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Socio-Technical Systems Doctoral Program

Program Details

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

School

School of Systems and Enterprises

Available

On Campus & Online

Contact

Office of Graduate Admissions1-201-216-5000[email protected]
Apply Now

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) 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. Through the program, the School of Systems and Enterprises seeks to create a cadre of forward-thinking entrepreneurial scholars whose research interests and undertakings are tightly coupled with real-world needs and practices in areas such as energy, finance, healthcare, social networks and urban science.

The Ph.D. in Socio-Technical Systems is similar to the Ph.D. in Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Master of Science in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. 

The crux of the program is understanding and developing solutions for problems involving systems and enterprises that are socio-technical in nature (e.g.,, including the human element in understanding the qualitative and quantitative processes of the evolving system/enterprise). The curriculum is built around qualitative training that addresses social and governance phenomena and the challenges specific to socio-technical systems as well as complementary quantitative training that teaches students to technically analyze the shifting and uncertain nature of enterprises. Students can expect to take an interdisciplinary blend of courses in financial engineering, enterprise science and systems engineering.

Doctoral Requirements

The doctoral degree consists of 54 credits post-master’s with a minimum of 15 research credits.

Top Hiring Firms for Socio-Technical Systems Graduates

  • AT&T

  • CISCO

  • IBM

  • Lockheed Martin

  • Verizon

  • UPS

Learn more about the requirements for all SSE Ph.D. programs.

View the Full Curriculum

A Tech Forward Education

The educational experience in our programs is designed to imbue you with the mindset, skills, and abilities you need to stay relevant in a rapidly-evolving technological and professional landscape.
A student working on her laptop with screen of visual data in background.
Gina Dello Russo

This program provides students with a unique opportunity to study the intersection of society and technology. We are taught the technical aspects of systems engineering in conjunction with the intricacies of human behavior and decision-making. This approach gives us the knowledge required to conduct impactful research and solve technical problems without overlooking the human element.

Gina Dello Russo

Socio-Technical Systems Student

A student working on her laptop with screen of visual data in background.
Gina Dello Russo

This program provides students with a unique opportunity to study the intersection of society and technology. We are taught the technical aspects of systems engineering in conjunction with the intricacies of human behavior and decision-making. This approach gives us the knowledge required to conduct impactful research and solve technical problems without overlooking the human element.

Gina Dello Russo

Socio-Technical Systems Student

A student working on her laptop with screen of visual data in background.
Gina Dello Russo

This program provides students with a unique opportunity to study the intersection of society and technology. We are taught the technical aspects of systems engineering in conjunction with the intricacies of human behavior and decision-making. This approach gives us the knowledge required to conduct impactful research and solve technical problems without overlooking the human element.

Gina Dello Russo

Socio-Technical Systems Student