Analysis of Common Terminologies in Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) and Student Outcomes (SOs) for Top-ranked ABET-accredited Industrial and Systems Engineering Programs

With the growing number of schools and colleges offering Industrial and Systems Engineering programs in the United States, it is important to understand the core skills and competencies emphasized in Industrial and Systems Engineering education. This research focuses on identifying the most frequently used terminologies in Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) and similarities between the Student Outcomes (SOs) for ABET-accredited programs in Industrial and Systems Engineering. Data were collected using the U.S. News & World Report 2024 top-ranked programs in this field along with ABET-accredited programs after the 2024 ABET's accreditation cycle found in ABET's database. The data collected were categorized into three main categories: Industrial Engineering programs, accredited under ABET's Industrial and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria; Systems Engineering programs, accredited under ABET's Systems and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria; and Industrial and Systems Engineering programs, accredited upon meeting both preceding criteria. The main objective of this research is to analyze the PEOs and identify common terminologies for the selected ABET-accredited programs using WordCloud and perform a text-based similarity analysis for each program's SOs with ABET's SOs. By examining the language and key phrases employed in these objectives and outcomes, the study reveals trends and priorities in the field of Industrial and Systems Engineering education. This can also serve as a guide for universities that would like to pursue ABET-accreditation for their programs.