Industrial and Systems Engineering, PhD

Location(s): Main Campus

The Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial and Systems Engineering (PhD ISE) degree is offered through the School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering (SSIE). The doctoral program in industrial and systems engineering offers a wide variety of research topics such as optimization, machine learning, human factors/ergonomics, supply chain management, healthcare systems, enterprise systems, intelligent systems, data science/analytics, and electronics manufacturing processes, particularly in the areas of printed circuit-board production and automated assembly.

Additional information concerning doctoral students can be found on the websites of the Graduate School and the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Important Information:

Many of the graduate courses in the School of SSIE are also offered through EngiNet (Watson College Distance Learning Program).
All of the School of SSIE graduate programs (including all available concentrations) are available fully online in addition to the traditional on-campus offerings.
Any graduate student who may have taken an undergraduate course that is cross-listed with a graduate course will already have earned the credit for the undergraduate course. Note that the student will not be eligible to earn graduate-level credit for the cross-listed graduate course at a later date and will not be eligible to take the course again at the graduate level.

Admission Requirements

Applicants who have already earned a BS degree in engineering or a related field are invited to apply for admission to this program.

Applications are considered for both spring and fall semesters and are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Recommended submission dates for fall semester admission: Apply before Feb. 1 for funding consideration or April 1 for regular admission.
Recommended submission dates for spring semester admission: Apply before Oct. 15 for funding consideration or Nov. 15 for regular admission.

Graduate students who are well qualified may receive assistantships, such as teaching assistantships (TA), research project assistantships (RPA), or graduate assistantships (GA). Funding decisions are decided among the admitted pool of applicants during the spring semester for fall admissions and as needed for spring admissions.

Applications to degree programs should include:

Official transcript(s), although unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application
Two letters of recommendation
A personal statement including mention of interests
Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the graduate director)
International applicants should also include:
- Proof of English proficiency (such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), PTE academic scores, or Duolingo)
- Immigration and financial documentation (i.e., the International Student Financial Statement and statement of financial support/bank statement)

Program Requirements

Satisfaction of learning contract (described below), including proficiency in teaching and residency requirements (i.e., coursework)
Satisfaction of comprehensive qualifying requirement
Presentation of colloquium on proposed research
Acceptance of prospectus outlining dissertation research
Submission of dissertation
Defense of dissertation at oral examination

Guidance Committee

Upon acceptance into the program, students must form an approved guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of three to five members, normally full-time Watson College faculty; however, students may propose members from other schools at Binghamton University, faculty from other universities, or professionals from outside academia. The guidance committee must be approved by the Graduate School. The guidance committee advises the student and evaluates and certifies the student’s performance throughout the program of study and research.

Learning Contract

In consultation with the guidance committee and the director of graduate studies, the student prepares a learning contract in which a program of study is specified, including the major area of research, additional course requirements (three to five courses which should be at the 600 level), teaching requirement, evaluation procedures, and the form of the comprehensive examination. Although the learning contract may be modified as the research interests of the student develop, to ensure competence and depth in the major area and breadth in relevant disciplines, each modification must be approved by the guidance committee and properly documented. A copy of the learning contract is placed on file within the school.

Additional Information about the Program

For more information on the Industrial and Systems Engineering PhD program, please refer to the Systems Science and Industrial Engineering Graduate Programs website. To apply to the Industrial and Systems Engineering PhD program, please visit the University Graduate Admissions website.