Non-Thesis Master's Program Overview
This option offers students the ability to develop a plan of study that maximizes the credits dedicated to their topic of interest, for example, Human Factors.
Program Highlights
- One to Two-year Residential Program: Students take a combination of advanced technical courses, focusing their study on areas of interest, earning a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering.
- Online Program: Students meet the same degree requirements of our residential program and maintain the flexibility of remote study.
- Career Catalyzation: Most graduates enter careers in diverse fields, often on advanced leadership tracks.
Why Choose a Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering?
- Increased Employment Opportunities: The program provides students with the technical skills needed in industry, such as decision making, systems engineering, operations, and oral and written communications.
- Increased Earning Potential. Our alumni self-report that Purdue Industrial Engineering Master’s graduates earn 15% or more than their peers with a Bachelor’s degree.
Why Choose Purdue?
- Field Defining Innovation & Research: The School of Industrial Engineering has been defining the field and educating future leaders in industrial engineering for 65 years. The graduate program is ranked in the top 10 and the IE on-line degree program is ranked #1 in the nation.
- Excellence at Scale: As one of the top 10 engineering graduate programs in the nation, Purdue's College of Engineering is one of the largest and strongest programs in the nation with 13 different schools and departments.
- Affordable Tuition: Tuition for our program is considerably cost effective compared to other programs.
- Low Cost of Living: The cost of living in the Greater Lafayette-West Lafayette area is one of the lowest in the nation, with housing rent ranging from 23% to 179% less expensive than competing university cities (numbeo.com)
Curriculum Requirements
Courses selected for the non-thesis option are intended to provide depth of study in a particular area of interest. The curriculum is designed such that the student has broad selectivity over their coursework. Students are required to select at least 21 credit hours of coursework from IE courses, and are recommended to take at least 6 credit hours from a related area.
Credit Requirements for a Non-Thesis Master's Degree
Have at least 30 total graduate credit hours, which must include:
- 21 credit hours of IE course work; and,
- 9 credit hours of additional graduate-level coursework.
An overall GPA of 3.0 is required for completion of the master’s degree program.
Plan of Study Requirements for Non-Thesis Master's Degree
Completion Guidelines for Non-Thesis Master's Degree