Tennessee Tech Board of Trustees approved a new hybrid industrial engineering program, a new masters level degree.
Interim Provost John Liu said the Master of Science Program in Industrial and Systems Engineering is open to other related STEM majors and does not have extensive related prerequisites. If demand is high, the University will push toward a bachelors certification for the same program.
“Those of us who were not at Tech a dozen years ago, Industrial Systems of Engineering was a program here so it was closed now a dozen years it needs to come back,” Liu said. “This is not specific for Tennessee Tech.”
Liu said the program meets Tennessee’s growing industry needs because the demand for Systems of Engineering jobs is currently greater than the educators teaching the necessary skills.
“We’re working on that as we are speaking even here.” Dr. Liu said. “So based on the labor force demands, we believe an honorary degree would be very much needed. And as a matter of fact that’s also working together will save us much energy later on for accreditation related process.”
A variety of occupations can apply to the Industrial and Systems Engineers program, and are highly in demand. Nine out of nine industry sectors listed Industrial Systems Engineers as a demanded job. Top jobs include food and agriculture, health care and life sciences, and automotive. Trustee Camron Rudd said he is looking forward to the program returning
“I was somewhat shocked, quite frankly, when Tennessee Tech had discontinued that program a few years ago,” Rudd said. “So I cannot speak highly enough about us reinstating this kind of program and the bachelor’s to go along with it.”
Liu said AI is a concern, as he hopes this program will help with the rising use of AI. No other masters program in the state requires a focus in Systems Engineering.