Achieve your goals in the industrial studies program at UW-Platteville
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Department of Industrial Studies prepares graduates to work in industry or education, with today’s manufacturing technology. As a student your coursework will focus on hands-on learning, where you’ll practice working with state-of-the-art equipment, collaborating in teams, and solving real-world problems. Our facilities have everything you will need to learn the intricacies of construction, industrial controls, or manufacturing.
Industrial Studies Technical Minors
The Department of Industrial Studies offers eight different technical minors, plus two cross-discipline minors.
Construction Management This minor will allow you to explore topics of plan reading, building materials, estimating, scheduling, contracts, and change orders. This minor is available for students in our current Industrial Technology Management programs and those in engineering that would like more in-depth understanding of construction management.
Construction Safety Management The construction safety management minor will enhance your understanding of construction site safety with courses that focuses on safety and risk management, construction hazard control solutions, construction heavy equipment safety, and construction technical certifications. This minor is available for students in our current Industrial Technology Management programs and those in engineering.
Drafting and Product Development Technology With the drafting and product development technology minor, you will learn how to design products that meet the end user's needs and will be readily manufactured.
Industrial Control Systems Technology In this minor, you will learn how to use electrical, electronic, and fluid power systems to monitor and control the equipment used in the manufacturing process.
Metals Processing Technology This minor will provide opportunities to learn about the various properties of metal, the different varieties of metal, and all the basic processes to shape, mold, cut, weld, and otherwise process metal components.
Occupational Safety Management This minor will primarily focus on safety practices in manufacturing and construction. Every organization desires a safe environment for their employees and their customers. Topics include personal protection equipment (PPE), safety policies and law, material safety data sheets (MSDS), fire protection, ergonomics, and many more.
Plastics Processing Technology Students pursuing this minor will learn about the properties of various plastic materials, and how plastic parts are manufactured. A focus of study is the design of the molds required to produce plastics parts.
Production and Manufacturing Management This minor focuses on the design, implementation, and management of manufacturing production lines.
Agricultural and Industrial Engineering Technology This is an inter-disciplinary minor within the School of Agriculture.
Renewable Energy This is an inter-disciplinary minor within the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Systems department.
Ten factors for career success
Our dedicated faculty members teach you a wide range of skills, from technical to analytical to communications skills. As a result, our graduates hit the ground ready to make an impact. Many companies benefit from the expertise provided by the graduates of UW-Platteville’s Department of Industrial Studies.
Surveys show that the top 10 skills and abilities our graduates gained in their industrial studies courses, which they attribute to their success at their jobs upon graduation, are as follows:
- Problem solving
- Working as a team member
- Using computers
- Listening effectively
- Applying technical knowledge
- Providing leadership
- Synthesizing data
- Public speaking
- Writing clearly
- Applying math and science
Also mentioned are having a strong technical knowledge base, managing time and pressure, being flexible, managing change, organizing and managing meetings, decision making with multiple variables, negotiating and resolving conflict, and working virtually with worldwide teams.
Careers in industrial studies
Choosing to major or minor in an industrial field will prepare you to be a leader or educator in construction management, industrial technology management, occupational safety, or technology education.
Regardless of which emphasis or focus area you choose, you can expect to develop and hone your leadership skills while becoming proficient in using current construction or industrial management computer software. You will also graduate with a better understanding of how to interpret applicable regulations and implement safety precautions designed to protect workers, as well as members of the public. If you choose to pursue a career as an educator, you will help promote technological literacy to help students adapt to technological change.
Some of the roles UW-Platteville graduates have accepted after graduation include:
- Construction manager
- Cost estimator
- Health and safety manager
- Industrial engineering technician
- Industrial engineering technologist
- Industrial production manager
- Industrial labor supervisor
- Logistician
- Management analyst
- Operations research analyst
- Project manager
- Project scheduler
- Quality control inspector
- Safety consultant or manager
- Secondary technology education teacher
As a leader in an industrial, manufacturing, or educational role, you may spend some of your time in a construction or production environment and some time in an office or classroom setting.
Discover by doing
Students at UW-Platteville learn in traditional classrooms, but they also have access to experiential learning in several ways. Whether you choose to engage in research projects, complete internships/apprenticeships, attend university events, or all of these, you will have numerous opportunities to bridge your education to your future career.
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