A Master of Science (M.S.) Degree Program
The Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program (MSEP) degree provides a solid foundation for individuals seeking to manage manufacturing operations in internationally competitive environments. The highly flexible curriculum includes a wide variety of engineering and business classes. It allows graduates to build the cross-functional expertise required to drive creative product development, efficient production and timely delivery.
The MSE Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison combines the outstanding features of two top-ranked institutions: the College of Engineering and the Wisconsin School of Business. Based on a core curriculum, MSE students can tailor the master’s degree to their interests, choosing from a wide variety of courses in engineering and business. This integrated focus prepares engineers for top performance both on the shop floor as well as in the board room. MSE graduates have a unique understanding of today’s industrial environment and their mastery of issues from business strategy to technical operations provides them with excellent career opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions by Prospective Students
MSEP graduates possess a unique understanding of today’s industrial environment, combining advanced technical knowledge with relevant managerial expertise. Topics that are relevant to manufacturing competitiveness today include Design for Assembly, Design for Manufacture, CIM Systems, Concurrent Engineering, Rapid Prototyping, Robotics, Controls, and more. In-depth coverage of these topics requires many technical prerequisites. Such courses do not easily fit in an engineering undergraduate sequence and, clearly, the topics are too technical to be covered in a business school curriculum. In view of the trends in manufacturing today, many firms are opting to fast-track MSEP students for management positions instead of the MBAs that they have traditionally utilized.
While degrees in specialized disciplines will always have their place, manufacturing firms also need technical people whose knowledge can span across disciplines. Competitiveness today is highly dependent on teamwork and communication. MSEP graduates have been very successful at coordinating and implementing advanced manufacturing projects that require communication among mechanical, electrical, industrial and process engineers, and management.
Our MSEP program is unique in many ways. It was the first Manufacturing Systems (MSEP) program to be established in the United States. The MSEP program was the recipient of a four million dollar award by IBM as one of five institutions selected. In addition, the program received the University LEAD Award in 1988 from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and that same year, the World Bank chose the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a partner in a three-year study on International Manufacturing Competitiveness. The program has maintained a healthy mix of strong ties to industry and innovative research in theoretical aspects of manufacturing systems. Thus, students are exposed to both practical problems and cutting-edge theoretical concepts.
Forms for Current Students
Click here for a fillable PDF of the Study Plan that must be updated each semester
Click here for fillable PDF forms and draft letter needed to transfer courses and request course substitutions for classes taken at another institution.
Click here for fillable PDF forms and draft letter needed to transfer courses and request course substitutions for classes taken as a Special Student at UW-Madison.
If you are interested in the online Master’s of Engineering degree in Manufacturing systems, visit the online degree website for more information.