Graduate Program Information
Advance your passion to the next level!
Immerse yourself in innovative classrooms and cutting-edge research with world-class faculty.
Curriculum program plans shown reflect current degree requirements. Previous academic year requirements can be accessed from the catalog page by choosing the appropriate academic year.
Master of Science in Systems Engineering
| Major Code: | 8097 | Degree Awarded: | Master of Science |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery Mode(s): | Classroom | Location(s): | Main Campus - Melbourne |
| Admission Status: | Graduate | Age Restriction: | No |
Today, an engineer or scientist who joins the workforce in the public or private sector, especially in the high-tech realm, is faced with the challenge of integrating design and development work with the work of other inter-company or intra-company groups. Courses taught in the systems engineering curriculum prepare the engineer to meet this system design and integration challenge with emphasis on technical as well as cost and schedule requirements.
The master of science program in systems engineering meets the systems engineering and system integration needs of a student who has an undergraduate degree in engineering, physical science, computing or mathematics. It draws on expertise and experience in these multidisciplinary areas, preparing the engineering or science graduate in such key advanced subjects as modeling and analysis, systems engineering principles, computer networks, digital communications, software testing, decision and risk analysis, human–machine interface and operations research.
A key aspect of the program, and an alternative to completing a thesis, is the team-oriented capstone design project course (SYS 5380), in which the team formulates and solves an industry problem and submits a project team paper. All nonthesis students are required to take this course in the graduating semester.
An applicant for admission must have earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical science, computing or mathematics. An applicant whose undergraduate GPA is less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale may be asked to submit two letters of recommendation, a statement of objectives, a résumé and GRE results.
General admission requirements and the process of applying are discussed in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog.
Curriculum
The Master of Science in System Engineering degree program consists of taking courses consistent with the criteria as outlined under degree requirements. Students should not register for any course outside the College of Engineering or main campus before submitting an approved program plan signed by both their adviser and department head. Newly admitted students in the program should have program plans approved by their designated adviser and department head before registering for any course to be applied toward graduation requirements. Students applying for a second graduate degree should submit their completed change of major form and program plan at least two semesters before graduation and no later than four weeks after starting their program. Only graduate courses in engineering, physical science or mathematics may be counted as transfer credit from the first degree. Students may choose to complete the 30-credit-hour interdisciplinary specialization in spacecraft systems described here.
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours is required for graduation, including all courses on the following list of required courses and at least three courses from the list of elective courses. Thesis students must also earn six credit hours of thesis (SYS 5999). Nonthesis students must take two additional courses from the electives list, including SYS 5380. Thesis topics may be selected from the fields of computer science, electrical engineering, systems engineering or other suitable areas. The electives list below is partial, as courses from other disciplines continue to be added. The student should check with his or her adviser about additional elective courses.
To meet graduation requirements, a nonthesis student must present a portfolio of competencies and a summary of the career relevance of his or her academic study as part of the master’s final program examination.
| Required Courses | CREDITS | |
| SYS 5310 | Systems Engineering Principles | 3 |
| SYS 5350 | System Modeling and Analysis | 3 |
| SYS 5365 | Decisions and Risk Analysis | 3 |
| SYS 5370 | Research Methods in Systems Engineering | 3 |
| SYS 5385 | System Life Cycle Cost Estimation | 3 |
| Elective Courses (15 credit hours from the following) | CREDITS | |
| AHF 5101 | Human Factors in Man-Machine Systems | 3 |
| ECE 5223 | Digital Communications | 3 |
| ECE 5272 | Special Topics in C3I | 3 |
| ECE 5534 | Computer Networks 1 | 3 |
| ECE 5535 | Computer Networks 2 | 3 |
| ECE 5595 | Special Projects in Computer Engineering | 3 |
| SWE 5411 | Software Testing 1 | 3 |
| SWE 5440 | Introduction to Software Architecture | 3 |
| SYS 5375 | Military Operations Research | 3 |
| SYS 5380 | Systems Engineering Design Project* | 3 |
| SYS 5420 | System Architecture Fundamentals | 3 |
| SYS 5430 | Enterprise Architecture Integration and Implementation | 3 |
| SYS 5440 | Enterprise Architecture Project Planning, Management and Documentation | 3 |
| SYS 5450 | Service-oriented Architecture Concepts and Theory | 3 |
| SYS 5460 | Systems Requirements Analysis | 3 |
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED 30
*Required for nonthesis students during the graduating semester.
Spacecraft Systems
This intersiciplinary specialization includes electrical, systems and aerospace engineering, offering a unique opportunity to learn advanced collaborative system design to meet most advanced aerospace industry needs. The curriculum requirements are separated into two parts as follows:
| CREDITS | |
| All courses from the core curriculum list | 18 |
| Electives (may include 6 credit hours of thesis | 12 |
| TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED | 30 |
| Core Curriculum | CREDITS | |
| ECE 5233 | Satellite Communications | 3 |
| ECE 5245 | Digital Systems Processing 1 | 3 |
| ECE 5291 | CubeSat Design | 3 |
| SYS 5315 | Model-Based Systems Engineering | 3 |
| SYS 5365 | Decisions and Risk Analysis | 3 |
| SYS 5370 | Research Methods in Systems Engineering | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| ECE 5246 | Digital Signal Processing 2 | 3 |
| SYS 5350 | Systems Modeling and Analysis | 3 |
| SYS 5385 | System Life Cycle Cost Estimation | 3 |