Purdue Polytechnic's new Smart Manufacturing Enterprise minor prepares students for advanced manufacturing careers

Smart Manufacturing Enterprise minor unites technology, engineering and business disciplines to prepare students for Industry 4.0 and the manufacturing landscape of the future

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. – Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s new Smart Manufacturing Enterprise minor, a program designed to prepare Purdue students for careers in advanced manufacturing, is now available for fall 2019. Built by Polytechnic faculty working in conjunction with manufacturing industry leaders, this new program delivers a curriculum that integrates technology, engineering and business disciplines in order to create the manufacturing technology professional of the future – making this program a good fit for students working toward bachelor’s degrees in engineering, management, science and other disciplines.

The new Smart Manufacturing Enterprise minor consists of 16 credit hours, is open to all eligible Purdue University students, and is offered on the University’s West Lafayette, Ind., campus.

“Manufacturing as an industry is undergoing an exciting transformation,” said Gary Bertoline, dean of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. “New technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality are changing the ways in which we design, create, build and deliver new products – and we’re looking ahead to make sure our graduates are prepared to succeed in the business of advanced manufacturing.”

According to Bertoline, graduates need a broad-based foundation in manufacturing enterprise technologies, but they must also be able to function, communicate, and even lead in a complex transdisciplinary environment. Bertoline predicts that students who complete the Smart Manufacturing Enterprise minor will become graduates able to succeed in an evolving manufacturing arena that includes collaborative robots, virtual reality and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and the industrial Internet of Things.

"The future of manufacturing is changing quickly, and qualified talent has never been in such high demand"

-Jon Eide, engineering manager at Endress+Hauser

Purdue Polytechnic’s industry partners approve of this proactive program designed to prepare students for success in advanced manufacturing careers.

"The future of manufacturing is changing quickly, and qualified talent has never been in such high demand,” said Jon Eide, engineering manager at Endress+Hauser. “This new program puts Purdue on the forefront of that frontier, so it is exciting to be a partner in this journey.”

"A remarkable amount of thought and global research has gone into developing this initiative, which pairs well with Purdue values,” said Michael Cook, director of university partnerships and programs for Rockwell Automation. “This unique, student-centric education is of high value to Industry – not just in terms of technical digital talent, but also leadership."

For more information on the Smart Manufacturing Enterprise at Purdue Polytechnic Institute, visit https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/sme-minor.

About Purdue Polytechnic Institute

Purdue Polytechnic Institute is one of 10 academic colleges at Purdue University, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in a range of disciplines: aviation, computing, construction management, engineering technology, technology leadership and technology education. In addition to Purdue University’s main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue Polytechnic offers select degree programs in nine Indiana communities.