Master's Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management, 120 credits

Purpose

• An MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping University is able to identify, analyse, solve and communicate complex interdisciplinary problems in industry, with a focus on integrating engineering and management knowledge and skills.
• The master’s programme in Industrial Engineering and Management will become one of the leading international master's programs in the field. The courses in the programme shall be on a level comparable to similar courses provided within other relevant, excellent international education programs.
• The master’s programme in Industrial Engineering and Management will be the obvious choice for students who have a Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering subject and who have the ambition to increase and deepen their knowledge in industrial engineering and management, especially related to innovation management, operations management and quality management.

Aim

After the completion of the master's programme the student is expected to have acquired the following knowledge and skills:

Disciplinary knowledge and reasoning

An MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping University is able to manage complex interdisciplinary problems related to innovation, operations and quality management. From a thorough technical-economical-mathematical-management basis, an MSc is able to identify, analyse, solve and communicate problems related to innovation, operations and quality management.

Students with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in an engineering subject entering the programme have already studied in-depth courses within a certain engineering discipline, e.g. mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering or computer science, including at least 30 ECTS credits in mathematics and/or applied mathematics. In the master's programme this engineering knowledge is integrated with organization management, operations strategy, leadership, operations planning and control, quality management, and project management in order to be able to manage complex industrial problems. Consequently, an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management is able to describe, formulate, and analyse industrial problems by using mathematical tools and technological applications.

In addition to general, compulsory courses in these fields, the student has in-depth knowledge within one of the programme’s profiles. Within the chosen profile, the student is able to:

• analyse complex problems based on relevant theory and practical knowledge
• relate and synthesize different theoretical perspectives and develop their own models of analysis
• apply academic principles, models and methodologies in industrial firms
• critically assess methods, procedures and practices that are applied in technology-based firms

Current research and new research results are integrated into courses at the end of the program, starting with a compulsory course covering research methodology, scientific writing, referencing techniques and ethics. Each profile ends with a project course where the students apply previous knowledge in a structured and methodical way in order to carry out improvement projects, gaining in-depth practical understanding and experience from different kinds of businesses.

Personal and professional skills and attributes

An MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management has the individual and professional capability and attitude to take a leading role in dynamic industrial environments, and is able to identify, formulate and examine complex engineering problems in a systematic way, both quantitatively and qualitatively. By using relevant literature and performing quantitative as well as qualitative empirical studies, an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management readily adopts new knowledge. Quantitative empirical studies based on hypotheses can be tested in experiments as well as through statistical analyses. Qualitative studies include case studies which can be used to create theoretical constructs and propositions.

An MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management can identify, analyse and develop complex systems by defining the system’s boundaries and properties, considering the whole system as well as subsystems and describing and examining the interaction between the different parts in the system including its important context variables. The students are trained to take initiatives, work independently, creatively and to apply critical thinking. Self-knowledge and a will to develop personally throughout life are important, and so is planning of time and resources in an efficient and effective way, taking responsibility, being reliable and acting professionally. This includes being active in career planning and keeping up to date with the profession’s current developments.

Interpersonal skills, teamwork, and communication

An MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management is trained to collaboratively work on complex tasks. Interpersonal skills, teamwork and communication are therefore of utmost importance. The students are trained to work together with other people in projects and groups. This includes contributing to group effectiveness by actively taking part, creating clear roles and responsibilities, actively sharing knowledge and collaboratively achieving goals. An MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management can start, plan, manage and lead different types of projects and integrate the work of people from different specialisations.

Furthermore, an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management is able to communicate, orally and in writing, in a correct, inspiring way orientated towards achieving goals. Effective communication is comprised of both task-related and relationship-oriented skills. As the programme is given in English, an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management is proficient enough in English to take into account the state-of-the art knowledge within the field and, based on this knowledge, understand, analyse, compare, and reflect on complex engineering problems, in written text and orally.

Planning, execution and presentation of research or development projects with respect to scientific and societal needs and requirements

An MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management has deep knowledge of systems in an innovation, operations or quality environment, including different external factors in society, and understands the business conditions for industrial research and development projects and processes. This includes, for example, the ability to manage

• implementation processes by testing, validating and verifying activities, including an understanding of change processes,
• operation and service of technically advanced systems, or
• innovation and introduction of new technology

An MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management has knowledge about suitable development processes for different kinds of research or development projects and is able to participate and actively contribute to all phases of research or development projects, including identification of needs, structuring, planning, execution and presentation of projects. A compulsory course in corporate social responsibility contributes to the students’ understanding of the importance of technology in society, including economic, social, and sustainable development.

Content

The program starts with one semester of compulsory courses. From the second semester, the students select a profile within the field of Industrial Engineering and Management. Each profile consists of compulsory and elective courses. The profile concludes with a master’s thesis of 30 ECTS in semester four.

Education profiles

The following profiles are offered in the programme curriculum:

• Innovation Management
• Operations Management
• Quality Management

The scope of each profile is 90 ECTS, including mandatory, elective and conditionally elective courses as well as the master’s thesis. Conditionally elective courses are marked M/E in the curriculum meaning that one of the courses is mandatory.

Innovation Management

Rapid change is a state which is the norm of today. The expectations for the future are that the pace of changes and innovation will increase even further. Innovations can be of many different types, but they all need to be managed and most innovations follow a generic process. In the innovation management profile, you will learn innovation management and innovation processes.

The Innovation Management profile focuses on the development and commercialization of resource efficient products and sustainable solutions. It deals with innovation within large established firms as well as smaller entrepreneurial start-up firms. The students follow subjects in management systems and sustainability, innovation management, resource efficient products, industrial ecology, leadership and organization, and business planning and entrepreneurship.

The profile and the programme conclude with a master’s thesis of 30 ECTS within the field of innovation management.

Operations Management

The objective of the Operations Management profile is to provide a holistic view of operations management in both manufacturing and service industries. It also provides knowledge about approaches for creating, developing and sustaining an effective organisation to provide maximum benefits to customers, where the profitability of the industrial company is the starting point. Effective management and utilization of resources such as machinery, personnel, materials and information is central, while meeting customer needs for high quality products. Industrial companies are striving for continuous improvement in the direction of resource-efficient, fast and flexible production.

The courses in the profile specifically address this housekeeping of available resources at industrial companies, especially with regard to the integration between materials and capacity, using different well-known strategies, planning principles and methods ranging from long-term planning for 2-5 years ahead to day planning, such as Production Planning and Control, Agile and Lean Production, Theory of Constraints (TOC) and Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRPII). The courses combine theory and practice to provide in-depth knowledge of industrial Operations Management, i.e. using the right production strategy down to achieving a rational flow of material from raw material through production to finished product while effectively utilizing production resources.

The profile and the programme conclude with a master’s thesis of 30 ECTS within the field of operations management.

Quality Management

Quality management is a set of concepts and practices characterized by core principles such as customer focus, process management, continuous improvement, everyone’s participation, base decisions on facts and committed leadership. One of the central questions is how an organisation can improve its processes to provide maximum benefits to customers through the best use of available resources. This profile provides knowledge about approaches for creating and sustaining an effective organisation and the students follow subjects in lean production, six sigma quality, quality and process development and customer focused product and service development.

The profile and the programme conclude with a master’s thesis of 30 ECTS within the field of quality management. 

Teaching and working methods

The programme is campus-based.

Entry requirements

• A bachelor's degree equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen with a major in one of the following or equivalent subject areas:
  - Mechanical engineering
  - Energy engineering
  - Civil engineering
  - Electrical engineering
  - Computer science
• 30 ECTS credits in mathematics/applied mathematics and/or application of mathematics relevant for the programme, including courses in linear algebra, calculus and mathematical statistics.
• English corresponding to the level of English in Swedish upper secondary education (Engelska 6 or Engelska nivå 2). 
  Exemption from Swedish.

Degree thesis

The thesis should be based on high-quality scientific content and carried out in close contact with the research groups involved in the programme and in the area of the profile chosen by the student. The thesis should be written and presented in English. The main field of study for the thesis work should be Industrial Engineering and Management.

To be qualified to conduct a degree project, the student must be admitted to the master’s programme and have completed at least 60 credits from courses within the programme, of which 30 credits must be at the advanced (graduate) level within the main field of study.

Degree requirements

The programme is designed to give the Master's Degree "Teknologie masterexamen i industriell ekonomi" translated to "Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) in Industrial Engineering and Management".

The requirements are the following:

• a Bachelor's degree as specified in the entrance requirements
• course requirements for a total of 120 ECTS credits from courses from the curriculum of the programme, or after special decision from the programme board, and thesis work.
• passed the requirements for all compulsory courses,
  • compulsory courses for all programme students and
  • compulsory courses in the selected profile
• courses on advancement level A (advanced) 90 ECTS credits including:
  • at least 30 ECTS credits courses from the major subject (Industrial Engineering)
  • a 30 ECTS credits Master's Thesis in the major subject (Industrial Engineering)
• a Master's thesis in major subject Industrial Engineering presented and passed as per Linköping Institute of Technology degree regulations.

Courses with overlapping content are not allowed to be included in the degree. Courses included in the Bachelor's degree can never be included in the Master's degree.

Degree in Swedish

Teknologie masterexamen med huvudområde Industriell ekonomi

Degree in English

Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Industrial Engineering and Management

Common rules

See the Common rules tab regarding eligibility, admission, leave, postponement, study break or admission to latter part of the programme.

Deviations from programme syllabus

If special circumstances prevail, the vice-chancellor may in a special decision specify the preconditions for temporary deviations from this programme syllabus, and delegate the right to take such decisions.