Get to Know Industrial Engineering Program: Overview, Courses, and Career Opportunities

Industrial Engineering is among the most sought-after study programs by high school students who want to continue their education at higher education institutions. This program is widely available in various universities in Indonesia, including Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS). You may have questions about what industrial engineering is. Curious about this particular program, aren’t you? Let’s take a look at the profile of this program.

Industrial Engineering is a field that studies how a process and system can operate more efficiently, productively, and with better quality. Industrial engineering science involves analyzing, designing, implementing, and improving systems to achieve desired goals.

If you are interested in pursuing studies in this field, there are several subjects in high school that you must master. According to the Head of the Industrial Engineering Study Program at UMS, Dr. Etika Muslimah, S.T., M.M., M.T., some subjects that must be mastered before entering the Industrial Engineering study program are Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and English.

You will receive lectures on five main areas when taking Industrial Engineering courses. “Students will be directed towards five main focuses, namely operations management, design, industrial engineering, data analysis, and corporate policy,” explained Etika.

The knowledge you acquire during your studies in Industrial Engineering will serve as a fundamental understanding for students to apply in the workforce. With a study period for the bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering typically lasting around four years, graduates of Industrial Engineering will be directed towards becoming skilled professionals capable of working in manufacturing companies, service industries, and even entrepreneurship. The academic degree of UMS Industrial Engineering is a Bachelor of Engineering (S.T.).

“Graduates of this program are expected to be able to optimize organizational or industrial performance in addressing various business challenges in the present and future era,” continued Etika.

Graduates can work in various sectors, including manufacturing, services, information technology, and management consulting.

You might ask, “What do you learn in the Industrial Engineering program?” In the Industrial Engineering program, you will study courses related to production processes, data analysis, supply chain management, and entrepreneurship. Courses are subjects that you will study in college. Etika outlines what courses you will study in this program, namely:

• Ergonomics and Work System Design
• Production Systems
• Production Planning and Control
• Statistics and Data Analysis
• Operations Research
• Facility Layout Design
• Product Design
• Entrepreneurship
• Logistics and Supply Chain
• System Simulation
• Occupational Health and Safety

In addition to the courses mentioned above, students in the Industrial Engineering study program at UMS will also study specialization or elective courses. Etika stated that specialization courses can be taken in the fifth semester.

“The specialization or elective courses are mandatory courses selected by Industrial Engineering students. These courses are designed to prepare students for their final project or thesis,” she explained. The elective courses that students can choose from include:

• Manufacturing Systems: You will learn about Automation and Production Equipment Design, Reliability and Maintenance Systems, Sustainable Manufacturing, Quality and Reliability Engineering.
• Ergonomics, Work Systems, and Product Design: When you choose this specialization, you will study Physiology and Work Environment, Green Ergonomics, Macro Ergonomics, Product Design and Development, Transportation Ergonomics, and Product Design and Development.
• Business and Industrial Systems: You will delve into Circular Businesses, Entrepreneurship Models, and Risk Management for the Creative Industry Supply Chain.
• Optimization and Logistics: In this specialization, you will learn about Inventory System Modeling and Optimization, LAP Optimization, Disaster Management, Green Supply Chain, Sustainable SCM, and Halal Supply Chain.

You don’t need to worry about what jobs graduates of Industrial Engineering will have in the future. There are plenty of opportunities for Industrial Engineering graduates. “The job prospects for Industrial Engineering are extensive. Industrial Engineering graduates can work in manufacturing companies such as automotive, garment, food, mining, and others, as well as service companies,” explained the Head of the Industrial Engineering Study Program at UMS.

Etika mentioned the types of jobs or positions that can be held by a graduate of Industrial Engineering. Some of these Industrial Engineering jobs include:

• Industrial Engineer
• Quality Controller
• Product Analyst
• Sales Engineer
• Cost Control Engineer
• Production Engineer
• Logistics Specialist
• Market Researcher
• Demand Planner
• Production, Planning, and Inventory Control (PPIC)
• Health, Security, and Environment (HSE) Specialist

Here are five soft skills that students of Industrial Engineering should possess before entering the workforce, as mentioned by Etika:

• Analytical Skills
• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Understanding of Information Technology
• Leadership

“If a graduate of Industrial Engineering possesses these five soft skills, their chances of success will be greatly enhanced,” Etika concluded the conversation.

Writer: Gede Arga Adrian

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid