About | NC State ISE

Fitts-Woolard Hall, ISE's new home on Centennial Campus.

About NC State ISE

The Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) at NC State is one of only five named ISE departments in the United States and ranks among the top 15 programs in the country according to U.S. News and World Report. The department currently has a rich and diverse research portfolio in:

NC State ISE also supports two other academic programs and a degree:

NC State ISE has strong connections with other departments, other universities, medical schools, and other external partners. It houses two state-funded centers:

Vision

To become and be perceived as one of the preeminent ISE departments in the world. This will be achieved through image, research, education/alumni/outreach/students, economic development, collaborations/partnerships, infrastructure/culture/staff/faculty.

Mission

The mission of the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering is to provide a premier educational experience for our students and a world-class environment for our faculty. We want to give them the opportunity to convert ideas to reality and enhance the economic development and quality of life of the citizens of North Carolina, our nation, and humankind.

Objectives

  • Recruit, develop, and cherish the highest quality faculty
  • Recruit high-quality students and support them through scholarships, fellowships, and funded research
  • Provide our students with an academic environment that prepares them to be global leaders
  • Conduct interdisciplinary research with global impact and partner with industry, government, and leading educational institutions
  • Provide outstanding service to industry, government, academic professions, and our alumni
  • Promote the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students, while as well as publicizing departmental projects, centers, and major research findings

By the Numbers

ISE Student Enrollments

Enrollments

(2021-2022)
326 Undergraduates
133 Masters
74 Ph.D.

ISE Degrees Granted

Degrees Granted

(2021-2022)
82 Undergraduates
52 Masters
14 Ph.D.

ISE Job Placement

Job Placements

More than 90% of our BSIE students have received job offers or are pursuing advanced degrees before graduation.

Faculty Awards

We’re proud that much of our faculty are fellows of our industry’s most prestigious professional associations. In fact, no other U.S. school — NONE — has more faculty members who are fellows of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers — 18.

36 Fellows of Engr. Associations

  • 19 IISE Fellows
  • 3 INFORMS Fellows
  • 1 National Academy Member
  • 2 HFES Fellows
  • 2 SME Fellows
  • 1 Chinese IIE Fellow

45 Engr. Association Awards

  • 3 Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Awards (IISE)
  • 8 NSF CAREER Awards
  • 7 Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer (SME)
  • 3 Dr. David Baker Distinguished Research Award (IISE)
  • 3 Dr. Hamed K. Eldin Outstanding Early Career IE in Academia Award
  • 2 Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award (IISE)

4 NC State Founding Directors

  • Furniture Manufacturing & Management Center
  • Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering Institute
  • Operations Research Program
  • The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina

Fitts-Woolard Hall

The passage of Connect NC in 2016 and the generosity of private donors brings us closer to putting our faculty, staff, and students together with top businesses and government agencies on Centennial Campus which serves as a model for the ideal 21st-century research campus.

Fitts-Woolard Hall | NC State ISE

Operations Research

Operations Research is a joint graduate program shared by the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences at North Carolina State University.

The faculty who teach OR courses, supervise OR students, and administer the program have their academic appointments in a number of departments, not only in engineering and sciences but also in the colleges of management, forestry, and textiles. OR courses are cross-listed with other departments, and OR students have TA and RA positions in many departments, including departments of computer science, electrical and computer engineering, industrial and systems engineering, mathematics and statistics.

The program offers three advanced degrees: the Master of Operations Research (MOR) degree, the Master of Science (MSc) degree, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.

Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program

The desire to improve manufacturing productivity combined with increased world market competition has created a need for improved manufacturing engineering systems. The Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering Institute (IMSEI) at NC State University has taken a lead in addressing this challenge. By integrating academic and industry people, resources and ideas, IMSEI has created an institute that provides state-of-the-art manufacturing systems, research and education.

The IMSEI program is unique in that it makes use of faculty, course offerings, and laboratory facilities within the traditional engineering, computer science, business, textiles, and other departments to offer an independent master’s degree, authorized to be awarded by the faculty who associate with and participate in the activities supported by the IMSE Institute. A further unique feature of the program is that some of the funds that support the program come from annual membership fees provided by a consortium of industrial sponsors and service contract agreements with North Carolina industry.

The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina

The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina (Center) is a membership-based organization housed in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at NC State University. Founded in 1994, the Center was created to make workplaces safer, more productive, and more competitive by providing practical, cost-effective ways to reduce or eliminate America’s fastest-growing occupational injury and illness problem: painful, crippling cumulative trauma disorders.

The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina

The Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL)

The mission of the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL) is to be a pioneer in the areas of research and development of rapid prototyping and advanced manufacturing. This also includes the global management of additive manufacturing supply chain logistics.

Join us in changing the future of advanced manufacturing and logistics.

CAMAL Advanced Manufacturing Lab