Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering Institute (IMSEI)

What is the IMSE Institute?

The Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering Institute (IMSEI) was established in 1984. IMSEI provides multidisciplinary graduate-level education and practical training opportunities in the theory and practice of integrated manufacturing systems engineering at the Master's level. IMSEI focuses on providing a manufacturing presence and a program environment in the College of Engineering where faculty, graduate students and industry can engage cooperatively in multidisciplinary graduate education, basic and applied research, and technology transfer in areas of common interest related to modern manufacturing systems technology. The objective of the IMSEI program is to offer students with traditional discipline backgrounds in engineering and the physical sciences an opportunity to broaden their understanding of the multidisciplinary area of manufacturing systems. Core areas of concentration are offered in manufacturing systems, logistics, mechatronics, and biomanufacturing.

The IMSE Institute’s specific mission is to:

Provide multi-disciplinary graduate-level education and practical training opportunities in the theory and practice of integrated manufacturing systems engineering at the Master's degree level.

Bring university and industry expertise and interests together to conduct basic and applied research leading to the development of advanced modern manufacturing system technology.

Advance the application of modern manufacturing technology through interactive technology transfer often via internships between university research and industrial applications.

The IMSEI program is unique in that it makes use of faculty, course offerings, and laboratory facilities within the traditional engineering, computer science, business, textiles, and other departments to offer an independent Master's degree, authorized to be awarded by the faculty who associate with and participate in the activities supported by the IMSE Institute. A further unique feature of the program is that some of the funds that support the program come from annual membership fees provided by a consortium of industrial sponsors and service contract agreements with North Carolina industry. The program is designed to help students:

Appreciate how different relevant classical disciplines make an impact on manufacturing systems engineering;

gain specific knowledge and develop special skills in areas of modern manufacturing technology; and

apply their knowledge in a current research and/or applications problem in manufacturing systems, often during an internship.