>> Download IBE Employer Sheet (PDF)
Why hire a Penn State Behrend Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies graduate?
Penn State Behrend’s Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies major (IBE) is one of a handful of undergraduate business and engineering programs nationwide and the only one offered at Penn State. Students combine their interests in business and engineering, choosing a disciplinary module in operations and supply chain management, technical sales, accounting/finance, energy finance, new product development, materials and mechanical systems, industrial engineering, or biomedical engineering. Our graduates, many of whom graduate with a secondary degree in Project and Supply Chain Management, International Business, or Management Information Systems, are sought after for internships and have an extremely high job placement rate with competitive starting salaries.
More Than Just a Degree
IBE students complete an industry-sponsored capstone project experience during their senior year. Students are assigned to a cross-functional team with consideration of their discipline modules. Each team is paired with a corporate sponsor and works with faculty from the Black School of Business and School of Engineering to develop a new product or service opportunity.
Students’ hands-on experience begins with concept development and product design, including prototype development and manufacturing process design. All of the elements of new product introduction are studied and applied to their projects.
At the close of the project, the student team will present the corporate sponsor and the Penn State Behrend community with a comprehensive plan to bring the product or process to market within their firm.
What do our students study?
- Strategic management
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Engineering design
- Feasibility analysis
- New product or service launch
- Electrical circuits and analysis
- Digital electronic circuitry
- Graphics and solid modeling
- Supply chain management
- Thermodynamics
- Project management
Who hires our graduates?
- Bechtel Plant
- Machinery Inc.
- Volvo Group
- Donnelly Mechanical
- TechnipFMC
- Harris Corporation
- ExxonMobil
- Barrington Research
- Logistics Plus
- Wabtec
- British Petroleum
- Tenneco
- Covestro
Our students can fill these positions within your company:
- Technical sales representative
- New business development specialist
- Technical support specialist
- Brand manager
- Project manager
- Production planner
- Operations analyst
- Purchasing agent
- Operations manager
- Plant accountant
Perspectives on the IBE Program
Bill Staniszewski
2017 Graduate, Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies; Project Manager, Tessy Plastics
During our IBE capstone project, we worked with industry partners to solve problems that exist outside of the classroom. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was from Dr. Diane Parente: “In order to get your recommendations accepted in industry, you need relevant experience, or data to back up what you’re suggesting.” As a recent graduate without experience, I was able to quickly and concisely compile and present data. This is a valuable skill that has allowed me to advance quickly in my career and effectively support the teams I have the privilege of working with.
Ed Crow
Senior Research and Development Engineer, Penn State Applied Research Lab
The projects we mentor are highly experimental where teams get their hands dirty developing solutions to military and commercial challenges. IBE capstone projects help prepare graduates ready for tasking, so that when they are newly hired in industry, they are able to make positive contributions on the job with a much shorter learning curve than their peers. This provides employers with a greater return on their investment and the new graduate with a great advantage as they begin their careers.
Mary Jo Ingalls
Continuous Improvement Manager, Erie Insurance Group
Erie Insurance is committed to helping students learn and grow by offering challenging opportunities for students to gain relevant and true business experience through real-world capstone projects. Collaboration through the projects brings a more inclusive view and outcome to our business along with building experience. At Erie Insurance, we believe that when each of us contributes to our community partners, the value returned helps support our ability to grow our talent and our business. Behrend and their students are our partners in being better together.
Ready to learn more?
If you’re ready to learn more about our IBE graduates, please contact:
Penn State Behrend
Black School of Business
5101 Jordan Road | Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6107 | [email protected]
behrend.psu.edu/ibe
facebook.com/behrendbusiness
linkedin.com/company/behrendbusiness
