“What is the most common job title for an ISE?” One of the part time USC faculty that is a full-time Industrial Engineer at Disneyland always quizzes people. “Boss,” he says.
Industrial & Systems Engineering is such a cool combination of business/management classes combined with the technical and practical coursework makes for a really interesting and useful major. As the USC faculty said, it’s a really great major that teaches you many important management and big picture concepts that prove to be really useful in management and leadership roles.
It’s really unfortunate that ISE is such an unknown major among high school students. I personally wasn’t familiar with it before I came to USC, but I’m so glad I stumbled upon it and decided to embrace it at USC! I myself am on the Information Systems track: Operations Management.
Some of my favorite things about my major:
- Variety of classwork:
As I mentioned earlier, there are so many different classes you take as an ISE. As I said earlier I am on the Information Systems track which means that I take both engineering-focused classes (like Operations Research, Discrete Systems Simulation, Supply and Logistics, and Warehouse Design, Engineering Database Applications), in addition to fun but also technically-focused business classes (like Business Database Systems, Business Information Systems Analysis and Design, and Managing the Digital Revolution for your Business). The coursework is so varied and each class improves my background and skills in a different way. - Spirit of collaboration:
When you reach higher level ISE courses, almost every course has a huge term/group project. So throughout the semesters I have grown to work well with people in my class and have gotten to know them really well. Everyone is willing to put in their best effort and I always enjoy working with them. - Real-world experience of faculty:
Our faculty have great experiences they bring to discussions and lectures. It’s nice now that I am a senior and can see everything I’ve been learning throughout the years come together and overlap a lot in principles. - Diverse job opportunities!!
This is possibly the most significant part about my major that I really grew to appreciate last semester when I was recruiting for jobs. Since ISE is such a cool blend of business and engineering, as an ISE you have a ton of marketable skills when time comes to recruit. My ISE friends go into such diverse careers like Information Technology or Information Systems, Supply Chain and Logistics, Security, Technology Consulting, Investment Banking, Management programs, and Manufacturing. These companies are as diverse as Boeing, Target, Accenture, Nestle, Disneyland, Chevron IT, Halliburton, Honeywell, McKinsey and Company, and more. I loved how the opportunities post-graduation were limitless to me.
Talk to you guys later!
Cassandra
