B.Tech in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IIT Bombay)
Duration: 4 years. Admissions via JEE (Adv); First batch starting 2024.
| What | Structure | Prospects | Whom | FAQs |
What
Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) is a confluence of applied mathematics, computing, technology, and management that aims to solve real-world problems through appropriate decision models. The BTech in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) is a combination of two core disciplines of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering.
Operations Research (OR) as a field studies complex human-technical systems and formal structures therein. It involves mathematical and decision models, including a range of optimization, simulation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning approaches to model and analyze a variety of problems arising in the context of planning, scheduling, and control in various domains.
Industrial Engineering (IE) is the engineering discipline that focuses on designing, analyzing, improving, and controlling industrial and service systems, typically to better their efficiency and effectiveness in a sustained & resilient manner. The tools and understanding from OR plays a crucial role in IE.
IISE Industry Advisory Board YouTube Video Contest Winner (Video by UC Berkeley students explaining What IEOR is about)
BTechs in IEOR will thus have strong foundational knowledge of quantitative, analytical, and computational approaches to model and analyze a range of decision problems across industrial and service systems.
Program Structure
The B.Tech IEOR curriculum is designed to give a strong & broad foundation to UG students and to develop transferable skills across domains. It will be a balance of applied mathematics, computing, and hands-on problem-solving.
The detailed curriculum can be found here.
The BTech program includes common core courses in basic sciences (mathematics/ physics/ chemistry/ biology), humanities & social sciences (economics, design thinking, HASMED), engineering & technology (computer programming, Makerspace). These courses are common to all UG students at IITBombay, typically done in the first and second year of the BTech.
The department’s core courses begin with the “Introduction to IE and OR” (IE101) course in the very first semester. IE101 will introduce students to relevant broad themes of IEOR, along with necessary problem solving & systems thinking skills. The other department cores include courses on probability & statistics, optimisation (linear & non-linear), data structures & algorithms, control systems, artificial intelligence/ machine learning, stochastic processes, simulation, risk & uncertainty, industrial systems, operations analysis, logistics & supply chain. Most of these department core courses are in the second year, with a few in the third year. The second-semester course on probability and statistics is being introduced at least a semester earlier than its counterpart in other departments since the concepts form a basis for many decision models.
The BTech in IEOR program includes 6 core labs to perfectly complement the courses. This includes four computational labs, on algorithms & programming, optimisation, data analytics & AI/ML, and simulation; and two hardware labs on industrial engineering and digital enterprise systems. The computational labs will teach modeling and analysis skills using various tools and techniques. The hardware labs will have a modern twist to them and are meant to teach how data is collected and the various tools around it. These include but are not limited to IoT tools. The labs also aim to impart AR/VR experience.
Students can further gain breadth or depth on subjects by appropriately choosing department electives, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) electives as per their interests. Students can also opt for Honors in IEOR by completing additional courses and a capstone project. Minor in other disciplines are also possible.
Prospects
A graduate of IEOR can contribute to various sectors, including but not limited to, manufacturing, logistics & transportation, business analytics, e-commerce/ e-tailers, online marketplaces, production, agriculture, financial services, healthcare, security, information & telecommunication, and other services. The program can also align with India’s need for highly skilled manpower as part of its visions of Make in India, Gati Shakti, and Aatmanirbar Bharat initiatives. Please visit IEOR Placement page for details about placement of our Masters students.
Industries (product and services), technology innovation centers, research labs and academia are in need of quality manpower trained not only in modelling, analytical and computational skills, but also with scalable and transferable skill sets to apply in a range of business and industry settings. This is particularly true for data science roles, where an average analyst might look at past data to understand what happens. IEOR students are trained to look at the underlying process and make suggestions for the future, and a degree with a decision-making flavour sets them apart. Graduates of the program can also go on to pursue Masters, or MBA or PhD in a range of disciplines, in all leading Institutes in the world.
Whom
The program is likely to appeal to students with interests in data science, computing and decision analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the intake for the BTech IEOR program at IIT Bombay?
The sanctioned intake for 2024 is about 36 seats. Please check IIT’s JEE admissions page for the category-wise allocations.
What are the potential job profiles for a BTech in IEOR?
Common job profiles include Industrial engineer, Operations researcher, Data analyst, Management consultant, Supply chain/ logistics analyst, Operations manager, Financial/ risk analyst, Quantitative analyst, Quality engineer, Project manager, and so on.
What are some companies that hire IE/ OR graduates?
All leading companies hire graduates in IE/OR for core jobs, including in Ecommerce (Amazon, Flipkart, etc), Retail (Walmart, DMart, etc), Technology (Google, Apple, Tesla, etc), Automotive (Hyundai, Tata, etc), Manufacturing (Boeing, John Deere, TSC, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, etc), Airlines (Air India, United Airlines, etc), Consulting (TCS, McKinsey, Accenture, etc), Financial Services (PWC, etc), Transportation & Logistics (Fedex, DHL, Delhivery, Ola, Swiggy etc), Banks (HSBC etc), many startups and others.
Placement details of recent graduates from the Department of IEOR can be found here.
A New View of Analytics and Operations Research video by INFORMS
Is IEOR a suitable career option for girls?
IEOR is a course suitable for everyone. It totally depends on your passion.
What are the postgraduate study options after a BTech in IEOR?
There are several options available, depending on one's own interests and preferences, including advanced programs in IE/OR, programs in related engineering disciplines, management, or interdisciplinary programs.
Almost all leading universities across the world offer advanced degrees (MS/ MTech/ ME/ PhD) in Industrial Engineering/ Operations Research, which allows you to delve deeper into IEOR subjects. Programs in related engineering disciplines include Masters degrees in Systems engineering, Manufacturing engineering, supply chain engineering, etc. Pursuing an MBA/MMS degree is also available. Interdisciplinary programs options include Masters in Data science, Artificial intelligence, Financial engineering, Heath Systems, Business Analytics, etc.
Is "Department of IEOR" a new entity at IIT Bombay?
Not really. IEOR started as an interdisciplinary program in 1976, offering Masters and Doctoral degree programs. In 2024 the status was changed to the Department of IEOR. Presently the Department of IEOR offers PhD, MTech, MSc and BTech (new) programs. The department also offers a UG minor to students from other departments.
Will a BTech in IEOR allow me to pursue a career in AI/ML?
Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning/ Deep Learning is also a core technique of Operations Research, along with optimisation, stochastic models, simulation, and statistical analysis. BTech in IEOR has a core course on Introduction to AI/ML, a lab on data analytics, and offers several department elective courses on deep learning, machine learning: principles & techniques, reinforcement learning, online machine learning, bandit algorithms, advanced deep learning, etc. The career you pursue will totally depend on your passion.
Will this be the first time that the IEOR department is teaching UG students?
IEOR at IIT Bombay has been offering courses to BTech/DD students for several years. The most popular IEOR courses among undergraduate students at IIT Bombay includes ‘Optimisation models’, ‘Probability & Stochastics Process’, ‘Operations Analysis’, ‘Deep Learning’, ‘Machine Learning’ with 100+ UG per course every semester. Almost all IEOR courses, such as Simulation, Financial Engineering, Healthcare Operations etc are taken as electives by UG students across all departments. Last year, many students were from CSE and ME.
Is the BTech in IEOR same as Production Engineering?
Well, this is a common misconception, especially in India. Production engineering mainly deals with subjects related to manufacturing processes. Industrial engineering has a much wider ambit, covering many more areas of application. The BTech in IEOR at IIT Bombay, is unique due its additional focus on operations research and artificial intelligence techniques.