Counseling guide for Master’s, Engineer, and Ph.D. degrees

This guide provides a brief description of the graduate programs offered in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE). For more detailed information on research, course descriptions, policies, and procedures, consult the Graduate Catalog of the University of Florida (University Record).

Note: The general regulations of the University of Florida Graduate Catalog apply to all students. "It is the responsibility of the graduate student to become informed and to observe all regulations and procedures required by the program the student is pursuing. Ignorance of a rule does not constitute a basis for waiving that rule."

Graduate education in the ISE Department

A program mission in the ISE Department is to educate and train industrial and systems engineering graduate students, thereby providing them with marketable skills as well as preparing them to pursue further graduate work and/or independent research.

The goals of the program are:

1. to provide a curriculum and a pedagogical environment which trains students to practice modern industrial engineering, systems engineering, and operations research, and/or to continue specialized study, and/or to perform independent research;

2. to impart in students the fundamentals and the methodologies of modern industrial engineering, systems engineering, and operations research.

Some emphasis is placed on the use of computers as an analytical tool and for the monitoring and control of industrial systems and of service processes. In contradistinction to most other engineering disciplines, the multivariable attribute of systems, as well as the uncertain environment under which such systems operate, are factored into the curriculum.

Research in the ISE Department

The research philosophy in the department is one of pursuit of basic and exploratory research, calling on advanced mathematical modeling theory and large-scale computer applications, for analysis and design of production or service systems and other physical and nonphysical systems. Such work calls for the integration of efforts in the mathematical, statistical, and computer sciences. Because of this, the graduate faculty of the department is concerned with many techniques in the general areas of applied mathematics, applied probability and decision processes. Research projects in network flows, continuous and discrete optimization theory, nonlinear programming, location theory, production planning and scheduling, inventory and queuing theory, decision support systems, and many others, occupy a central role. The ISE faculty is also involved, through association with the Health Systems Research Division of the University of Florida Health Center, with the development of new operations research techniques and their application to health care systems.

The unifying feature of research in the department is the emphasis on modeling and optimization. Many problems, deterministic and stochastic, rely on the formulation of mathematical models and their solutions by sophisticated computational techniques. Optimization is generally defined as the study of finding the best way of achieving an objective, consistent with constraints operating on the system. In connection with this, much applied research has been developed related to special analytic procedures and digital computation as well as special purpose computer technology.

Research in the department covers a broad spectrum, from basic research aimed at the better understanding of industrial and social systems, to the application of new methods and technologies to improve system performance. The research program is based upon a sound foundation of applied mathematics, probability and statistics, decision sciences, computer techniques, and modern engineering concepts. Its broad goal is to expand the knowledge of complex systems and aid in crucial decisions regarding their effective design and operation.

Many students come to this department to work with specific faculty members experienced in some field. For others, a reasonable first step may be to consult the list of faculty and research topics at the beginning of this brochure. Obviously, a student is not bound to one of these topics. However, the list illustrates well the variety of problems that are encompassed by the research competence of the department. Seminars and advanced courses are also good sources of research topics. It is the responsibility of the graduate student, in collaboration with a faculty advisor(s), to identify and formulate a research problem. The student is encouraged to discuss research interests with a variety of faculty members.

One important purpose of course work is to introduce the student to the contents of a particular area of study and its potential for fruitful research. The experience gained in participation in a research project with one or more faculty members is of importance in helping the student to bring research interests into focus. Attendance at research seminars, arranged regularly in the department, is vital. Interaction with other graduate students who are well along in their own research work is equally important.

Thesis projects for the Master's and Engineer degrees are designed to provide training and experience in identification, analysis, modeling, and solution, sometimes by application of known techniques, of problems of importance to the technical community and to society.

The Ph.D. program is unique. In the doctoral program, research involvement is the primary, in fact the dominant, element. It is vital that this distinction between the Ph.D. program and all other programs be emphasized, because the research must be "an original and scholarly contribution to the field." Students who perform well in courses at the doctoral level do not necessarily succeed in research. The ability of a student to perform research of the quality required of a doctoral candidate can, to some extent, be nourished and developed; however, research work is fundamentally different from such activities as attending lecture courses. The production of quality research requires total commitment to the task over an extended period of time and it is important that the student understand this point. The Ph.D. program is planned and administered with this emphasis in mind.

Improving the effectiveness of U. S. manufacturing industries in response to global competition has become a national priority. This goal has led to increased emphasis on industrial engineering methodology and systems integration to better understand manufacturing systems and make them more efficient.

Modern manufacturing is turning increasingly to automated methods, with special focus on robotics and computer vision. The resultant production system has a higher level of complexity and greater need for system-wide analysis and control than earlier and simpler systems. The analysis of this sophisticated production system is important, with an end goal of improved productivity and quality.

Laboratory-scale models of modern production systems that incorporate automated components such as robots, storage and retrieval systems, vision systems, and microcomputer control have been established. These serve as test beds for analytical studies. A collection of industrial-scale robots, vision systems and material handling systems serves a like purpose: to study, first-hand, improved methods for manufacturing.

Much of the cost of industrial goods is determined by the production process and the distribution of raw materials and finished products. An important emphasis of the departmental research program is the analysis of production scheduling, materials storage, facility location, and design of distribution networks to increase efficiency and to lower costs. Sound decisions made by industry and supported by modern research will contribute greatly to the efficient operation of these systems.

As a result of the revolution in computer hardware and technology, automatic computing and control have reached nearly every level of society. In response to this trend, and in anticipation of further advances, the research faculty in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering have directed their efforts to developing mathematical modeling methods and computational techniques which take advantage of the powerful and decentralized computing capabilities now available. The development of modern operations research techniques to formulate these mathematical models has been one of the primary areas of research in the department. Fundamental work has been undertaken in solving large-scale multivariable problems arising in a variety of situations. Simultaneously, new methodology is being developed in the stochastic modeling of systems operating under uncertainty.

A portion of the department's research program is directed toward advancing methodologies that can be applied to solving important problems facing society. These studies will increase the number of challenges which can be addressed successfully and are crucial to the enhancement of the department's ability to serve the state and the nation.

The success of the departmental research program is based on three vital components: a highly competent faculty, motivated and inquisitive graduate students, and support from state, federal, and industrial organizations. The continued strength of these three components will help the research program maintain its position at the forefront of current knowledge as well as develop important lines of future inquiry, leading to elegant solutions.

The graduate student is not taking proper advantage of being at a major university, nor is the department contributing most effectively to the student's development unless there is involvement in this research work. At the Ph.D. level it involves a choice of dissertation topic.