Systems Engineering Curriculum Overview

The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in systems engineering graduate program offers a multidisciplinary approach to engineering education by providing a blend of engineering, systems and management subjects. Our graduates manage engineering and technology, are able to address systems integration, life-cycle issues, and systems thinking at the system and enterprise levels, in a market where globalization, technology, quality, complexity and productivity are the key business drivers.

Completion of this program will result in the following Master of Engineering degree in systems engineering with a concentration in:

  • Large-scale cyber-physical systems, or

  • Embedded cyber-physical systems, or

  • Space systems, or

  • Software systems, or

  • unspecified (if courses not taken in one concentration, as noted below)

Students satisfying the requirement for the space systems concentration, may alternatively receive a degree in Master of Engineering in space systems engineering. Students who, with their advisor’s approval, choose not to complete all of the courses in a single concentration will receive a Master of Engineering in systems engineering degree without a specified concentration.

Students are also encouraged to select electives that lead to graduating with one of the many graduate certificates offered by the School of Systems and Enterprises.

Requirements Structure

The program consists of ten (10) courses (30 credits): six (6) required core courses, three (3) electives and a project or thesis. Three of these six required core courses are selected from one of four concentration areas (listed above).

Students without professional experience beyond the bachelor’s degree taking a master’s in systems engineering in a non-software systems concentration must take SYS 581 Introduction to Systems Engineering, preferably in the later stages of the senior design project. SYS 581 should be taken before the concept, architecture & design, implementation and sustainment area courses, if possible. Students without professional experience taking a concentration in software systems must take SSW 540 Fundamentals of Software Engineering. In addition, they must have competency in software programming. All exceptions require approval of the advisor and systems engineering program director.

Core Requirements (18 credits)

AREA

CORE REQUIREMENTS

Modeling, Simulation & Analysis (one of the following):

SYS 611 Systems Modeling & Simulation -or- SYS 660 Decision and Risk Analysis

Management

EM 612 Project Management of Complex Systems

Concept (one of the following):

SYS 625 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering -or- SYS 671 Conception of CPS: Deciding What to Build and Why

Architecture & Design

(Select courses from the concentration noted below)

Implementation

(Select courses from the concentration noted below)

Sustainment

(Select courses from the concentration noted below)

Concentrations

One course must be taken from each of the three (3) areas: architecture & design, implementation and sustainment. To receive a concentration, these courses must be taken from a single concentration area. The following are the courses for large-scale systems, cyber-physical systems, space systems and software systems concentrations.

Large-Scale Cyber-Physical Systems

AREA

CORE REQUIREMENTS

Architecture & Design

SYS 650 System Architecture and Design

Implementation

SYS 605 Systems Integration

Sustainment (one of the following):

SYS 640 System Supportability and Logistics -or- SYS 645 Design for System Reliability, Maintainability and Supportability

Embedded Cyber-Physical Systems

AREA

CORE REQUIREMENTS

Architecture & Design

SYS 672 Design of CPS: Ensuring Systems Work and are Robust

Implementation

SYS 673 Implementation of CPS: Bringing Solutions to Life

Sustainment

SYS 674 Sustainment of CPS: Managing Evolution

Space Systems

AREA

CORE REQUIREMENTS

Architecture & Design (one of the following):

SYS 632 Designing Space Missions and Systems -or- SYS 635 Human Spaceflight

Implementation (one of the following):

SYS 633 Mission and System Design, Verification and Validation -or- SYS 605 Systems Integration

Sustainment

SYS 637 Cost-Effective Space Mission Operations

Software Systems

AREA

CORE REQUIREMENTS

Architecture & Design

SSW 565 Software Architecture and Component-Based Design

Implementation

SSW 567 Software Testing, Quality Assurance, and Maintenance

Sustainment

SSW 590 Devops Principles and Practice

Electives

Three (3) advisor-approved electives (9 credits) can be chosen from SSE academic course offerings in (SYS) systems engineering, (SSW) software engineering, (EM) engineering management, (ES) socio-technical systems, (SES) systems engineering security or advisor approved courses. SYS 611, SYS 660 and SYS645, if not already taken, are strongly recommended as electives.

Project or Thesis

At least three (3) credits and up to six (6) credits, must be applied towards a project (SYS 800 Special Problems in Systems Engineering), or a thesis (SYS 900 Thesis in Systems Engineering). If a thesis is chosen instead of a project, the completion of six (6) credits of SYS 900 is required, replacing SYS 800 and one elective course. The project or thesis should be in the concentration area.