Admissions to the Manufacturing Systems Engineering: Manufacturing Systems Engineering, M.S. have been suspended as of fall 2022 and will be discontinued as of fall 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
This is a named option within the Manufacturing Systems Engineering M.S.
Information about the requirements and policies for the Manufacturing Systems Engineering M.S. can be found on this page.
Admissions to the Manufacturing Systems Engineering: Manufacturing Systems Engineering, M.S. have been suspended as of fall 2022 and will be discontinued as of fall 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 15 |
| Spring Deadline | The program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | The program does not admit in the summer. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Required.* |
| English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score and meet the Graduate School minimum requirements (https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/#english-proficiency). |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
- *
The GRE is not required for domestic U.S. students.
MSE Admissions Profile
Admission information for the on-campus manufacturing systems engineering M.S.
To be admitted to the M.S. program, applicants must satisfy the Graduate School's minimum admission requirements as well as the following program requirements: undergraduate engineering degree from an ABET-accredited program or its equivalent (students with a physical sciences degree other than engineering and considerable industry experience are also eligible); an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (exceptions may be made by the admissions committee in favor of applicants with significant industry experience); and at least two years of work experience in manufacturing.
Students who wish to pursue the Research Thesis track should contact faculty that they would like to conduct research with during the application process.
application deadline: December 15
Students are only admitted in the Fall term.
Admission to the master’s program in manufacturing systems engineering (MSE) steps:
- Please visit the UW–Madison Graduate School Admissions to review requirements for admission. Frequently Asked Questions.
- Apply at the UW–Madison Graduate School.
- Please submit the required application materials to the MSE program uploaded to the online application system including a statement of purpose, 3 letters of recommendation, current vitae/resume' and transcript information for all post high school education. (Students applying from non-U.S. universities must supply GRE and either TOEFL, MELAB, or IELTS scores).
After you have submitted all the application materials to the MSE program as well as the graduate school, we will review your qualifications and check if everything is complete. The MSE program will then recommend qualified candidates for admission to the graduate school.
For further information, please contact msaegradadmission@engr.wisc.edu.
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
PROGRAM RESOURCES
The Manufacturing Systems Engineering program does not offer Teaching Assistantships, Project Assistantships, or Research Assistantships. Students seeking Teaching Assistantships and Project Assistantships should directly contact academic departments that offer courses (e.g., Mechanical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering). Research Assistantships are only available to students in the research thesis track. Students seeking Research Assistantships should directly contact faculty who they want to conduct thesis research with.
FEDERAL LOANS
Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may be eligible to receive some level of funding through the federal direct loan program. These loans are available to qualified graduate students who are taking at least 4 credits during the fall and spring semesters, and 2 credits during summer. Private loans are also available. Learn more about financial aid at their website.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES FUNDING AND SCHOLARSHIPS
For information on International Student Funding and Scholarships visit the ISS website.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Named Option Requirements
MODE OF INSTRUCTION
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 30 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 16 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 15 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Details can be found in the Graduate School’s Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) policy (https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244). The department recommends taking coursework in College of Engineering, the School of Business, the Department of Statistics, the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, or the Department of Computer Sciences. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. This program follows the Graduate School's policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | Grades of C or lower do not count toward the degree. |
| Assessments and Examinations | The research-thesis track requires student to submit a thesis and defend to a committee of faculty. The industry-thesis track requires students to submit an industry thesis and defend it to a committee of faculty. The course-only track does not require a thesis. |
| Language Requirements | No language requirements. |
Required COURSES
The on-campus Manufacturing Systems Engineering M.S. program has three tracks: course only, industrial thesis, and research thesis. Students must take four courses from the core course areas with at least one course from each of the core course areas. All students are required to take the capstone course I SY E/M E 641 Design and Analysis of Manufacturing Systems. The remaining course requirements vary depending on the program track that is chosen and are described in the table below.
Course Only Track1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Four courses selected from the Core Course Areas 2 | 12 | |
| I SY E/M E 641 | Design and Analysis of Manufacturing Systems (Offered in spring semester) | 3 |
| Elective Courses (400 level and above) 3 | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
These tracks are internal to the program and represent different pathways a student can follow to earn this degree. Track names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.
- 2
At least one course must be selected from each of the three core areas.
- 3
Up to one credit of I SY E 702 or M E 702 for an internship may count as elective credit toward the degree. A written report must be approved by the advisor. This credit cannot be used toward fulfillment of the Thesis Requirement in the Industry Thesis or Research Thesis tracks.
Industry Thesis Track1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Four courses selected from the Core Course Areas 2 | 12 | |
| I SY E/M E 641 | Design and Analysis of Manufacturing Systems (Offered in spring semester) | 3 |
| Industry Thesis | 3 | |
| Elective Courses (400 level and above) 3 | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
These tracks are internal to the program and represent different pathways a student can follow to earn this degree. Track names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.
- 2
At least one course must be selected from each of the three core areas.
- 3
Up to one credit of I SY E 702 or M E 702 for an internship may count as elective credit toward the degree. A written report must be approved by the advisor. This credit cannot be used toward fulfillment of the Thesis Requirement in the Industry Thesis or Research Thesis tracks.
Research Thesis Track1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Four courses selected from the Core Course Areas 2 | 12 | |
| I SY E/M E 641 | Design and Analysis of Manufacturing Systems (Offered in spring semester) | 3 |
| Research Thesis | 12 | |
| Elective Courses (400 level and above) 3 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
These tracks are internal to the program and represent different pathways a student can follow to earn this degree. Track names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.
- 2
At least one course must be selected from each of the three core areas.
- 3
Up to one credit of I SY E 702 or M E 702 for an internship may count as elective credit toward the degree. A written report must be approved by the advisor. This credit cannot be used toward fulfillment of the Thesis Requirement in the Industry Thesis or Research Thesis tracks.
Core Course Areas
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals of Process and Technology | ||
| CBE 450 | Process Design | 3 |
| CBE 470 | Process Dynamics and Control | 3 |
| CBE 540 | Polymer Science and Technology | 3 |
| CBE 541 | Plastics and High Polymer Laboratory | 1-3 |
| CBE 770 | Advanced Process Dynamics and Control 1 | 3 |
| E C E 412 | Power Electronic Circuits | 3 |
| E C E 453 | Embedded Microprocessor System Design | 4 |
| E C E/B M E 462 | Medical Instrumentation | 3 |
| E C E/N E 528 | Plasma Processing and Technology | 3 |
| E C E 549 | Integrated Circuit Fabrication Laboratory | 3 |
| I SY E 415 | Introduction to Manufacturing Systems, Design and Analysis | 3 |
| I SY E 605 | Computer Integrated Manufacturing | 3 |
| M E 417 | Transport Phenomena in Polymer Processing | 3 |
| M E 418 | Engineering Design with Polymers | 3 |
| M E 419 | Fundamentals of Injection Molding | 3 |
| M E 429 | Metal Cutting | 3 |
| M E 437 | Advanced Materials Selection | 3 |
| M E/E C E 439 | Introduction to Robotics | 3 |
| M E 445 | Mechatronics in Control & Product Realization | 3 |
| M E 446 | Automatic Controls | 3 |
| M E 447 | Computer Control of Machines and Processes | 3 |
| M E 449 | Redesign and Prototype Fabrication | 3 |
| M E 469 | Internal Combustion Engines | 3 |
| M E 514 | Polymer Additive Manufacturing | 3 |
| M E/N E 565 | Power Plant Technology | 3 |
| M E/CBE 567 | Solar Energy Technology | 3 |
| M E/E C E 577 | Automatic Controls Laboratory | 4 |
| M E 717 | Advanced Polymer Processing 1 | 3 |
| M E/E C E 739 | Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control of Robotic Manipulators 1 | 3 |
| M E 747 | Advanced Computer Control of Machines and Processes 1 | 3 |
| M S & E 434 | Introduction to Thin-Film Deposition Processes | 3 |
| M S & E 461 | Advanced Metal Casting | 3 |
| M S & E/M E 462 | Welding Metallurgy | 3 |
| M S & E 465 | Fundamentals of Heat Treatment | 3 |
| N E 405 | Nuclear Reactor Theory | 3 |
| Fundamentals of Systems Engineering and Design | ||
| CBE 430 | Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 370 | Transportation Engineering | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 498 | Construction Project Management 2 | 3 |
| COMP SCI/E C E 755 | VLSI Systems Design | 3 |
| COMP SCI/E C E 756 | Computer-Aided Design for VLSI 1 | 3 |
| E C E 427 | Electric Power Systems | 3 |
| M E 418 | Engineering Design with Polymers | 3 |
| M E 444 | Design Problems in Elasticity | 3 |
| M E 535 | Computer-Aided Geometric Design | 3 |
| M E 549 | Product Design | 3 |
| M E 748 | Optimum Design of Mechanical Elements and Systems 1 | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 427 | Information Technology in Supply Chains | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 727 | Information Technology in Supply Chains | 3 |
| I SY E 412 | Fundamentals of Industrial Data Analytics | 3 |
| I SY E/M E 510 | Facilities Planning | 3 |
| I SY E/M E 512 | Inspection, Quality Control and Reliability | 3 |
| I SY E 515 | Engineering Management of Continuous Process Improvement | 3 |
| I SY E 516 | Introduction to Decision Analysis | 3 |
| I SY E 520 | Quality Assurance Systems | 3 |
| I SY E/COMP SCI/E C E 524 | Introduction to Optimization | 3 |
| I SY E/B M E 564 | Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics | 3 |
| I SY E 575 | Introduction to Quality Engineering | 3 |
| I SY E 601 | Special Topics in Industrial Engineering 2 | 1-3 |
| I SY E 602 | Special Topics in Human Factors 2 | 3 |
| I SY E 603 | Special Topics in Engineering Analytics and Operations Research 2 | 1-3 |
| I SY E 612 | Information Sensing and Analysis for Manufacturing Processes | 3 |
| I SY E 620 | Simulation Modeling and Analysis | 3 |
| I SY E/M E 643 | Performance Analysis of Manufacturing Systems | 3 |
| I SY E 645 | Engineering Models for Supply Chains | 3 |
| OTM 654 | Production Planning and Control 3 | 3 |
| STAT/M E 424 | Statistical Experimental Design | 3 |
| Fundamentals of Buisness and Management | ||
| ACCT I S 300 | Accounting Principles | 3 |
| ACCT I S 710 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| FINANCE/ECON 300 | Introduction to Finance | 3 |
| FINANCE 720 | Investment Theory and Practice | 3 |
| FINANCE 757 | Entrepreneurial Finance 1, 3 | 3 |
| I SY E/PSYCH 653 | Organization and Job Design | 3 |
| M H R 700 | Leading People and Organizations | 3 |
| M H R 710 | Challenges & Solutions in Business Sustainability | 3 |
| M H R 715 | Strategic Management of Innovation 1, 3 | 3 |
| M H R 722 | Entrepreneurial Management 1, 3 | 3 |
| M H R 723 | Business Strategy 3 | 3 |
| M H R 734 | Venture Creation | 3 |
| M H R 741 | Technology Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| MARKETNG 300 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 421 | Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 722 | Logistics Management 3 | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 724 | Strategic Global Sourcing | 3 |
| OTM 752 | Project Management 3 | 3 |
| OTM 758 | Managing Technological and Organizational Change 1 | 3 |
- 1
Most 700-level courses are only taught every three or four semesters. Please check with instructor about the next offering before completing study plan.
- 2
This course number is used for multiple seminar classes. Please talk to your advisor to confirm a specific topic will count.
- 3
This course is offered in variable credit versions. Manufacturing Systems Engineering students must register for a 3-credit section.
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Named Option-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Work from Other Institutions
With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 12 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions toward the minimum graduate degree requirement and toward the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement. No credits from other institutions can be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison Undergraduate
With program approval, up to 7 credits from the UW–Madison Undergraduate career numbered 400 or above may be counted toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. No prior coursework from the UW–Madison undergraduate career may be counted toward the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement or the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison University Special
With program approval, students are allowed to count up to 15 credits of coursework numbered 400 or above taken as a UW–Madison Special student toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement and the minimum graduate degree credit requirement; coursework numbered 700 or above may satisfy the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Probation
This program follows the Graduate School's Probation policy.
ADVISOR / COMMITTEE
Every graduate student is required to have an advisor. To ensure that students are making satisfactory progress toward a degree, the Graduate School expects them to meet with their advisor on a regular basis. Students can be suspended from the Graduate School if they do not have an advisor. See People section of this Guide for possible MSE advisors.
The director of the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program is assigned as the advisor to incoming students. Students in the research thesis track are expected to identify an advisor during the admission process. This advisor can be any faculty member affiliated with this program.
CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED
15 credits
Time Limits
This program follows the Graduate School's Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances.
Other
n/a
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
PROGRAM RESOURCES
THE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
An Individual Development Plan helps with self-assessment, planning, and communication:
- An IDP can help you communicate your professional development and career planning needs and intentions to others including your mentor, which can lead to helpful advice and resources.
- You can use the IDP to make sure you and your mentor’s expectations are clearly outlined and in agreement so that there are no big surprises, particularly at the end of your training.
- The current job market is challenging and research has shown that individuals who perform structured career planning achieve greater career success and satisfaction.
The onus to engage in the IDP process is your responsibility—although your mentor, PI, or others may encourage and support you in doing so. The IDP itself remains private to you, and you choose which parts to share with which mentors. Through the IDP process, you may decide to identify various mentors to whom you can go for expertise and advice.
ENGINEERING CAREER SERVICES
Julie Rae, Assistant Director for Graduate Student Career Services, graduate students in all engineering programs
- Resumes and Cover Letters
- Job Search Strategies
- Job Offers and Negotiation
- CPT for Graduate Students
- Student Appointments: Schedule Here
- Employer Recruitment List for Industrial Engineering Students
UW WRITING CENTER
6171 Helen C. White Hall
608-263-1992
The UW Writing Center provides free of charge face-to-face and online consultations that focus on a number of different writing scenarios (i.e. drafts of course papers, resumes, reports, application essays, cover letters, theses, etc). Writing Center instructors will not edit or proofread papers. Instead, their goal is to teach students to edit and proofread on their own in order to become a better, more confident writers.
Professors
-
Jeffrey S. Russell (Vice Provost for Lifelong Learning/ Dean of Continuing Studies)
-
David Ding (Interdisciplinary Professional Programs)