The Best Industrial Engineering Schools Worldwide

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Before finalizing any thought about getting a degree in industrial engineering, one significant part of the process that a student must do is to understand what it is and what awaits him/her during the years at the university. Then there’s the future consideration of what awaits him/her after college, say, five to ten years after graduation.

What is Industrial Engineering?

It is one of the disciplines in the engineering industry that deals with complex systems, knowledge, and skills. Future industrial engineers must hone their interpersonal skills as early as their first year in college to help them advance in their career. Engineering is not just about science, mathematics, or complex processes. It is also about effective communication, planning, and designs.

The role of an industrial engineer is to design infrastructures and other facilities as well as systems used in gathering information and manufacturing among others. These systems and structures are used to increase productivity, make use of energy more efficiently, and save money.

What are the best industrial engineering schools in the world?

There are seven continents of the world and about 200 countries. Clearly, there are hundreds of universities that offer industrial engineering degree. But chosen here are three continents (Africa, Europe, and Asia) where a student can choose schools based on how great he/she thinks the university is and/or where he or she is located in the world. The good news is these universities do not only offer industrial engineering degrees but also other engineering disciplines.

Here is a short list of some of the best industrial engineering schools from the seven continents of the world.

Africa

Here are five of the best industrial engineering schools in the continent of Africa.

• University of Cape Town – the school offers different types of engineering courses. Some of these are Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, among others.
• University of Pretoria – students who want to study at the university must comply with admission requirements. If for some reason, the candidate cannot meet all requirements, it is best to talk with the admissions department for advice.
• Stellenbosch University – at this university, students learn to apply science and technology to make the world a better place to live in.
• University of Nairobi – the university was established in 1956. It offers Electrical Engineering, Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Environmental Engineering among others.
• University of South Africa – also known in short as UNISA. One of the university’s priority is science, engineering, and technology.

Europe

Here are 5 of the best schools of engineering in the European continent.

• Cambridge University, UK – the engineering department at the university is one of the best in the world. It also is the largest department at the university. One of its aim is to help create solutions for the world’s problems in terms of science and technology.
• Technical University of Munich, Germany – students will experience high satisfaction at the university because of the quality of studies it offers. The university has 15 departments, which includes engineering.
• KU Leuven, Belgium – living, studying and working at the university is possible because of the basic needs the university offers. KU Leuven offers housing services for international students as well as health care and insurance among other things.
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm – candidates are sure to love the school for its research and technology. The university is one of the largest and well-known in Sweden. It was founded in 1827.
• ETH Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland – there are language requirements that candidates have to be aware of before applying for admission at the university. The university offers financial assistance as well.

Asia

Here are five of the best universities that offer engineering courses in Asia.

• Nanyang Technological University (NTU) – the university is recognized for a lot of things. One of these recognitions is as one of the global universities that has advanced and innovative research that’s rapidly growing.
• Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) – it was founded in 1971 and has grown since then into becoming one of the best and well-respected universities in Korea and around the world.
• University of Hong Kong (HKU) – the university offers undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Students have the privilege of applying for scholarships and admission for a full-time undergraduate course, too.
• Peking University – the campus is called “Yan Yuan” or in English, the garden of Yan. The university boasts of an excellent team, which compose of the academy members of Sciences, Engineering, and Third World Sciences.
• The University of Tokyo – students love the life they have at the campuses of the university. Many of them believe it is the best school to start their journey towards their dreams.

In the U.S., one of the best industrial engineering schools a student can find is the Oklahoma University (or the University of Oklahoma). The aim of the engineering department at the university is to nurture learning experiences and continue to encourage innovation and creativity in its students.

Other universities in the U.S. are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and California Institute of Technology, among hundreds of others.

How to know if a university is a good fit

One of the most important decisions a person makes in life is where to study in college. To some, it may not be something serious, but to many, this is a turning point in life where one gets to leave his/her parents’ house and be on his/her own. It is the start of an independent life and of making choices all on one’s own.

So how does one know if the university is truly a good fit once accepted?

1. Financial capacity – a very huge part of the decision making process. Is the college really good but also too expensive? Is there a way to fund studies like financial assistance from the college or maybe an offer for a part-time job?
2. Admission requirements – for international students, one of the first requirements is usually to be able to speak the language of the country. There are different language requirements per college and per location so candidates need to check these things out before finalizing their decisions.
3. Distance – how far does the student want to go? Does he/she want to be near his/her hometown?
4. Academic requirements – check the required GPA for passing admissions.
5. Personal preferences – is the student comfortable about going into that college? Does the college offer the courses the student wanted to take?