Title: Should Systems Engineering Degrees Only Be Offered at the Graduate Level?
1Systems Engineering Designing Integrated
Solutions to Complex Problems
- Should Systems Engineering Degrees Only Be
Offered at the Graduate Level?
No!
COL Tim Trainor, Ph.D. Professor and Head 7 April
2010
2Yes We Should Teach SE to Undergraduates
- Systems Engineering curriculum
- provides students with a multi-disciplinary and
systems perspective on engineering and
decision-making - engages students in solving real problems for
real people - prepares students well for the uncertain and
complex world in which they will live. - Among many other attributes Systems Engineering
develops this desired set of knowledge, skills
and abilities - a fundamental understanding of basic engineering
principles - a more holistic view of problem solving and
decision making in an environment of uncertainty
and ambiguity - Leadership in a multidisciplinary team
environment - Comfort with technology
3We Follow the INCOSE Definition of SE
- 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.
Available at http//www.incose.org/practice/whati
ssy-stemseng.aspx
4The Systems Decision Process (SDP)Our
Engineering Thought Design Process
Revised SDP to appear in 2nd Edition.
Parnell, G. S., Driscoll, P. J., and Henderson D.
L., Editors, Decision Making for Systems
Engineering and Management, Wiley Series in
Systems Engineering, Andrew P. Sage, Editor,
Wiley Sons Inc., 2008.
5SE Program Educational Objectives
- Produce graduates for a career of professional
excellence and service to the nation as an
officer in the United States Army. - Produce graduates who effectively lead
interdisciplinary teams in Joint, Combined,
inter-agency, and multicultural environments. - Produce graduates who solve complex systems
engineering problems in uncertain future
environments. - Produce graduates who communicate engineering
solutions convincingly both orally and in writing
to technical and non-technical audiences. - Produce graduates who seek out and succeed in
continued intellectual professional development
in systems engineering and related fields.
6SE Program Curriculum ABET Accredited 43.3
Courses
Sub-Disciplines Human Factors Systems Information
Systems Mathematical Systems Simulation Systems
SE301 Foundations in Eng Design and Sys
Mgmt SE370 Computer Aided Systems Engineering
SE375 Statistics for Engineers SE385 Decision
Analysis SE387 Deterministic Models SE388
Stochastic Models EM411 Project
Management EM420 Production Operations
Management SE402/3 Systems Design I / II
(Capstone) SE400 Systems Engineering Seminar
Simulation Electives SE481 Systems
Simulation SE485 Combat Simulation EM484
Dynamic Systems Analysis
Engineering Fundamentals CE300 Fund of Eng
Mechanics and Design ME311 Thermal-Fluid Systems
I EE301 Fund of Electrical Engineering
7Primary Peer Group Comparison USMA SE Program
(AY 2010)
8Yes We Should Teach SE to Undergraduates
- Systems Engineering curriculum
- provides students with a multi-disciplinary and
systems perspective on engineering and
decision-making - engages students in solving real problems for
real people - prepares students well for the uncertain and
complex world in which they will live. - Among many other attributes Systems Engineering
develops this desired set of knowledge, skills
and abilities - a fundamental understanding of basic engineering
principles - a more holistic view of problem solving and
decision making in an environment of uncertainty
and ambiguity - Leadership in a multidisciplinary team
environment - Comfort with technology