Industrial engineering

Made for you if you like organizing, optimizing, and solving problems to make systems more efficient.

Did you know

$129,871
Average salary

(Genium360, Remuneration of engineering professionals in Quebec – Investigation report 2025-2026)
4 years
Duration of the bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering
Since 1930
The first PhD in industrial engineering was awarded at Cornell University
Henry Ford was an industrial engineer.
Known as the inventor behind the Ford brand, he also pioneered Fordism—an organizational model that revolutionized industrial production worldwide. Industrial engineering is about that, too: designing systems that change the way the world works.
Virtual and augmented reality help optimize operations.
These tools help companies plan smarter, reduce waste, and improve performance before making changes in the real world.
An incredible range of opportunities.
Hospitals, banks, transportation, pharmaceuticals—industrial engineering applies everywhere.

What you will actually do

As an industrial engineer, you’ll analyze work systems and redesign processes to improve efficiency, safety, and performance.

Organize and supervise advanced time and motion studies to increase efficiency.
Design programs that keep inventories at an optimal level and maximize equipment, materials, and resource use.
Develop working methods that minimize physical effort, task duplication, and delays.
Develop programs to improve industrial hygiene and safety, identify risks, reduce environmental impacts, and apply corrective measures
Rethink workspace layout to ensure optimal use of space.

Source: REPÈRES, the official school and career information website (in French)

Where do you see yourself?

Industrial engineers work across many sectors—from manufacturing and transportation to healthcare and finance.

Self-employed
Consulting engineering firms
Plastic and rubber manufacturing companies
Public service companies
Transportation companies
Academic institutions
Federal and provincial government
General hospitals and surgery hospitals
Pharmaceutical and drug industry
Financial institutions
Wireline and wireless telecommunication services
Agri-food industry
Ground transportation equipment industry

Where to study

Universities offering the program

Polytechnique Montréal

Université Laval

Université Concordia

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

A VERSATILE FIELD

From factories to hospitals: industrial engineering is everywhere.

Pharmacies, banks, airports, manufacturing plants—anywhere there are processes to improve, there’s an industrial engineer. It’s one of the most versatile engineering fields out there.

Endless

The possibilities are endless

ENGINEERING THAT KEEPS BUSINESSES RUNNING

A guided vehicle to deliver supplies in hospitals.

Engineers designed an automated guided vehicle capable of transporting supplies in hospitals. The result: better efficiency, less wasted time, and reduced labour needs for repetitive tasks.

Read the article about automated guided vehicles in hospitals

Play Mission Génie to discover the type of engineering that suits you!

An interactive game to explore the different types of engineering and find the one that best matches your interests and talents.

Start the game