Integrated Business and Engineering BS

Purdue’s IBE program places strong emphasis on practical, multidisciplinary learning rather than limiting students to classroom theory. Students participate in Innovation Lab experiences, EPICS and Vertically Integrated Projects, industry-sponsored projects and hackathons, while also gaining exposure to programming tools such as Python and RStudio in a business context.

Students can also benefit from Purdue’s dedicated IBE learning community, business student organizations, case competitions, career coaching and connections with employers. The program’s Innovation Lab vision incorporates technologies including robotics, electric vehicles, unmanned aerial systems/drones, Internet of Things (IoT) and metaverse technologies, providing opportunities to explore emerging technology applications.

Key practical opportunities include:

• EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service): Students work in teams on real-world projects addressing community and environmental needs, gaining experience in interdisciplinary problem-solving.

• Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP): Students participate in extended research and design projects connected with Purdue faculty research and industry-sponsored challenges.

• Innovation Lab: The IBE curriculum includes five semesters of Innovation Lab experiential project-based learning, including EPICS or VIP participation and a final IBE Capstone Project.

• Industry-sponsored projects: Companies have sponsored IBE cohort projects, including Cummins Inc. supporting a Microeconomics capstone and High Alpha supporting a Management Information Systems capstone.

• Innovation Hackathons: The IBE + Industrial Design Innovation Hackathon has brought students together with industrial design students and industry mentors from dormakaba to work on design-thinking challenges.

• Programming and analytics: Students can develop technical skills in Python and RStudio; Purdue specifically highlights students applying RStudio and Python in business settings.

• Industry exposure in Indianapolis: IBE students at Purdue University in Indianapolis have opportunities to connect with organizations such as IndyCar and Rolls-Royce and access internships and career opportunities in the city.

• Learning community: The dedicated Integrated Business and Engineering residential learning community combines core business and engineering courses with experiential learning projects and alumni mentorship.

• Business facilities: Daniels School facilities include the Krannert Building, Jerry S. Rawls Hall and Parrish Library, while Purdue’s new business-school facilities are designed to support active learning, project work, innovation and collaboration.

Purdue’s Integrated Business and Engineering graduates can move into careers that require both business judgment and technical understanding, including data analysis, operations, consulting, product management and technology-focused project leadership. Purdue’s latest official IBE outcomes report shows 95% of graduates were engaged six months after graduation, with 85% employed and 7% continuing their education; the reported average starting salary was $77,494.

Typical career directions include: Data Analyst, Operations Manager, Organizational Consultant, Product Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Technology Consultant, Technical Project Manager.

Career development is supported through Purdue’s combination of career services, industry exposure and employer connections:

• Career services: Daniels School students have access to personalized career coaching and connections to employers, alongside opportunities such as case competitions, student organizations and leadership experiences.

• Employment outcomes: Purdue reports an average IBE starting salary of $77,494, an average hiring bonus of $6,604, and an average internship wage of $26 per hour.

• Graduate outcomes: The latest IBE first-destination data reports 59 of 62 graduates responding, with 85% engaged in employment, 7% continuing education, 2% in other engagement and 5% seeking employment.

• Top hiring companies: Recent IBE graduates have been hired by organizations including Crowe LLP, EY, Kodiak and PwC.

• Internship opportunities: Purdue reports IBE internships with organizations including Bank of America, Caterpillar, Crowe LLP, dormakaba, Kodiak, PwC, Tesla and Wabash, with internship roles such as Business Intelligence Intern, Data Analytics Intern, Product Management Intern and Strategy and Analytics Intern.

• Industry partnerships: IBE has incorporated projects sponsored by Cummins Inc., High Alpha and dormakaba, giving students opportunities to work on practical business, technology and design challenges with industry involvement.

• Professional value: The Daniels School’s AACSB accreditation provides an internationally recognized quality framework for business education and adds professional context to the business component of the IBE degree.

• Career progression: Purdue lists graduates and students moving into roles and opportunities with Accenture, Microsoft, Dell Technologies and Stryker, as well as graduate programs in areas such as business analytics, mathematical finance and sustainable systems.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BS in Integrated Business and Engineering, students can continue into graduate study in areas such as business analytics, management, engineering, technology, finance or related interdisciplinary fields. Purdue’s Daniels School also allows undergraduate students to pursue a master’s degree, and qualified IBE students can pursue the IBE+IE double-degree pathway, which leads to bachelor’s degrees in Integrated Business & Engineering and Industrial Engineering in 8 or 9 semesters.