Three students listen intently to professor.

School of Systems and Enterprises Doctoral Programs

The programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree are designed to develop the student’s ability to perform research or high-level design in Systems Engineering, Engineering Management and/or Socio-Technical Systems.

SSE doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) programs are research-centric and prepare cohorts to become the next generation of technical leaders, capable of making original contributions in both theory and practice. SSE is the preeminent provider of systems-centered knowledge, partnerships, research, teaching/training and tools. Our graduates address national and global challenges pertaining to entrepreneurial innovation, policy and strategy, and research and development in spaces such as academia, government, industry and nonprofit organizations. 

To prepare graduates for positions of leadership, SSE provides:

  • A solid foundation in research methods 

  • Core competencies in system modeling and analysis

  • A unique “systems” perspective on how to address engineering and governance challenges

  • Structure for students to develop a track record of publication in peer-reviewed journals by the time they graduate

  • Focused training to sharpen written and oral communication skills

SSE Doctoral Programs

A professor listens to two of his students sitting at a table

Engineering Management

The Engineering Management Ph.D. program prepares students to perform the compelling research and high-level design that will advance the field of engineering management across areas such as as finance, manufacturing, public policy and the service sector.

Two students smiling while looking at shared laptop.

Systems Engineering

The Ph.D. program in Systems Engineering prepares students to become systems thinkers who, through exploring the synergism of engineering, systems and management, learn to assess challenges from all angles and create elegant solutions to enterprise-wide problems.

Student gestures with his hands while explaining a concept

Socio-Technical Systems

The Ph.D. program in Socio-Technical Systems is the first and currently the only such degree in the U.S. that trains those seeking to study new systems-centric paradigms for the 21st century. It is similar to the Ph.D. in Engineering Systems at M.I.T.