Studies & Degrees in Industrial Engineering
Industrial Engineering Study Programs
Industrial engineering is the branch of engineering that designs and improves the systems in which people, materials, information, equipment and energy work together. The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, quoted by Purdue University, defines it as the design, improvement and installation of such integrated systems. Where a mechanical engineer designs a machine, an industrial engineer designs the production line, the warehouse, the hospital workflow or the supply chain around it, and looks for ways to make it faster, safer and less wasteful.
The name does not mean the same in every country. In the United States and much of Latin America it is the systems and management discipline described above. In Spain, ingeniería industrial is a broad technical field that covers mechanical, electrical, electronic and chemical engineering, with its own regulated professions. The difference matters when comparing programmes.
Students take mathematics, physics, statistics and programming, then operations research, production planning, quality control, logistics and supply chain, ergonomics, economics and project management. Spanish degrees add more thermodynamics, mechanics, electrical engineering and materials.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degree, United States: the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that industrial engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering or a related field, such as mechanical or electrical engineering. The subject has a long history there: The Pennsylvania State University describes its department as the home of the world's first industrial engineering programme, established in 1908.
- Bachelor's degree (grado), Spain: degrees that qualify for the regulated profession of Ingeniero Técnico Industrial have 240 ECTS credits and include a 48-credit block in one specific technology: mechanical, electrical, industrial electronics, industrial chemistry or textile engineering (Orden CIN/351/2009). The Universidad de Navarra, for example, offers the Grado en Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriales at Tecnun in San Sebastián: an official degree of 240 ECTS credits over four years, taught in Spanish and English.
- Master's degree, Spain: the profession of Ingeniero Industrial requires an official master's degree. Bachelor's and master's study together must add up to at least 300 ECTS credits (Orden CIN/311/2009).
- Latin America: the first degree is a long professional programme. At the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA), Ingeniería Industrial lasts five years (ten four-month terms). In Chile the degree is called Ingeniería Civil Industrial; the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María awards the professional title of Ingeniero Civil Industrial together with the academic degree of Licenciado en Ciencias de la Ingeniería Industrial.
- Master's degree and doctorate elsewhere: graduates specialise in areas such as operations research, supply chain management or manufacturing systems, or continue to a PhD.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 154 active schools for industrial engineering. The United States (35) and Spain (34) have the most, followed by Chile (9), Colombia (7), Argentina (7) and Mexico (6). France has four, Costa Rica, Germany and Nicaragua three each, and Uruguay and South Korea two each.
In the United States the listed universities include Purdue University, The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Michigan and Northwestern University. In Spain examples are the Universidad de Navarra and the Universidad de Oviedo. In Latin America the list includes ITBA and the Universidad Austral in Buenos Aires, the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Valparaíso and the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico.
Programmes are taught in the language of the country, with some exceptions. At Tecnun the first year of the bachelor's degree can be taken entirely in English. Students who want to work in a country other than the one where they study should ask how the degree is recognised there, above all in Spain, where the profession is regulated.
Careers
Industrial engineers work in manufacturing, logistics and transport, consulting, health care, energy and public services. Typical roles are production or process engineer, quality engineer, supply chain analyst, operations manager and project manager. According to the BLS, they work in a variety of settings, such as offices and manufacturing plants.
In the United States the BLS counted 365,100 jobs for industrial engineers in 2025 and projects employment growth of 12 percent from 2025 to 2035. These figures refer to the United States only; comparable official figures for other countries were not found.
Frequently asked questions
What does an industrial engineer do?
According to the BLS, industrial engineers design, develop and test integrated systems for managing industrial production processes. In practice they organise production, logistics and services so that they use less time, material and energy.
Is industrial engineering the same in Spain as in the United States?
No. In the United States it is a systems and management discipline. In Spain it is a broad technical field with two regulated professions: Ingeniero Técnico Industrial, which requires an official bachelor's degree, and Ingeniero Industrial, which requires an official master's degree.
How long does the degree take?
In Spain the bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits over four years, and the qualifying master's degree brings the total to at least 300 ECTS credits. At ITBA in Argentina the degree lasts five years.
Can I study industrial engineering in English in Spain?
Partly. At Tecnun, the engineering school of the Universidad de Navarra, the degree is taught in Spanish and English and the first year can be taken entirely in English.