Students

Students of Industrial Distribution are part of a family of fellow students, professors, and industry partners that grows each year into business connections, mentors, and life-long friends.

Industrial Distribution prepares graduates for sales engineering, technical sales, supply chain management, operations management, sales management and other managerial positions.  Students are prepared for employment in industry segments that include: aerospace; automation solutions; building materials; chemical and petrochemical; electrical; electronics; information systems and technology; healthcare; fluid power; general line; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; management consulting; mechanical power; metals; oil and gas; plastics; pipe, valve, and fitting; plumbing; safety equipment; semiconductor; specialty tools; and welding. The day-to-day challenges faced by the industrial distributor or the manufacturer’s representative require the person to be a professional with many capabilities. To fulfill this demand, the curriculum provides study in business, communications, finance, information technology, applied technology, general management, engineering, ethics, and human relations. This knowledge is applicable to the graduate in relationships with executives, managers, engineers, scientists, and business analysts while taking leadership roles in their manufacturing, distribution, analysis, service, production planning and maintenance or construction operations. The industrial distribution graduate assists these preceding entities by direct application of operations, business, and product knowledge. Essentially the industrial distribution graduate becomes a consultative resource to businesses - a challenging and rewarding career that can lead to the possibility of becoming a business leader in multiple segments. Graduates receive the Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Distribution.

Mission

Industrial Distribution has as its mission to:

• Prepare graduates for sales engineering, sales management, supply chain operations and logistics management mid-management positions with wholesale distributors, who purchase, warehouse, sell, distribute and service a wide variety of products, and with manufacturers who sell through distributors,
• Conduct applied research and develop new best practices in industrial distribution, logistics, and supply chain management that mutually benefits the university and its industrial, governmental, and academic collaborators,
• Provide service and leadership in the promotion and advancement of the department, the university and the industrial distribution profession.

Program Educational Objectives

The Industrial Distribution Program at Texas A&M has as its program educational objectives to produce graduates who, after three to five years:

• Possess the technical and managerial skills to have successful careers in designing, integrating, and implementation of technical sales, operations, and customer services management systems in industrial distribution and supply chain management related industries.
• Exhibit a commitment to professional ethics in their professional career.
• Demonstrate increasing levels of leadership and responsibility during their careers.
• Display a desire for life-long learning and sustainable productivity in a dynamic work environment.

Breakdown:

99.5% of Industrial Distribution Students are also members of PAID. 15% of PAID Members are awaiting admittance to Industrial Distribution or in a closely related major. Approximately 65% of PAID students will go into a Technical Sales or Purchasing Role, 30% will go into Distribution and Logistics related Roles, and 5% will go into project management, branch management, or consulting.

More than half of all members of PAID are involved with at least 2 other student organizations on campus. Looking at those students, they are most often not just general members but student leaders, organization officers, etc. Industrial Distribution students have served as yell leaders, student athletes, class presidents, and more.

Of the 1200 members of PAID, approximately 57% are seniors, 26.2% are Juniors, 16.5% are Sophomores, and less than 0.5% are Freshman. Approximately 75% are Male and 25% are female. This is the highest percentage of women of any engineering program at Texas A&M. 67% reported to be Caucasian, 21% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 3% Mixed, and 2% Black/African American.