“Our IME students are able to apply firsthand the industrial engineering skill sets and principles learned in class in a variety of settings through their co-ops. That combination makes our students very sought after.”
The Kettering University Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department was once again ranked No. 1 in the country by U.S. News and World Report in the publication’s annual ‘Best Colleges’ editions.
Kettering’s Mechanical Engineering program ranked No. 3 in the country. Kettering ranked No. 17 in the country among undergraduate engineering programs and No. 24 among all Midwest colleges.
“The U.S. News rankings reflect positively on Kettering’s desire to be among the country’s best STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) institutions in the country,” said Dr. Robert Simpson, Kettering University Provost. “The rankings are a testament to the rigorous standards of excellence our faculty hold students and to the hard work the students do both in their coursework and in their co-op placements.”
Kettering’s Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering program has been the dominant program in the country in the U.S. News rankings for more than a decade. The diverse offerings in IME have practical applications in many fields. Students and faculty have worked on recent projects in the healthcare industry with Genesys Hospital, McLaren Regional Medical Center and St. Mary’s of Michigan. Students have also applied IME principles working with local Flint/Genesee County agencies, including the non-profit St. Luke N.E.W. Life Enterprises, local government and a successful urban farm in Genesee County.
“These rankings highlight why Kettering students, including Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering students, are in great demand in industry and business,” said Dr. Srinivas Chakravarthy, interim Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering department head. “Our IME students are able to apply firsthand the industrial engineering skill sets and principles learned in class in a variety of settings through their co-ops. That combination makes our students very sought after.”
The Mechanical Engineering program moved up four spots in this year’s rankings, from No. 7 to No. 3 in the country. The ME curriculum at Kettering is focused on developing industry-ready engineers, and the jump in this year’s rankings show Kettering’s reputation for doing exactly that is quickly on the rise nationwide.
“It is an honor to be recognized as a top five Mechanical Engineering program,” said Dr. Craig Hoff, Mechanical Engineering department head. “The strength of the Kettering curriculum is the ability to blend both theory in the classroom with practice in our labs and facilities on campus and with our industry partners through co-op. That combination gives Kettering students a truly unique ME education.”
More on the 2014 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges listings.