The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Rhode Island provides a challenging intellectual environment, offering academic programs leading to BS, MS and PhD Degrees in the fields of Industrial and Systems Engineering. The BS degree in Industrial Engineering is accredited by ABET.

The Department has a strong national and international reputation for education and research in improving manufacturing competitiveness, together with a tradition for industrial collaboration. Industrial Engineering was first introduced into URI in 1947. In 1985, the emphasis of the programs was changed to include manufacturing engineering and the name changed to Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. The department has changed its name to "Industrial and Systems Engineering" in 2007 to reflect the needs of industry. This name change allows the department to gain regional and national visibility and becomes the first Industrial and Systems Engineering department in New England and the twenty-second in the nation.

The Department has established cutting edge research in areas such as service and enterprise systems, manufacturing systems, design for manufacture and assembly, rapid manufacturing, quality engineering, and human factors in transportation. The Department prides itself on its close collaborations with industry and its ability to transfer research results into industrial applications. The department offers its degrees in a variety of formats. The B.S. degree can be obtained by taking courses on a full time or a part time basis. To make it easier for part time students, core courses required for the degree are offered in the evening in alternate years. M.S. degrees too can be obtained on a full time or part time schedule. The department also offers a 4+1 / IE + MBA option for qualified students to obtain a B.S.I.E. in 4 years and an MBA in one year. Students in the New England area who are enrolled in any of the three degreed programs qualify for a regional tuition waiver.