Ph.D. Programs in Systems
Engineering
Prepared by James Rodenkirch and Michael Harper

Introduction
This presentation provides a cornerstone for a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering at Southern
Methodist University by benchmarking various top programs in the United States.
Included for clarification purposes are universities that offer a Ph.D. in Systems
Engineering in conjunction with other fields.
These universities
offer what SMU is seeking in a Ph.D. in SE.

Schools Researched
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Synopsis of Ph.D. Programs
Schools with Ph.D. in SE:
 Boston University
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MIT
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Virginia
Schools with Ph.D. in SE combined with other fields
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Georgia Tech
Rutgers
University of Alabama,
Huntsville
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California

PhD Systems Engineering
University
 Boston College
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Boston MA http://www.bu.edu/systems/phd.html
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
 The Systems Engineering PhD is available to students interested in focusing their research on interdisciplinary work that transcends a specific engineering application domain to include areas such as information and control systems, optimization and mathematical programming, stochastic dynamic systems, applied probability and discrete event dynamic systems.
Okay

Boston University
School and Department
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College of Engineering
Center for Information and Systems Engineering
Faculty
 Full Time: 20
Areas of Student Research
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Discrete Event and Hybrid Systems
Information and Control Systems
Optimization and Mathematical Programming
Service Systems
Stochastic Dynamic Systems
Transportation and Energy Systems
Wireless and Computer Networks
Supply Chain Management and Control

Boston University
 Faculty from all College of Engineering departments participate in the PhD interdepartmental systems engineering committee which administers the interdepartmental Ph.D. degree program in that field. In addition, the graduate students with a strong research interest in information, decision, and control sciences may select to pursue the PhD in systems engineering degree by gaining admission into an individual College of Engineering department.
 Information and systems engineering research at Boston University is strong and accomplished, but it is spread across departments and Colleges within the University.

Boston University
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Normally requires a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or its equivalent in a closely related field
Concise statement of personal and research goals
Official transcripts of previous study
Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test
At least two letters of recommendation
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The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for international students whose native language is not English
Students seeking a PhD degree in Systems Engineering must earn admission to any of the departments in the College of Engineering and satisfy the requirements set by the student's home department graduate committee in coordination with the College of Engineering PhD Interdepartmental
Systems Engineering Committee.

Boston University
 A minimum of 64 credits applicable to their degree
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32 credits must be structured courses
28 credits of which must be at the 500 level or higher
A minimum of 16 credits of research/dissertation is required
There are no structured course requirements for post-master's PhD students, but such students are required to complete 32 credits applicable to their degree, all of which must be at the 500 level or higher
A minimum of 8 credits of research/dissertation coursework is required
Coursework used to fulfill the PhD degree requirements may not be used to fulfill the requirements of any other degree program

Boston University
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Students must pass two written comprehensive examinations covering basic knowledge in (a) applied mathematics and (b) one area of specialized study selected from the following: aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, systems engineering, mechanical engineering, or manufacturing engineering
Both qualifying examinations are limited to two attempts
All PhD students must take the applied mathematics examination the first time it is offered after matriculation
Students will be given one additional attempt if the first is not successful
All PhD students must complete both qualifying examinations by the end of their fifth semester

Boston University
 ENG AM 704 Adaptive Control of Dynamical Systems
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ENG MN 510 Production System Analysis
ENG MN 725/ENG SC 725 Queuing Systems
ENG SC 740/BE 740 Parameter Estimation and System Identification
ENG SC 754 Dependable Distributed Systems
Note that there were over thirty courses in the college indicating they were
Systems Engineering. Only courses that had the word “systems” was used as part of the SE Courses.

Boston University
Minor
 Not Available?
Dissertation
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Within one year of becoming a candidate, the student is expected to present an oral dissertation proposal to the prospective dissertation committee and obtain approval for the written dissertation prospectus
Upon approval of the committee members and the departmental graduate associate chairman, the student submits the PhD Dissertation Prospectus
Defense Form to the department office
The dissertation committee must consist of College of Engineering (tenured or tenure-earning) faculty
A "Special Service Appointment" form must be submitted to the Associate
Dean for Research and Graduate Programs for approval of all committee members from outside the University

Delivery Options
 Not Available?
Boston University

Georgia Tech University
University
Georgia Tech University
Atlanta, Georgia http://www.isye.gatech.edu/academics/academics.php
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Offered through the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, it is a degree that recognizes demonstrated proficiency and high achievement in research within the fields represented by the School.

Georgia Tech University
School and Department
College of Engineering
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Faculty
Full Time: Nearly 60
Areas of Student Research
The program includes majors in the following concentrations: Optimization,
Stochastic Systems, Manufacturing and Logistics, Engineering Economic
Decision Analysis, Applied Statistics, Human-Integrated Systems and
Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization (ACO).
Unique Features
Rated as one of the top five Engineering Schools in in the nation as reported by U.S. News & World Report for 2004. Moreover, the Industrial and Sys.
Engineering program was ranked number one for the 13th year in a row.

Georgia Tech University
Admission Requirements
Admissions decisions are based on information derived from three sources:
Performance in all prior degree programs (earned GPA, field(s), institution(s)): average GPA is 3.658 for Ph.D. applicants.
GRE scores, especially the quantitative and analytical portions: average scores for Ph.D. applicants are 788 and 752 respectively.
Credible letters of reference.
Degree Requirements
Although there are no fixed course requirements for a Ph.D. the student must take at least three full semesters of course work beyond a baccalaureate
Submit a written statement describing their motivation for a Ph.D.
First year review
Comprehensive exam that includes one or both an oral and written portion
Complete a defense of the dissertation

Georgia Tech University
Manufacturing Systems (F,S)
Warehousing Systems (F,S)
Models of Human-Machine Systems (S)
Topics in Human-Integrated Systems
Design of Human-Integrated Systems (F)
Safety-Critical Real-Time Systems
Measurement of Human-Integrated Systems (S)
Dynamic System Simulation & Modeling
Nine semester hours outside a student’s primary area of study

Georgia Tech University
There are two committees for the dissertation. The first one is the Thesis
Advisory Committee that is made up of at least three individuals of which one is the Thesis Advisor. The majority of the committee shall consist of members of the Academic Faculty. This committee approves the research topic and provides advise and guidance during the research. The other committee is Final
Doctoral Examination Committee that consists of at least five individuals of which one must be the Thesis Advisor. These members are presented the final product.
On campus

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PhD
Note: Engineering Systems and not Systems Engineering; based on review, it passes for a Ph.D. in SE.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Boston, Massachusetts http://esd.mit.edu/HeadLine/twonewprograms.html
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(Technology, Management and Policy)
A pilot program focused for which engineers receive an education in and conduct integrative original, fundamental, generalizable research on engineering systems with an emphasis on the societal implications on the system and of the system .
Okay

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
School and Department
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School of Engineering
Engineering Systems Division
Faculty
 Full Time: 30
Areas of Student Research
 Technology and Policy, Transportation, System Design and Management, and
Logistics. Groups include the Lean Aerospace Initiative (LEI), Fast and
Flexible Manufacturing , and the Internet and Telecom Convergence groups.
Unique Features
 Strong partnerships with industry (Compaq, Motorola, Eastman Kodak) as part of a research effort for the “Leaders for Manufacturing Program” at the school.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Admission Requirements
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Outstanding academic performance in undergraduate degree programs
Strong Technical Background
3
.0 GPA for undergraduate engineering degree, 3.2 for others
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Three letters of recommendation, including one from an ESD faculty member
GRE Test ( 600 in quantitative & analytical aptitude each and 500+ in verbal skills)
Degree Requirements
 Complete an approved plan of study
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Course work completion of 72 units
Doctoral exam (two parts) after completing one year of course work

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Degree Requirements (Continued)
 Qualifying Exam
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Doctoral committee formation
At least 3 classes in a Minor
Thesis proposal
Complete a defense of the dissertation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
SE Courses
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Systems Theory
Design and Architectures
Socio-technical
Enterprise Systems
Research Methods
Remaining four classes are agreed to by the student’s doctoral committee.
Dissertation
 Twenty four hours in approved program/field of study. Each candidate is advised by a four member supervisor committee. The committee consists of at least three members of the school’s ISE department and one from outside the department (e.g., recognized leader in industry or academia outside the
ISE department).
Delivery Options
 On campus

PhD Systems Engineering
University
Rutgers University
Newark, NJ http://coewww.rutgers.edu/ie/graduate.html
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
A research degree preparing students for advanced study in production, manufacturing; quality, reliability; systems engineering, and aviation safety.

Rutgers University
School and Department
College of Engineering
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Faculty
Full Time 10
Students
Masters 30
PhD 30
Areas of Student Research
Industrial and Systems Engineering, Manufacturing Systems, Quality and
Reliability Engineering, Information Technology
Unique Features
Strong relationship with National Science Foundation, D.O.D., FAA, and private industry

Rutgers University
Admission Requirements
Bachelor of Science Degree
3.0 GPA for undergraduate engineering degree, 3.2 for others
Letters of recommendation
GRE
• verbal 560
• quantitative 750
• analytical 690
Degree Requirements
Complete an approved plan of study
72 hours beyond a bachelor’s degree
Doctoral exam (two parts) after completing one year of course work
Complete a defense of the dissertation

Rutgers University
Dissertation
Twenty four hours in approved program/field of study. Each candidate is advised by a four member supervisor committee. The committee consists of at least three members of the school’s ISE department and one from outside the department (e.g., recognized leader in industry or academia outside the ISE department)
Delivery Options
On campus
SE Courses
Systems Reliability Engineering
Manufacturing Information Systems
Distribution Systems
Enterprise Integration
Application of Human Factors to Decision Systems Engineering
Simulation of Production Systems

PhD Systems Engineering
University
 Stevens Institute of Technology
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New Jersey http://www.soe.stevens-tech.edu/seem/Grad/
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
 The School of Engineering in the Systems Engineering and Engineering
Management department offer a Doctor of Philosophy in Systems
Engineering. The degree is designed to develop the capability of one to perform research or high-level design in systems engineering or engineering management.
Okay

Stevens Institute of Technology
School and Department
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School of Engineering
Systems Engineering and Engineering Management Department
Faculty
 Full Time: 12
Areas of Student Research
 e-Systems Engineering Initiative
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Agile Systems Engineering
Value Chain Enterprise Systems
Network Centric Systems

Stevens Institute of Technology
Unique Features
 Offers a unique forum for developing, discussing and exchanging ideas in technology. Known as Technology Ventures Incubator or TVI. It is a place where faculty, students and colleagues in industry jointly nurture the process of conception, design and marketplace realization of new technologies. It supports Technogenesis® by nurturing new technologies from innovation to implementation. Its purpose is to:
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To assist in accelerating the commercial application of high value technology emanating from within and outside Stevens
To increase the number and quality of linkages between technological entrepreneurs and the Stevens community
To promote the development of intellectual property between Stevens and technological entrepreneurs
To stimulate the creation of new, higher-value jobs and contribute to economic development in New Jersey

Stevens Institute of Technology
Admission Requirements
 Admission to the doctoral program is made through the departmental graduate admissions committee, based on review of your scholastic record.
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An undergraduate degree in engineering or related disciplines with a "B" average or better from an accredited college or university is generally required for graduate study in one of the departments programs.
A master's degree is generally required before a student is admitted to the doctoral program.
It is required that any applicants requesting research assistantship appointments and applicants to the Ph.D. program provide evidence of the ability to carry out independent work.
GRE scores are not required but may be submitted in support of the application.
Your master's level academic performance must reflect your capability to pursue advanced studies and perform independent research.

Stevens Institute of Technology
Degree Requirements
 Ninety credits of graduate work in an approved program of study beyond the bachelor's degree are required for completion of the doctoral program.
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Up to 30 credits obtained in a master's program can be included in this program. Of the remaining 60 credits, 15 to 30 credit hours of course work as well as 30 to 45 credit hours of dissertation work are required.
Within two years from time of admission, you must take a written qualifying examination that is intended to test your comprehension of undergraduate and master's level engineering fundamentals and mathematics.
Upon satisfactory performance in the qualifying examination, and completion of the required course work, you must take an oral preliminary examination.

Stevens Institute of Technology
SE Courses
 SYS 595 Design of Experiments and Optimization
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SYS 640 System Supportability and Logistics
SYS 645 Design for Reliability, Maintainability, and Supportability
SYS 605 Systems Integration
SYS 611 Modeling and Simulation
SYS 650 System Architecture and Design
SYS 612 Project Management of Complex Systems
SYS 655 Robust Engineering Design
SYS 620 Simulation-Based Costing and Acquisition
SYS 660 Decision and Risk Analysis
SYS 625 Systems Operational Effectiveness and Life-Cycle Analysis
SYS 635 System Maintainability and Maintenance
SYS 800, SYS 801, SYS 900 and SYS 960

Stevens Institute of Technology
Minor
 Available?
Dissertation
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Upon satisfactory completion of the preliminary examination and all course work, you will become a doctoral candidate and start your dissertation research.
Doctoral research work must be based on an original investigation and the results must make a significant, state-of-the-art contribution to the field, and must be worthy of publication in current professional literature.
At the completion of the research, you must defend your thesis in a public presentation.
Doctoral candidates are encouraged to hold a private defense with his or her committee several weeks prior to the public defense.
At that time, the committee should raise issues with the candidate prior to the public defense.

Stevens Institute of Technology
Delivery Options
 Via web for certificate in SE

PhD Systems Engineering
University
University of Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama http://www.engdl.uah.edu/iseem/graduate/default.htm
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
A research-oriented degree awarded upon the demonstration of scholarly competence in Systems Engineering. This program includes at least 48 hours of graduate course work including 18 hours of major courses, 15 hours of supporting courses, 6 hours of a foreign language or ancillary skill and a dissertation of 18 hours.

University of Alabama at Huntsville
School and Department
College of Engineering
Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
Faculty
Full Time 9
Areas of Student Research
Engineering Management, Quality and Reliability Engineering,
Operations Research, Systems Simulation, Technology Management
Unique Features
Strong relationship with NASA and industry
American Society for Engineering Management
Robust Distance Learning Program for Masters and PhD

University of Alabama at Huntsville
Admission Requirements
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Bachelor of Science Degree
- 3.0 Undergraduate GPA
- Letters of recommendation
- 1500 GRE Score (verbal, quantitative, analytical)
- Admissions essay
Degree Requirements
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Complete of an approved plan of study
- Pass a preliminary exam after three core courses in the proposed major
- 66 hours beyond a bachelor’s degree
- Oral and written comprehensive exam
- Present a dissertation proposal
- enroll in at least 9 semester hours of graduate work in two consecutive semesters
- Admission to candidacy for the degree
- Pass a final exam of the dissertation
- Each candidate is advised by a five member supervisor committee. The committee consists of at least three members representing the field of study and one from each of the minor fields).

University of Alabama at Huntsville
SE Courses
Introduction to Systems Engineering
Human Factors in Systems Design
Advanced System Simulation
Integrated Product and Process Design
Engineering Economic Analysis
Systems Modeling
Degree Options
First Minor
Fifteen hours in Engineering Management, Operations Research, Quality
Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Systems Simulation, or Technology
Management.
Second Minor
Twelve hours in Statistical Methods for Engineers, Advanced Statistical
Applications and two additional math or statistics courses.
Delivery Options
- On campus
- Distance Learning

PhD Systems Engineering
University
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.seas.upenn.edu/profprog/sys/phd.html
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
A research oriented degree conferred in recognition of original contributions, high attainment, and proven research competence specializing in the design, integration, control, and management of large-scale complex systems. This program requires a minimum of 20 graduate course units

University of Pennsylvania
School and Department
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering
Faculty
Full Time 25
Part Time 28
Areas of Student Research
Informatics, Nanotechnology, Distributed Systems, Information Systems,
Infrastructure Systems, Environmental and Resource Systems Engineering,
Transportation Systems Engineering, Logistics Systems Engineering, Systems
Methodology and Operations Research
Unique Features
Full time professor who is also the deputy director of the National Science
Foundation (NSF). Ackoff Center for Advancement of Systems Approaches.

University of Pennsylvania
Admission Requirements
GPA and class rank of all institutions attended
Two letters of recommendation
GRE General Test score of 2160
Statement of Purpose: A discussion of academic and career objectives
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 20 graduate course units is required
A written qualifying examination
Submit and defend a dissertation proposal
Submit and successfully defend a dissertation

University of Pennsylvania
SE Courses
Service Systems Engineering
Computer Integration of Systems
Systems Methodology
Project Management Systems
Manufacturing Operations Management
Urban Transportation Systems and Technology
Information Systems for E-Commerce
Earthquake Engineering
Dissertation
The Ph.D. Dissertation Defense in Systems Engineering will be conducted by the Ph.D. Dissertation Committee. The student is expected to work closely with his or her Research Advisor on the dissertation research, and with the other members of the Dissertation Committee as appropriate.
Delivery Options
On campus

PhD Systems Engineering
University
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA http://www.usc.edu/dept/ise/program/gradphd.html
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
A research degree preparing students for leadership in Industrial and
Systems Engineering research and university-level education
The program focuses on the integration of technology and commercial enterprise.

University of Southern California
School and Department
School of Engineering
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Faculty
Full Time 9
Adjunct 20
Areas of Student Research
Modeling and Simulation of Manufacturing Systems
Transportation and Control Systems
Engineering Management
Unique Features
Faculty membership in the National Academy of Engineering
Masters in Industrial/Systems Engineering and MBA Joint Degree

University of Southern California
Admission Requirements
Masters Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering or equivalent
- GRE Verbal: 500
- GRE Quantitative: 700
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal Statement
Degree Requirements
Pass a screening examination
- Complete of an approved plan of study
- Pass a qualifying examination
- 60 units of graduate coursework
- Maintain a minimum overall 3.5 GPA
- Dissertation Defense

University of Southern California
Graduate System Engineering Courses
- Continuous Systems Simulation
- Inventory Systems
- Engineering Project Management
- Advanced Production Planning
- Management of Engineering Teams
- Computer Aided Manufacturing
- Value and Decision Theory
- Performance Analysis
- The Modern Manufacturing Enterprise System
- Cognitive Engineering
- Sequencing and Scheduling
Delivery Options
On campus only

PhD Systems Engineering
University
 University of Virginia
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Charlottesville, VA http://www.sys.virginia.edu/grad/phd.asp
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
 A research degree providing the student with advanced and individual research in the area of Systems and Information Engineering. The program includes four components: course work, research, seminar, and involvement in the intellectual life of the university.
Okay

University of Virginia
School and Department
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School of Engineering and Applied Science
Department of Systems and Information Engineering
Faculty
 Full Time: 18
Areas of Student Research
 Modeling and Simulation of Systems
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Management of Engineering
Construction of Decision Aids for Specific Decision Makers
Environmental and Ethical Aspects of Systems Design

University of Virginia
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Start career close to senior management and with immediate exposure to critical strategic issues
Frequent client interaction and on-site exposure to the systems under
Diverse areas of concentration with research focused professors
Commonwealth Graduate Engineering
Distance Learning Program for Masters Degree’s
Admission Requirements
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One year of undergraduate calculus including differential equations
Working knowledge of at least one high level programming language
Two undergraduate courses in calculus based probability and statistics
Mathematical programming or linear algebra
Letters of recommendation
Average GRE Score (1300)

University of Virginia
Admission Requirements (Continued)
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Admissions essay
Completed coursework with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better
Completion of the GRE
Passed the qualifying examination
Received approval for the dissertation proposal
Presented at least one seminar
Degree Requirements
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Complete of an approved plan of study
Pass a qualifying exam
26 hours of coursework beyond the masters degree, including 6 hours of graduate mathematics
Oral and written comprehensive exam
24 credit hours of research

University of Virginia
Degree Requirements (Continued)
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Present a dissertation proposal
Present at least one seminar
Publish at least one conference proceedings paper
Admission to candidacy for the degree
Pass a final exam of the dissertation
Graduate System Engineering Courses
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Introduction to Systems Engineering
Systems Management and Integration
Knowledge Based Systems
Risk Analysis
Environmental Systems Analysis
Total Quality Engineering

University of Virginia
Graduate System Engineering Courses (Continued)
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Case Studies in Systems Engineering
Research methods in Systems Engineering
Advanced System Simulation
Response Surface Methods for Product and Process Design
Sequencing and Scheduling
Minor
 Not Available?

University of Virginia
Dissertation
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The student requests appointment of the dissertation examining committee using Form G105. The student's recommendations concerning membership of the examining committee should be based on knowledge of the nominated faculty members' academic and professional backgrounds, research interests, and availability's, supplemented by discussions with the nominees, and by discussions with the student's faculty advisor.
The examining committee should be composed of at least 5 faculty members.
At least 3 members of the examining committee must be from the
Department of Systems and Information Engineering (not including jointly appointed faculty).
At least one committee member must be from outside the SIE department.
Delivery Options
 On campus