Updated July 2022 and effective for all current and incoming IE undergrdautes.
Overview
Recognizing that engineering is an increasingly global profession and that global knowledge continues to be critical to the engineering curriculum, the Department of Industrial Engineering (IE) is committed to providing its graduates with the skills they need to compete on an international basis. Such skills enable Pitt IE graduates to not only have a distinct employment advantage but also provide them with a cross-cultural awareness that enhances their leadership abilities.
To satisfy our international requirement, all IE students must either:
- Successfully complete an approved international experience*
OR
- Successfully complete two globally focused humanities or social science (H/SS) elective courses**. The H/SS courses must be cohesive, that is, related in some manner (e.g. a beginning and intermediate course in the same language, both development economics and international economics, two sociology courses related to globalization, etc.). These courses will fulfill two of the six required H/SS courses for the BSIE and should be approved by the student’s advisor.
*International Experience Options
The international experience is defined as an approved engineering academic program with a minimum of 3-credits or an approved international internship/co-op rotation of at least eight weeks.
The University of Pittsburgh and the Swanson School of Engineering (SSOE) provide a wide spectrum of options that may be used to satisfy the international experience. SSOE’s programs may also be used to satisfy technical electives for the BSIE. Specific examples of programs include:
- Semester exchange programs including Global E3 (over 30 counties), UAS7 (Germany), etc.
- Integrated Field Trip Abroad courses such as Plus3, Innovate (ENGR 1600), Engineering of the Renaissance – Florence (ENGR 0034), Global Supply Chains in Latin American (ENGR 1228), Engineering a Craft Brewery (ENGR 1933) and so forth.
- Co-op rotation abroad
Exceptions to the 3-credit minimum are given for programs with substantial global experience such as:
- Engineers Without Borders (EWB) or Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) with significant international field experience.
- “Moving the Cities” or other similar program.
See Global Experiences and Engagement (pitt.edu) for more information on various programs.
There are several programs that are run by IE faculty and should be of particular interest. Be sure to check out:
Business and Engineering Collaborations in India
Students interested in international co-ops or internships should contact the Office of Experiential Learning & Professional Engagement (ELPE).
** Globally Focused H/SS Course Options
Globally Focused courses are defined as those found in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences General Education Course Catalog under the categories, “Cross-Cultural Awareness”, “Global Issues”, “Second Language” (Excluding ASL courses), or “Specific Geographic Region”.
Exemptions: International students (generally those students who were born and educated outside of the U.S. prior to enrolling at Pitt) are exempt from the International Requirement.
International Engineering Certificate
Students in the Swanson School of Engineering may earn a certificate in International Engineering Studies (IES) by completing a minimum set of requirements that include an approved educational international experience and associated cultural enrichment and language studies. The certificate notation appears on the student's final transcript upon graduation. Students must contact the Office of Engineering International Programs to indicate plans to complete the certificate and must submit their completed plan in the final semester prior to graduation. Additional Information can be found here.