Instruction in the SO Immersion is primarily project or case oriented, based more on discussion than lecture.  Students participate in interdisciplinary teams with members from across the three different colleges.  The course material is integrated with plant visits and project work with local industry.  The four major topics of concentration are: the changing environment for product design (and redesign); rapid-response production systems; organization, management and compensation of the manufacturing team; and performance measurements.

Exclusive of the Strategic Operations Immersion course, students concentrating in SO may not count more than 3 credit hours in JGSM courses toward their MEng degree.  The Strategic Operations Immersion course contributes a total of 5 credit hours toward the 12 credit hours to be taken in the School of ORIE, and a total of 10 credit hours toward the Technical Engineering requirement.  The ORIE 9101 and ORIE 5311 requirements are waived for students in the Strategic Operations Concentration; however, ORIE 5510 is not waived.  Since ORIE 5510 is not taught in the fall semester, SO students who have not already taken an equivalent course must take ORIE 5510 in the summer. 

The ORIE MEng Project requirement can be fulfilled within the framework of the SO Immersion semester.  The manner in which this is done may vary from year to year.  Frequently, a substantial team-based work product that is already a required component of one of the SO courses can be used to satisfy the ORIE MEng project requirement.  ORIE MEng students should be aware, however, that additional requirements and/or restrictions may be placed on the work in question in order for it to satisfy the ORIE MEng project requirement.  Any requirements that need to be fulfilled in order for work to count as the ORIE MEng project will be specified by the SO Immersion Director and/or the ORIE MEng program Director prior to the beginning of the SO Immersion.