in engineering management, operations research, production planning, and industrial engineering.

Financial support

A limited number of assistantships and/or fellowships are available for on-campus students enrolled in this program.  Preference in awarding this funding will be given to highly qualified students enrolled in the accelerated MSEM option who have completed the BS degree requirements.

Background requirements

Students admitted to this degree program must possess a bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited institution. In addition, the following bachelor’s level credits are required:

1. Mathematics one year minimum, to include algebra and basic calculus (Equivalent to School of Mines MATH 123 ).
2. Six semester hours of natural and physical science (fields of geology, astronomy, biology, meteorology, chemistry, and physics) and which must include at least 3 credit hours of chemistry or physics.
3. Three semester hours of probability and statistics.
4. Two semester hours of engineering economics.

Individual elective courses may have additional prerequisite requirements.  Students with deficiencies in probability and statistics or engineering economics may be admitted on a provisional basis while these requirements are being satisfied.  Undergraduate-level distance courses covering these topics are periodically offered at SD Mines to help students address these deficiencies.  Enrollment in these remedial courses cannot be counted towards the 32 credit requirement for the MSEM degree.

Admission requirements

Application to the MSEM program should be made through the graduate office at School of Mines http://graded.sdsmt.edu/prospective/apply.  This application requires an application fee, official transcripts of all prior academic work and evidence of English language proficiency (international applicants only).  Admission to this program does not require the GRE exam or letters of recommendation.

Typical students admitted to this program have completed a BS degree in engineering from an ABET accredited institution with a cumulative GPA greater than 3.0.

Transfer credits

Policies for transferring credits from outside institutions can be found in the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees  by the Council of Graduate Education. All transfers are subject to approval by the student’s advisor or advisory committee.

A maximum of 12 semester hours of credit may be transferred into the candidate’s program from another institution. It is recommended that students seek approval for courses that will be transferred prior to enrolling in the course.  The SD Mines continuing registration requirement must be satisfied for students enrolled in the MSEM program.  Students utilizing transfer credits should plan accordingly and ensure that they comply with SD Mines graduate registration policies.