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ISYE

Industrial and Systems Engineering

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The department at a glance

All recorded grades
average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades

How grades break down

Grades over time

Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison

About these statistics

GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.

Fall 2026

Recorded this term
courses with offerings
instructors recorded

Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.

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44 courses

Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.

Introduction to mathematical optimization, covering formulation of discrete and continuous problems and equilibrium models, and usage of algorithms and software tools.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course is extremely difficult with long, challenging homework assignments that can take up to 20 hours, requiring substantial independent study time.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Covers dynamic programming techniques and applications to problems like shortest-path, TSP, and Markovian decision processes.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sample

Study of convex sets, functions, and duality with applications to operations research.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Spring 2025 · limited sample

Introduction to combinatorial optimization covering exact and approximation algorithms for discrete structures.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Reviewers describe the workload as heavy, with time-consuming homework and brutal exams. The course requires deep knowledge of in-depth proofs, making it challenging for non-elite math majors.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Fall 2025

Introduces linear optimization problems, emphasizing formal proofs, the simplex method, duality theory, and theorems of the alternatives.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course is considered very difficult, with hard assignments that require significant study time, though group work is permitted. Exams are reported as easier than homework, although one student found the final exam unexpectedly difficult despite its stated format.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Covers theory and algorithms for nonlinear optimization, focusing on unconstrained methods like quasi-Newton and trust-region techniques.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Assignments are graded harshly, and the course is notoriously difficult, requiring significant preparation to keep up with the rigorous material.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Introduction to industrial statistics covering probability, hypothesis testing, and regression using Excel.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Amanda Smith, Hannah Silber: Homework and weekly quizzes carry significant weight, making consistent effort crucial. The group project is noted as tedious and requiring attention, while exams are generally considered fair and based on reviewed material.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 312 teaches data management and analysis fundamentals for industrial engineers, focusing on database strategies, preprocessing, visualization, and modeling with MySQL and R.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Homework and projects are graded easily and mirror class problems, but exams require independent preparation due to low guidance. Extra credit is available for lecture attendance.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 313 teaches engineering economic analysis using financial accounting principles, cost systems, and discounted cash flow techniques.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Homework and group projects are reported as manageable in time commitment, with tests similar to practice material. However, one reviewer noted that tests were confusing and grades took a long time to return.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 315 teaches control concepts for designing inventory, production, quality, and project-planning systems using computer components.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Sinan Tas, Terry Mann: The course project is described as time-consuming or intense, with reviewers advising students to start early. Exams are reported as easy if students attend lectures and discussions, though one review noted lectures could be tough.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 320 teaches analysis of stochastic systems through analytic methods and computer simulation, covering queuing, Markov processes, and simulation project management.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Homework is incredibly difficult with no related examples in class or lab, and students are expected to have significant prior knowledge.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 321 is a simulation modeling laboratory focusing on computer exercises with random variables, queuing systems, and simulation software projects.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 323 teaches basic techniques for modeling and optimizing deterministic systems, emphasizing linear programming and its applications.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course is challenging, with very time-consuming case studies and hard material. Students report that the homework is relevant but requires significant effort to master the content.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 348 is a laboratory course providing hands-on experience in measuring human factors data and applying it to product and workplace design projects.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 350 introduces design tools through experiential learning, focusing on experiments, measurements, data analysis, system design, and prototyping.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The primary difficulty is unclear or conflicting directions for the project, though the overall workload is low.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 373 explores deploying AI in systems at scale responsibly, applying and analyzing AI in industrial environments like transportation, manufacturing, and healthcare.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

No recorded grade history

ISYE 389 is an undergraduate honors research course where students complete supervised research projects.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

No recorded grade history

ISYE 412 teaches the fundamentals of using data analytics to make data-driven decisions, emphasizing the application of modeling strategies and analytics principles to industrial engineering problems.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Weekly homework consists of four to five questions covering lecture material, with an optional three percent extra credit opportunity available.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Introduction to technologies, processes, and systems of modern discrete part manufacturing.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Darek Ceglarek: Students must engage in substantial independent work and preparation to handle the challenging material.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025

ISYE 450 is a team-based course where students address real-world design challenges from external organizations by applying industrial and systems engineering methodologies.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 517 introduces decision sciences in healthcare, teaching decision trees, sensitivity analysis, Markov processes, and Monte Carlo simulations.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

One historical review notes that Alagoz did not make the course more difficult than necessary, suggesting a manageable workload.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

ISYE 555 provides a systems view of accident causation, focusing on human performance limitations, causation models, and safety program evaluation.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

ISYE 557 introduces Human Factors Engineering theory and methods for analyzing and improving healthcare delivery systems.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Nicole Werner: The course relied on weekly readings without lectures, leading to a perception of no learning.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sample

ISYE 562 examines the human side of data science, covering bias, fairness, and trust, while surveying machine learning techniques through engineering case studies.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026

ISYE 602 covers various special topics in human factors engineering, with content varying by semester.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Ranjana Mehta: The course project involved group work where feedback led to worse grades, and the workload was perceived as difficult and unfair by one student.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ISYE 604 covers special topics in manufacturing systems and supply chain management, including digital manufacturing technologies and IoT.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Yonatan Mintz: Multiple reviewers rated the course as extremely difficult, citing a lack of grading guidelines, unclear lectures, and an unhelpful attitude when seeking guidance.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025

ISYE 618 covers quality engineering and management, focusing on strategic planning, process improvement, and performance evaluation.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

Across course levels

Recorded this term

No released grades for this term.

Recorded offerings over time

Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.