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Jaimin Raval from India has a plan for the next five years of his professional career. His goal is to become a production manager in a manufacturing company equipped with engineering knowledge, leadership capabilities, and useful soft skills. This is why he studies at the Iowa State University of Science and Technology (ISU) to get advanced training in topics that are vital to the well-being of US industry — quality, productivity, efficiency — through the Master of Engineering (MEng) in Industrial Engineering, participates in various clubs, and joins summer internships. “ISU provides excellent opportunities to develop these skills,” he says.
As a student in the small Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, you receive keen attention from professors who are always ready to help. But there are big university perks as well, such as activities for everyone, over 800 student clubs, and a wide variety of educational opportunities. At the master’s level, you can choose from three coursework-only programmes that make the most of the Iowa State experience.
MEng in Industrial Engineering
Ranked 24th best industrial engineering in the US, this programme focuses on engineering management, operations research, manufacturing processes, human factors, and enterprise computing. All these address the challenges in developing modern complex engineered systems, such as streamlining production to minimise waste and maximise output, identifying bottlenecks in a supply chain, and developing strategies to improve overall efficiency within the sector.
You can choose one course from three subject areas: Human Factors, Manufacturing and Operations, and Operations Research. Alongside this, you’re required to take four additional graduate-level courses in industrial engineering and three outside of it, “I like all the classes I have taken at ISU. My favourites are Engineering Risk Analysis and Decision Analysis because Dr Cameron MacKenzie uses real-world problems to teach us,” Raval says.
Hands-on opportunities do not only happen during class but outside of it too. Source: Iowa State University
MEng in Systems Engineering
MEng in Systems Engineering students develop the analytical abilities needed to design, evaluate, and build complex systems involving many components and demanding specifications. These skills are gained through the core Systems Engineering courses, plus several electives, which include areas in Manufacturing, Human Factors Engineering, and Software Systems.
MEng in Engineering Management
If managing a team of engineers is your goal, the MEng Engineering Management is for you. Here, you will learn engineering principles and business practices to oversee projects, teams, and resources in various industries. The aim is to solve technical and business challenges, which are addressed in the five Engineering Management core courses.
Tabitha Rachel Yeddu found the core Engineering Management courses informative and useful. But for the Indian student, it was the ability to customise her curriculum through electives that set the programme apart from others. “It showed me that this programme will teach me everything I need to know while also allowing me to study other areas that interest me,” she says.
The STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme offers the opportunity for students to work for US companies for three years after graduation. Source: Iowa State University
Internships with impact, inexpensive Ames
The Curricular Practical Training (CPT) programme lets international students work off-campus in industry for one semester or more. It’s a fantastic way for you to gain practical, hands-on experience in your field of interest and prepares you for the Optional Practical Training (OPT programme. The OPT is an opportunity for eligible international students to work in the US for up to three years after graduation to continue to gain the kind of practical experience that will make them more attractive to future employers.
“Our department has been supportive of the CPT programme for over 10 years and in that time, we have also developed good relationships with industrial partners that have provided CPT experiences and will provide these experiences in the future,” says Professor Dr. Gary Mirka, Director of Graduate Education. “We have many companies that continue to hire these CPT students over multiple semesters, indicating a recognition of the value these students bring to their operations.”
What’s in store for you in these internships and potential work experience in the US is nothing short of exciting — just like what it is to study and live in the #2 college town in the US. Iowa State is located in Ames, a safe, multicultural community with 34,000 students, the highest student concentration in the top 20 college towns and one of its most diverse. “The Ames community has been incredible for an international student like me,” Yeddu says. “Every single person I’ve met has made me feel so accepted and at home. I’ve never experienced an entire town filled with such kindness and goodness before.”
As living costs are 12.4% lower than the US average, you’ll be able to afford more and better things, from housing and food to transport and healthcare too.
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