Program Overview

Program Overview

A recognized provider of Space Systems Engineering education to NASA employees and space industry professionals worldwide.

Program Director: Dr. Peter McQuade, Distinguished Service Professor

In Partnership with Teaching Science and Technology, Inc. (TSTI)

Our graduate-studies program has been developed and refined over the past five years.  Indeed, some of our courses have been honed over at least a decade of teaching students in NASA, DoD, and Industry.  We understand the world of busy professionals, and have tailored our curriculum and delivery methods to bring them the maximum learning benefit with the least disruption to their careers and lives.  Our four-course Graduate Certificate in Space Systems Engineering offers a solid, hands-on introduction to the field.  The knowledge and experience gained in taking the Certificate enables most students to immediately return significant value to their employers’ projects.  The Certificate also forms the core classes of our two Masters degrees:  the Master of Engineering in Space Systems Engineering, and the Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering with a Concentration in Space.  Many students begin with the Certificate and continue into the Masters—and even to the PhD in Systems Engineering.

Master of Engineering in Space Systems Engineering

The Master's program consists of 10 courses for a total of 30 credits.  Students wishing to enroll in the Space Systems program must have an undergraduate degree in an engineering or science discipline.  The program has five core courses.

EM 612 Project Management of Complex Systems
SYS 625 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering
SYS 632 Designing Space Missions and Systems (Module version is SDOE 632)
SYS 650 System Architecture and Design
SYS 633 Mission and System Design Verification and Validation
or, for a student taking the Graduate Certificate on-line,
SYS 605 Systems Integration
will be substituted

Students then must choose a total of four courses from the two concentrations listed below:

Space Concentration Electives

SYS 636 Space Launch and Transportation Systems
SYS 637 Cost-Effective Space Mission Operations
SYS 638 Crew Exploration Vehicle Design

Systems Concentration Electives

SYS 611 Simulation and Modeling
SYS 645 Design for System Reliability, Maintainability, and Supportability
SYS 660 Decision and Risk Analysis

Students have the option of working on either a project or a thesis.  The project and thesis credit classes are:

SYS 800 Special Problems in Systems Engineering (ME)
(3 or 6 credit hours)
SYS 900 Thesis in Systems Engineering (ME)
(6 credit hours)

Master's degree students who enroll in the SYS 900 (Thesis) are only required to take three of the electives above.

Graduate Certificate in Space Systems Engineering*

Required courses for this 4-course, 12-credit Graduate Certificate include:

SYS 625 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering
SYS 632 Designing Space Missions and Systems (Module version is SDOE 632)
SYS 650 System Architecture and Design
SYS 633 Mission and System Design Verification and Validation
OR
SYS 635 Human Spaceflight

The Graduate Certificate in Space Systems Engineering integrates crucial activities spanning the entire life cycle. Information and capabilities are learned by participants in hands-on-space system and mission design assignments focusing on: operations, concept development, space system architecture, verification and validation, as well as key system engineering processes and tools. These four courses provide the backbone for the development of space systems engineers. 

Audience: Professionals with advanced or bachelor's degrees who wish to complement their existing knowledge and skills base to include state-of-the-art spacecraft systems and mission analysis design combined with a holistic systems engineering and architecture perspective

* Credits earned in the Graduate Certificate program can be applied towards a Master's Degree in Space Systems Engineering or a Master's in Systems Engineering.