Welcome to Industrial and Systems Engineering!
Our department
The UW-Madison Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has a long track record of excellence in the field. Consistently ranked in the top 10 nationwide, the department offers the highest quality educational experience, world-class research opportunities and cutting edge facilities to work and study in.
What is industrial and systems engineering?
Industrial and systems engineers make things better! We focus on improving goods and services, making them more cost-effective and of greater value to people, industries and society.
How do we compare to other programs?
- Our undergraduate program is ranked #10 in the U.S. (U.S. News and World Report, 2019)
- Our graduate program is ranked #6 in the U.S. (U.S. News and World Report, 2020)
Academic Programs

Bachelor of Science, Industrial Engineering
Work on real problems for real companies while you learn in one of the best IE programs in the country. Whether it's helping a hospital redesign emergency department workflows to make sure the sickest patients get treated quicker, helping a small manufacturing company worried about its bottom line redesign its processes to do more with less.

Master of Science Programs in Industrial Engineering
The department is one of the nation’s premier teaching and research facilities devoted not only to improving contemporary production and service systems but also to aiding people who operate the systems. We maintain strong ties to local industries and service institutions, many with national and international reputations.

PhD in Industrial Engineering
As a graduate student, you benefit from the fact that we are the current national leader in research funding with world class faculty, opportunities, and facilities at your fingertips. We are recognized for our strength and leadership in: Operations Research, Manufacturing, Health Systems Engineering, and Human Factors and Ergonomics.