What is Production Engineering?

Production Engineering Definition

Those wondering 'what is production engineering?' should know that production engineering is a subfield of manufacturing, or industrial engineering. Production engineering focuses on the production process, production design, and production management of a product. Production engineering is commonly offered as a course topic or research area for degree programs in manufacturing engineering. Manufacturing engineers, or industrial engineers, are the professionals who study and apply production engineering to the efficient manufacturing of a product. Learn more about the field of production engineering below.

Production Engineering Degree Programs

While there are typically no degree programs available specifically in production engineering in the United States, there are several undergraduate and graduate degree programs available throughout the country in the field of manufacturing engineering. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the education requirements for a manufacturing engineer, or industrial engineer, include at least a bachelor's degree, but graduate degree programs in the field may help advance one's career. Explore the different levels of degree programs in manufacturing engineering below.

Bachelor's in Manufacturing Engineering

Bachelor's degree programs in manufacturing engineering are usually offered as Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees. These on-campus programs typically include various hands-on learning opportunities in laboratories and some programs may include an internship and/or co-op experience. These experiences help students gain exposure to current manufacturing technologies and design techniques for a wide range of products. Some programs may also offer an accelerated 4+1 option, where students can go on to pursue their master's in the subject. Common coursework for these bachelor's degree programs includes topics in:

• Manufacturing processes
• Materials science
• Manufacturing system design
• Quality engineering
• Engineering mechanics

Master's in Manufacturing Engineering

Master's degree programs in manufacturing engineering are commonly offered as Master of Science (MS) degrees and are also available on-campus. Some of these programs can be taken in full- or part-time formats and may require around 30 credits. Some programs may give students the option of completing a thesis or an applied project as a final capstone experience. Students may also be able to choose to focus their studies in a concentration area, such as:

• Manufacturing systems
• Design
• Control systems
• Materials engineering
• Quality assurance

PhD in Manufacturing Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Manufacturing Engineering degree programs are on-campus programs that usually require qualifying exams, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation. These degree programs focus on research and may include coursework in subject areas like:

• Product design
• Manufacturing systems
• Automation
• Systems simulation
• Additive manufacturing

Production Engineering Salary

Students interested in learning how much engineers usually make should consider factors like specific job titles, employer, location, work experience, and skill sets. In the case of industrial engineers, the BLS reported that these professionals made an average annual salary of $91,630 in 2018.

PayScale.com also reported the average salaries for graduates of degree programs in manufacturing engineering. As of November 2019, PayScale.com stated that the average annual salary for graduates with a Bachelor of Science (BS or BSc) in Manufacturing Engineering was $74,377, while those with a Master of Science (MS) in Manufacturing Engineering made an average salary of $79,619 the same year.