M.S. in Systems Engineering (Online)

Earn your master's in systems engineering online What is systems engineering Systems engineering is a discipline that accounts for both the technical and business needs of stakeholders when solving complex problems. It provides a perspective that considers the requirements of all components and constituencies within the system, allowing companies to design the most efficient and effective approaches to solving the problems they face. Explore cross-disciplinary applications of systems engineering Many problems faced by companies today are unsolvable by any one area of engineering. Systems engineering emphasizes a systems thinking approach, which allows you to cross disciplines and analyze and understand relationships between various sub-components of a given system. This provides for the design and implementation of solutions that span disciplines (electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, finance, production, etc.) and considers all aspects of the project or product lifecycle. For example, how do you design, manufacture, bring to market, maintain, and eventually retire a new commercial or military aircraft A systems engineering solution may bring together mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering along with finance and sales to approach this complex issue. Understanding the relationship between various components and how to organize and manage them in an efficient way is where systems engineering comes into play. Solve complex problems using systems thinking Systems thinking is a technique students learn in the master's program, involving various modeling and analysis strategies for understanding the relationship between all components in a system. A system is a construct or collection of different elements that together produce results not obtainable by the individual elements alone. The elements, or parts, can include people, hardware, software, facilities, policies, and documents — all things required to produce systems-level results. The results include system-level qualities, properties, characteristics, functions, and dynamic behaviors and performance. Examples of systems may include: A city - with all its structural, economic, environmental, management, energy, healthcare, and other components. Airline manufacturing - with its associated engineering, project management, financial, design, production and other components. A smart grid (electric grid) – with networks of suppliers, component manufacturers, market places, and more. Use systems management to integrate business solutions Systems management involves the implementation and coordination of technical processes to achieve a specific outcome. This includes things like product lifecycle management (design, manufacturing, in-use, maintenance, and end-of-life), risk management, and engineering team management, among others. As a whole, students in the online master's in systems engineering program learn to integrate human, physical, energy, communications, management and information requirements through the application of mathematical and scientific principles when designing solutions to complex problems.

Master of Engineering (M.E.) - 30 credits minimum

Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, life sciences, or natural sciences with a GPA of 3.0 or greater

Basic Statistics

Calculus I

Master of Science (M.S.) - 30 credits minimum

Bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, or a science discipline with a GPA of 3.0 or greater

Basic Statistics

Calculus I

M.S. Plan A (thesis required) – 21 hours coursework with 9 credit hours of thesis work

M.S. Plan B (project required) – 27 hours of coursework with 3 credit hours of project work

For Plan A, a faculty advisor must be secured before the application is considered complete and can be reviewed (see Systems Engineering Application Checklist for details on the process of securing an advisor).

Plan B does not require an advisor prior to admittance