Graduate certificate in systems engineering (traditional and online)
Engineering, manufacturing, and service corporations need technical leadership to survive in the global market. As labor markets become increasingly lean, job seekers and the currently employed must focus on improving their value-added skills to an organization.
What is systems engineering?
Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems. It focuses on defining customer needs and required functionality early in the development cycle, documenting requirements, then proceeding with design synthesis and system validation while considering the complete problem:
- Operations
- Cost and schedule
- Performance
- Training and support
- Test
- Manufacturing
- Disposal
Systems engineering integrates all the disciplines and specialty groups into a team effort forming a structured development process that proceeds from concept to production to operation. Systems engineering considers both the business and the technical needs of all customers with the goal of providing a quality product that meets the user needs.
Curriculum for the graduate certificate in systems engineering
Traditional progam
As a bridge certificate, students may later apply all certificate credits toward Master's degree requirements in Engineering Management or Industrial Engineering, provided any such credits have been earned with a minimum ‘B’ grade and are within the six years time limit for completing the Master's degree.
Students must complete fifteen credits consisting of: one required foundation course in systems engineering, two core courses in systems engineering, a required capstone course and one elective course.
- Core courses
- Elective Courses (select one 3 credit course)
Course number Course title Credits IE 6125 Human Factors Engineering 3 IE 6220 Value Engineering 3 IE 6240 Quality Management Systems 3 IE 6255 Quality Engineering 3 IE 6275 Reliability Estimation 3 IE 6425 Product Lifecycle Management and Sustainable Design 3 IE 6840 Project Management 3 IE 7480 Knowledge-Based Design 3 Total Credits 15
Online progam
This online program is designed for technical professionals with work experience and a degree in engineering. The certificate is designed in accordance with the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) standards, the leading Professional Society in this space, in order to prepare those in the program for INCOSE certification exams.
Students must complete twelve credits of required online coursework consisting of the following: one foundation course in systems engineering, two courses in systems engineering and one course in project management. There is also a required three credit capstone course.
Admission requirements
Applicants must meet the requirements for admission to the Graduate School and either the M.S. program in industrial engineering or in engineering management. Specific requirements include:
Applicants whose undergraduate education is deficient in prerequisites for graduate classes may be required to take background courses that will not count toward the 18-credit degree requirement.
Applicants with less than 3.0 honor point average may be considered for admission under special circumstances.
- Baccalaureate degree in engineering or other technical field from an institution accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Applicants from non-ABET institutions and international applicants must submit GRE scores.
- At least one year of full-time work experience as a practicing engineer or technical leader.
- Honor point average of 3.0 in the upper division of their undergraduate program.
