Why Choose Industrial Technology and Management?

The Industrial Technology and Management program is designed to complement previous training in a technical area in order to move into a management role in a manufacturing or related facility. The degree program is interdisciplinary, bringing components of various programs together with specialty courses which expand the knowledge base of the student in manufacturing and industrial settings. The foundation classes provide depth of knowledge applicable to any technology field with classes in automation, globalization, lean manufacturing, OSHA safety, general management, quality statistics, and industrial operations. Students typically come to the ITM program with work experience in a manufacturing environment. This allows students to bring their own experiences from their jobs to the classroom for a unique perspective on solving manufacturing related problems. The program is currently offered only during the evening hours at a variety of locations away from the Big Rapids main campus, including Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Lansing, Warren, Dearborn, Midland/Bay City, Port Huron and Auburn Hills.

The Industrial Technology and Management degree is designed for persons involved in any one of a number of areas in manufacturing who may possess many manufacturing or business-related credits or an associate degree, and who desire a bachelor’s degree. This degree program will assist persons who want to make a career change with their current employer or a career transition to a new employer. It is designed to assist persons who desire to work in production supervision, sales engineering, production planning, quality, engineering supervision, and project management among other positions.

A significant part of the degree is an area called “Related Electives” where an individual can bring up to 48 credits into the degree which may include an associate degree. These credits should be from the area of manufacturing, however, appropriate business-related classes can be included. This area can be used to add a concentration of classes that represents an interest area of the student. For example, if a student feels a need for more study in the area of quality engineering, then the student may elect to complete the Ferris Quality Certificate Program. Another option to earn credits in the “Related Electives” category is to take an industrial competency exam(s) in an area of work specialization (e.g. manufacturing and tooling, technical drafting, tool and die, computer technology, etc.). Students choosing to take one or more industrial competency exams will receive prior learning credit based on their exam performance. Individuals taking these exams need five or more years of manufacturing or computer technology work experience.

Get a Great Job

Most of our current students work in a manufacturing facility and wish to advance their careers, responsibilities and salaries. By bringing a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of manufacturing, additional skills are learned in the program which can transfer directly to the workplace. Employment opportunities for Industrial Technology and Management graduates are found across the entire spectrum of manufacturing and related industries. Common job titles one could expect from completing this program include production supervisor, project leader, team leader or in middle management. Depending on your previous experience, additional career tracks one could expect from obtaining this degree may also be available in engineering, upper management and sales.

Admission Requirements

Admission into the ITM degree program will require at least 56 transferable credits or an Associate Degree. In certain circumstances, individuals may be admitted into the program without prior earned credit at the discretion of the Dean. In addition, students may be enrolled concurrently at FSU and one of the community college partners associated with the program. A 2.5 overall GPA and 2.5 in mathematics courses is required for admission. All official college transcripts must be submitted at time of application for admission. Students should refer to www.ferris.edu and choose “Transfer Student” from the “Quick Links” pull-down menu to review Ferris’ policy regarding admission criteria for transfer students. All courses transferred into Ferris must be “C” or higher including courses used in the ITM required core and recommended electives. Students with an Associate’s Degree can transfer a general education course(s) with less than a “C” grade in many cases.

More Information

Industrial Technology and Management
Ferris State University-Grand Rapids
151 Fountain Street NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3263
phone: (616) 451-4777
fax: (616) 451-4740
email: fsugr@ferris.edu
www.ferris.edu/grandrapids/itm

Graduation Requirements

The Industrial Technology and Management program at Ferris leads to a bachelor of applied science degree. To graduate, students must have a 2.0 CUMULATIVE GPA in all FSU courses, a 2.50 GPA in the Math courses, and a 2.75 in the Concentration and Core. At least 30 FSU semester hours must be competed to fulfill FSU residency requirements. Students must meet the University General Education requirements. There must be a minimum of 40 total credit hours completed at the 300 or 400 levels. A total of 127 credit hours must be completed for graduation.