Is Industrial Engineering the Right Career Change for You?

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I'm considering changing careers and studying industrial engineering but I would like to learn a bit more about the field. Basically, I've always had some idea that I would very much enjoy engineering. I love learning how things work and being able to improve them. I read the "Should I become an Engineer" thread and felt it described me perfectly. If only I'd seen the post my freshman year of college! However, I already have undergraduate degrees in economics and psychology. I enjoyed both of those fields but am no longer sure my current career path would be as satisfying as engineering (If I don't get an IE degree I'll end up getting an MBA and probably work in corporate finance).

I have taken enough math courses to meet the admissions requirements for an MSE in Industrial Engineering. I also have a good friend who graduated with a masters in IE and I thought their classes sounded really interesting. I remember looking at her books and thinking there was a lot of similarity between what she was studying and what you might see in a rigorous applied economics course (in terms of the mathematical and statistical techniques, as well as some overlap regarding efficiency, etc.). Based on this information, along with the fact that I would very much like a career that is both intellectual and somewhat "hands on", I think IE would be a great fit.

However, this would be a major change of directions and although IE seems more appealing now than my other options the cost of switching career tracks is high (what if I don't like it for some reason!?). Despite the exposure to IE that I've mentioned above, I feel like it is more opaque than other types of engineering. I'm looking for information that anyone is willing to provide that might help ensure that I make this decision wisely, perhaps some information about a day in the life of an IE, or anything else?

Thanks.

 

[ych22]

(IE undergrad here)

Are you looking at a particular university's MS? Besides math classes, I think any decent MS program in IE will require applicants to have a background in computation and programming.

Correct me if I am wrong, IE is a collection of tools and skills from math, CS and statistics; used to analyze processes and systems, identify problems and casual relationships, and finally propose alternatives and solutions. While IE graduates are pretty employable, there are few jobs out there that will require the full skill sets of an IE graduate and thus deserve the title "Industrial Engineer".

An IE grad will probably be more prized for his/her analytical thinking and abilitiy to apply appropriate mathematical models to practical problems. Supply Chain management, quality assurance, quantitative analyst, and financial engineering are some of the fields where I think an IE graduate fit in real well, although none of them necessarily require IE graduates.