While industrial engineering would normally be considered a specialization under the general umbrella of engineering, professionals in this field might focus on improving process for specific engineering applications, such as the these:

• Mechanical Engineering: These individuals work with all mechanical equipment through researching and designing new products. This is one of the broadest departments in engineering.
• Materials Engineering: These individuals work with metals, ceramics, plastics, etc to create new products that can be used within other industries.
• Health and Safety Engineering: These individuals apply safety rules to identify components that could possibly harm people.

• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
• Masters Degree: 2-3 years to complete

Most jobs within the engineering industry require students to hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, which will take students about four years to complete. Students who wish to specialize in certain areas within engineering such as industrial engineering are encouraged to further their education and receive their master's or graduate degree in that field. It is also important that individuals have a great deal of hands on experience either through an internship or work. Students with the most experience and education will have a better chance of getting the best jobs.

Engineers who are planning on working in a job where they must offer their services to the public must be certified. This is the law in all fifty states. After students have graduated from an accredited program, worked for four years in the engineering industry, and taken the state engineering exam, then they can start the licensing process. The first test, the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, can be taken right after graduation. Then, after the four years of work experience is complete, they can take the second part called the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. In addition to this, there are also many voluntary certifications that engineers can achieve that will give them the opportunity to advance in their career and demonstrate their proficiency in engineering. (BLS)

Industrial engineers focus on the effective production of goods and ideas in both factories and corporate offices around the world. Over the last century, industrial engineers have been some of the most innovative thinkers and developers, and today the courses that industrial engineering students take reflect that need for problem solving and innovative thinking. For example, students will take courses in social sciences, such as sociology and psychology. A sociology course will ask students to study the ways people interact with each other and why. Psychology courses encourage students to study the way people think and behave, which is important for professionals to understand when training and managing others. 

Industrial engineers also need to understand the complexities of economics. Economics courses -- usually both macroeconomics and microeconomics -- will help students understand how the general flow of money between governments, businesses, and consumers functions. Finance courses that are tailored to prospective industrial engineers will focus on budgeting, minimizing waste, maximizing profit, and managing financial investments. Public administration courses can also be beneficial for industrial engineering students, as they are often asked to work in conjunction with public administration programs. Students who are studying public administration learn how to navigate the political waters and handle the finances associated with government programs. 

If they so choose, industrial engineers can complete their entire course of study online. An industrial engineer will be able to take all of the necessary classes in an online format without the need to complete any practical, on-site training. 

One degree that is similar to industrial engineering is engineering management. Engineering management students need to study mathematics and science in more depth than industrial engineering students. They will also take a number of business-oriented classes, such as economics, administration, and finance. Systems engineering students work with computers in a more complex fashion than industrial engineering students. However, both professions have the goal of improving business systems. Another related degree program is organizational leadership. Organizational leadership students will learn how to maximize the effectiveness and profit of a business by properly training employees and streamlining systems.