Why pursuing a degree in IPE could be a good choice for you
Why pursuing a degree in IPE could be a good choice for you
Most of us probably don’t know what IPE means. Industrial and Production Engineering is a combination of two disciplines, Industrial Engineering and Production Engineering. Most syllabuses of foreign universities offer these disciplines differently. However in Bangladesh, a more jotted down version is preferred.
The degree is an offspring of Mechanical Engineering, you’ll have to learn the basics of machines, tools used for machining, ergonomics, and the basics of manufacturing operations. On the contrary to Mechanical Engineering, you will also have to study from the curriculum of a few business graduate courses. Courses such as Operations Management, Operations Research, Facility Planning and Material Handling, Supply Chain Management, Project Management etc. This is a unique progression for an engineer to grasp the business end of the manufacturing operations.
One of the most inefficient aspects of running any production operation is the disconnect between the manufacturing knowledge and the operational process management. Most engineers are well versed in the technical side of things, but it also comes at a significant cost as they do not possess adequate business and operational skills to run an effective production facility. That is why you will commonly see an engineering graduate getting his MBA whenever he seeks a placement for a leading role in any company that focuses on producing goods and services.
This knowledge gap was the catalyst for the thought of bringing together both technical and operational skills, and teaching it to specially catered graduates getting the opportunity to wet their beaks in both fields.
As we have a bit of a tendency to not take into consideration the graduates coming from newly formed subjects, it is no wonder that the demand for IPE still has not caught fire. Looking forward, more and more companies will look to have a more diversified skill set in their arsenal. Only having business expertise, or only being an all knowing “machine” guy will not be enough. An engineer should be able to solve any problem streaming from every aspect of a company. That is the reason you see trends of business courses being incorporated to Bsc degrees more and more. Keeping up with this trend, IPE is further ahead than any other subject in focusing on the knowledge of covering both sectors of management and mechanical engineering,
So, where to study if you really are convinced? Most public universities offer IPE degrees, as well as a handful of private ones. It is important to also understand this subject has a vast array of opportunities for those who want to study abroad with scholarships, and who want to work at the companies that lead the world in manufacturing and innovation. As a diversified undergraduate degree, you can easily pursue specific Masters in sectors such as Systems Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering and much more. These specific fields all share significant commonalities with IPE which will help you apply for these subjects easily.
Even a good career as an educator is possible for you, Many of the universities are yet to establish this degree. But observing the trend, one can easily predict more universities opening their own IPE departments, and there is a lot of opportunity to enter the academic field as an educator at these universities.
All in all, the country is diversifying, and as we progress towards a middle income country, manufacturing industries will inevitably shift away from the RMG sector and be forced to diversify. This leaves a vacuum for a skilled engineering workforce who can lead this new revolution, and as IPE graduates, this progression towards high valued goods manufacturing will open up significant opportunities.
