Industrial and systems engineering is concerned with the design, installation, management, operation, and improvement of systems that produce goods and services. It follows an integrated approach that considers the entire life cycle of the product or service produced, from design through production, delivery, and customer support. Industrial and systems engineers are involved in such functions as designing a complete production facility or a single workplace, setting operator performance standards, planning manufacturing processes, planning and controlling production, designing quality control systems, analyzing system reliability, simulating system performance, and planning and evaluating large-scale projects. Industrial and systems engineers are employed in a broad variety of organizations, including manufacturing industries, utilities, transportation, health care systems, financial institutions, and all levels of government agencies. This plan is open to all industrial and systems engineering majors who have finished at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate work and who have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00. To enter the accelerated sequence, a student must obtain early admission to the NIU Graduate School, and formulate a detailed plan of study, working closely with a faculty adviser. A minimum GPA of 3.00 must be maintained during the course of study. Failure to meet the requirements of the accelerated sequence may lead to a B.S. degree only, but only after all the requirements for that degree have been met.