Masters of Science in Systems Engineering
Kennesaw State University
Southern Polytechnic College of
Engineering and Engineering Technology
Master of Science in Systems Engineering
The Systems Engineering program is a multidisciplinary program that blends engineering, systems
thinking, and management topics. The increasing complexity of systems, the growth of global
competitiveness, the enhanced focus on cost and profitability, and ever more challenging customer
expectations have led a number of premiere organizations in the defense and commercial sectors to
assume the role of system integrators. These organizations are increasingly adopting an evolving
business model that emphasizes the selling of functionality, solutions, or capabilities, instead of focusing
on providing systems, system elements, and products.
The program offers a Master of Science degree with a major in Systems Engineering and a Graduate
Certificate in Systems Engineering. The curriculum emphasizes the development of large-scale, complex,
and multifunctional systems in a number of domains. Core courses in the SyE Program have a strong
case study and project orientation to facilitate understanding of the concepts discussed.
All graduate Systems Engineering courses are offered online via several technologies that allow a high
degree of interaction with the faculty and fit into today’s professional’s busy schedule.
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the Master of Science Program with a major in Systems Engineering must submit the
following to the Admissions Office no later than the published deadline date for the semester in which
the applicant plans to enroll:
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Online Graduate Application;
Official transcript to be sent from each college or university attended;
Certificate of Immunization. Download this form and sign the waiver at the bottom for distance
only students;
An official copy of scores from the “General Test” of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or
a request for a GRE waiver (see Admissions Criteria below);
At least three (3) recommendation forms completed by former or current supervisors,
professors, or professional colleagues;
A 1 – 2 page Statement of Purpose describing your career and educational goals; and
A current resume.
International students who do not possess a baccalaureate degree from a college in the United States
must submit (1) an official English-translated transcript of college-level education, (2) the TOEFL scores,
and (3) an affidavit indicating financial security.
Graduate applicants shall have the following qualifications.
An undergraduate degree in engineering, engineering technology, computer science, physical science, or
other technically oriented major from an accredited college or university. Interested students from
other disciplines may be admitted to the program, but may be required to complete additional courses.
A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on the 4.0 scale). Applicants with a GPA of 2.75
or better may be considered with strong work experience and letters of reference.
Official GRE scores meeting the current admission profile (450 Verbal and 600 Quantitative). Applicants
with lower scores may be accepted provisionally requiring additional preparatory course work. Test
scores may be waived, if (1) an applicant has 4 or more years of relevant work experience earned after
receiving their first baccalaureate degree or (2) a 3.5 undergraduate GPA or better. To request a GRE
waiver, send a letter outlining your work experience or a current resume.
For international students, a 550 on the TOEFL Written Exam or a 78 on the Internet version is required.
Transfer Credit
Students may receive up to nine hours of credit for graduate work that is (1) equivalent to Southern
Polytechnic courses, (2) taken in the last five years, and (3) completed with an “A” or “B” grade. Contact
the department for more information.
Degree Requirements
The program consists of five core courses and a four course concentration. Additionally, students will
either complete a thesis (6 thesis hours) and one Systems Engineering Elective or a project (SYE 6055)
and two Systems Engineering Electives.
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SYE 6005 - Introduction to Systems Engineering 3 Credits
SYE 6020 - System Architecture 3 Credits
SYE 6025 - Economic Decision Analysis 3 Credits
QA 6610 - Statistics for Quality Assurance 3 Credits
Choose one of the following courses:
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SYE 6010 - Project Management Processes 3 Credits
MGNT 6050 - Project Management 3 Credits
Thesis Option
 SYE 7803 - Masters Thesis Hours 3 Credits
*Students take two semesters of SYE 7803 for 6 total credits
 Elective (1 course) 3 Credits
 Concentration (4 courses) 12 Credits
Total Credits: 36
Project Option
 SYE 6055 - System Engineering Project 3 Credits
 Electives (2 courses) 6 Credits
 Concentration (4 courses) 12 Credits
Total Credits: 36
Electives
Typically the electives will be Systems Engineering courses, but 6000 level courses from other programs,
i.e. Management, Quality Assurance, and Software Engineering, etc., may be taken with approval of the
Program Director or Department Chair.
Concentrations
A candidate must select four courses in a concentration. The candidate may propose a customized
selection of four elective courses with approval of the Program Director. Some potential concentrations
include: Software Engineering, Engineering Management, Information Systems, or Transportation
Systems. The program offers three suggested concentrations: Manufacturing and Logistics Systems,
Integrated Process and Product Development, and Decision Modeling.
For the concentration requirement, students are encouraged to take an integrated four-course
sequence leading to a Graduate Certificate. Students should review other departments’ sections of the
graduate catalog for additional certificate options.
Manufacturing and Logistics Systems Concentration (12 Credits)
 SYE 6065 - System Optimization 3 Credits
 SYE 6070 - Logistics and Supply Chain Management 3 Credits
 SYE 6075 - Manufacturing Systems Planning and Design 3 Credits
 QA 6602 - Total Quality 3 Credits
***This concentration requires SyE 5000 as a pre-requisite.
Integrated Process and Product Development Concentration (12 Credits)
 SYE 6015 - Systems Analysis and Design 3 Credits
 SYE 6035 - Modeling and Simulation 3 Credits
 SYE 6045 - Process Assessment and Improvement 3 Credits or
QA 6722 - Human Factors in Quality Assurance 3 Credits
 SYE 6050 - Reliability and Sustainability 3 Credits or
QA 6615 - Applied Systems Reliability 3 Credits
*** This concentration requires QA 6610 as a pre-requisite.
Decision Modeling Concentration (12 Credits)
 SYE 6035 - Modeling and Simulation 3 Credits
 SYE 6065 - System Optimization 3 Credits
 QA 6613 - Linear Regression Analysis 3 Credits
 SYE 6050 - Reliability and Sustainability 3 Credits or
QA 6615 - Applied Systems Reliability 3 Credits
***This concentration requires QA 6610 as a pre-requisite.
Grades
In all graduate programs, a minimum of a 3.0 G.P.A. is required. No grades below ‘C’ may be applied to a
graduate program’s requirements, and a maximum of 2 ‘C’ grades at the level of 6000 or above may be
applied to a graduate program’s requirements.
SYE 6005 - Introduction to Systems Engineering 3 Credits (Required Course, no prerequisite, 3-0-3)
The goal is to introduce the student to the essential principles, processes, and practices associated with the
application of Systems Engineering. The applicability and use of Process Standards will be examined.
Emphasis will focus on defining the problem to be solved, establishing the initial system architecture,
understanding the role of system life-cycles, requirements development, and verification and validation of
the realized system.
SYE 6005: Introduction to Systems Engineering
Fall 2014
Instructor:
Woodrow Winchester, III,
Assistant: TBD
PhD (Woodrow)
Q-130 (Office)
678.915.3061 (Office phone)
wwinches@spsu.edu (E-mail):
E-Mail is the preferred
contact (Do not e-mail through
D2L)
Office Hours: MW 10:00AM to
Noon and by appointment
Class: Thursdays 6:00PM to 7:15PM, Wimba Classroom
Class Site: A D2L site will be maintained for your use. You will find copies of the syllabus,
discussion documents, and assignments posted here. You are responsible for obtaining a copy of
the discussion documents prior to the class period (i.e. Wimba session) in which they are needed.
DO NOT assume that the discussion documents posted constitute all of the material covered in
class. We will cover some content not posted and we will not cover all of the content made
available to you.
Course Description: The goal is to introduce the student to the essential principles, processes,
and practices associated with the application of Systems Engineering. The applicability and use
of Process Standards will be examined. Emphasis will focus on defining the problem to be
solved, modeling and analyzing the problem, understanding the role of system life cycles, and
verification and validation of the realized system.
Required Readings:
1. Thinking in Systems: A Primer, Donella Meadows (Required Text)
2. ISO/IEC 15288: 2008 (To Be Provided)
3. Systems Engineering Primer (To Be Provided)
4. Other readings will be provided
Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Understand the system design process: requirements development, system specifications,
system testing, system integration, and retirement.
2. Understand the system life cycle and life cycle costs analysis.
3. Understand the role of models in the system design process.
4. Understand how measures of effectiveness can be used in evaluating alternative system
designs with respect to system requirements and specifications.
5. Understand how optimization of system parameters can be used to find the best system
design.
6. Understand the basics of management of systems engineering efforts including working
in teams and project planning.
Course Topics: The lectures will cover all aspects/phases of complex systems realization (e.g.
perspective, product, and process) and will include but not be limited to topics including:
1. The Profession and Discipline of Systems Engineering
2. Systems Thinking
3. Systems Design and Architecting
4. System Life Cycle Processes
5. Systems Engineering Life Cycle Models and Processes: Types
6. Systems Engineering Life Cycle Models and Processes: Selection and Implementation
7. Systems Engineering Management: Project Management Processes
8. Systems Engineering Management: Strategic Management Processes
Grading: Your grade will be determined as follows:
Item
Case Study Analyses (4@15%)
Midterm
Final
Percentage
60%
20%
20%
Professional Behavior and Academic Integrity: All students are expected to abide by the
professional and ethical standards established by SPSU. The instructor reserves the right to remove
any student from the course if their behavior is of a disruptive and disrespectful nature or if there
is evidence of academic dishonesty.
Make-up Exams: In general there will be no make-up exams given. Please let me know in
advance of any exams that will be missed for an institute-approved reason.
Re-grades: Requests for re-grades must be made in writing (be specific) between 24 hours and 1
week after an assignment or exam is returned.
Attendance: Attendance in the weekly Wimba Classroom lecture and discussion is
OPTIONAL. Speakers and a microphone will be required for the Wimba Classroom chats.
Generally students who participate and keep current with the course progress perform better on
the exams. The lectures will be archived for reference.
Assignments and Discussions: Occasionally, in addition to the case study analyses, problems,
questions, and/or group exercises will be assigned to reinforce material.
Exams: There will be two exams in the semester. The format for the exams will be discussed
before the first exam.
Disability Statement: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need
accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at
678-915-7244 as soon as possible to better insure that such accommodations are implemented in
a timely fashion.
Tentative Course Schedule: To be provided
Additional Information:
1. Attendance in the weekly Wimba Classroom lecture and discussion is OPTIONAL.
2. During the Wimba sessions, active participation is encouraged and mutual respect is
required.
3. This is more of a conceptual class; introducing the core concepts of systems engineering.
The delivery of this class is designed to allow students to apply the concepts they are
learning.
4. This class will require each student to use, develop, and perfect their problem solving, critical
thinking, and creative skills. Moreover, students of systems engineering need to realize that
there is no one correct solution for a number of the problems we will encounter;
however, there exists better solutions than others.
5. Course examinations will focus on the application of the concepts and techniques discussed
in the lecture. Additionally, exam questions may be based on in-class discussions.
6. I will not struggle to read illegible handwriting in grading exams, quizzes or any other
assignment. You must write so that I can read what you have written, otherwise it will not be
graded and considered incorrect.
7. All written assignments will be graded on the quality of the work. It is expected that each of
you will provide me with well-written and defended solutions to the problems for this class.
It is also expected that your performance will increase with structured feedback. Your first
case study analyses will require review by the SPSU Writing Center.
8. If you have a dispute about a grade for any assignment or examination, provide me with a
written explanation of what you are disputing and why no later than 1 week after the work
was returned to you. Realize that I reserve the right to re-grade the entire work when
reviewing the dispute. I do make mistakes, so please don’t hesitate to bring them to my
attention.
9. Additional requirements for the case study analyses will be provided under separate cover.
10. I will strive to make this a challenging and exciting class. I welcome your suggestions for
improving the course at any time.
Notes: This syllabus/schedule may be changed to suit the needs of the class. Remember your
professor wants you to succeed. Let us make it a great semester!
SYE 6020 – System Architecture (Required Course, Course Prerequisites: SYE 6005 and SYE 6010 or
MGNT 6050, 3-0-3)
The goal is to introduce the student to the essential principles, processes, and practices associated with the
application of Systems Engineering. The applicability and use of Process Standards will be examined.
Emphasis will focus on defining the problem to be solved, establishing the initial system architecture,
understanding the role of system life-cycles, requirements development, and verification and validation of
the realized system.
Syllabus
SYE-6020 Systems Architecture
Spring 2015
Subject to Change
Professor: Dr. David Gross
Email Address: david.c.gross@lmco.com | dgross2@spsu.edu
Office Hours: By arrangement
Office: None
Phone: 404-790-6670
Contact Information for the Course
If the student needs to contact the instructor then please send the instructor email at
david.c.gross@lmco.com You may also use the other e-mail address and phone number noted
above.
Response Time
All student emails requiring a response will be answered within two business days from the
time the student first transmits the email. Weekends, holidays, or school breaks are not
business days. If you are unable to find the time to work on an assignment until just before the
assignment is due then the instructor is not responsible for monitoring his or her email account
and answering your last minute questions just before the assignment submission deadline.
Course Prerequisites: SYE 6005 and (SYE 6010 or MGNT 6050)
Textbook
Dickerson, C.E, and D.N. Mavris, Architecture and Principles of Systems Engineering, 3rd Ed.
CRC Press. 2009.
Course Description
Examination of concepts and techniques for architecting systems, the establishment of a
bounded and integrated structure that provides a framework for system creation, work
breakdown structures, cost analysis, and subcontractor control and interface will be reviewed.
A structured approach to system architecture that proceeds from a topmost "system" to an
aggregation and integration of systems created in lower level development layers, both internal
and external to the developer as described in the standard IEEE 1220 will be explored.
This course provides the student insight into the nature of the architecting process for building
complex systems that are ill structured initially and that evolve over time in an uncertain
environment. The course is useful for systems engineering students, experienced system
designers, R&D managers and those who wish to acquire the body of knowledge that systems
engineers use to generate and understand architectures of complex systems.
The course is primarily non-quantitative in nature. It requires substantial reading, some
memory work and literature research. We will use case studies of complex large-scale
infrastructure systems such as the internet and defense/space systems as well as commercial
product systems to illustrate basic principles of systems architecting.
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Understand the nature of the system architecting process and apply organizing
principles for creating basic architectures of complex systems.
2. Understand the nature and implications of complexity for architecting complex systems
3. Identify, understand and use architecting principles for the design of contemporary
complex engineering systems such as consumer product, defense, energy or
communication infrastructure systems.
4. Identify and explain heuristics and their contextual application for problem solving,
managing uncertainty and risk avoidance in complex engineering systems.
5. Understand and interpret architectural standards such as IEEE 1220 and IEEE 1471-2000.
Course Schedule
Meets Wednesdays, 7:30 to 8:45 pm, online (see course web site below). Between sessions,
students view a study the appropriate textbook chapters, and complete assignments.
If the instructor does not join the class within 15 minutes of the scheduled start, class is
canceled for reasons out of the instructor’s control. The instructor will record makeup sessions
and adjust deadlines to compensate. Students should watch the course announcements on the
course web site for this and other important instructions.
Course Web Site
This course has a Desire2Learn web site for use by registered students. All class handouts,
slides, grades, announcements, and links will be available there, so please get in the habit of
checking it often. To log in, go to: http://www.spsu.edu/d2l/. Your User ID is the same as your
email prefix, and initial Password is your email password. There are help links on the website.
All course lectures will be held via the Blackboard Collaborate Live Classroom accessible thru
the course’s Desire2Learn site. You will need an earphone headset equipped with a
microphone. These headsets are very inexpensive and can be purchased at Staples, Wal-Mart
etc. You will also need reliable high speed internet access to participate.
Grading Policy
Your final grade in this course will be determined using the following weights for each
component of this course:
Component
Points Weight Nature
Homework
100
33%
Open Book, Collaborative
Semester Project 100
33%
Open Book, Individual
Final Exam
100
33%
Open Book, Individual
Totals
300
100%
The semester project is to develop a case study of system architecture.
Each assignment will be made via online folders with a downloadable instruction file to be
completed and returned at the specified due date as noted on each assignment.
Late assignments will be accepted up to one week late with a letter grade deduction. Any later
submissions will receive a grade of zero.
Students are encouraged to share ideas, discuss, or help each other on the homework
assignments and projects via the discussion board. Any other type of collaboration (such as
sharing written work, data or computer files) is not permitted.
Extra credit work may be offered during the semester. Only students attending class will be
offered the opportunity for the extra points.
All work submitted should be in files name: course-assignment-yourname.filetype
Where:
 “course” is SYE-6020
 “assignment” is the name of the assignment, e.g., HW-1, Midterm
 “yourname” is your name
 “filetype” is the usual extension for the file (e.g., “doc” for MS Word).
Work not using this naming convention will be penalized.
All assignments submitted by the student for grading will be returned to the student with a
grade and with comments within one week after the student submits the assignment, not
counting weekends, holidays, or scheduled breaks.
Make-Up Work
The instructor has the sole discretion of whether to permit make-up of missed assignments.
Students are required to notify the instructor as soon as possible via in-course e-mail of
situations requiring missed work. Ideally, such notification will be in advance. Any make-up
work approved may receive a reduced grade.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is strongly recommended. This class will include take home assignments and inclass work. Your attendance in class will NOT directly impact your course grade, unless you are
absent for a test, quiz, lab assignment, or other graded work. It should be noted that students
who do attend class on a regular basis normally perform better on tests, quizzes, and other
graded assignments. However, simply being present in class does not guarantee that the
student will achieve a high grade in the course.
Students who miss class for any reason are not exempt from the material covered during the
class period(s) the student misses. The instructor is NOT responsible for assisting the student
catch up on class material when the student is absent from class.
Calculators/Software
You will need access to a computer with Microsoft Office and the ability to install software.
Academic Honesty
From the SPSU Catalog: “A faculty member reserves the right to remove any student from his or
her course if the student’s behavior is of a disruptive nature or if there is evidence of academic
dishonesty.” Plagiarism Detection: Students agree that by taking this course all required papers
may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of
plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com
reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the
Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com
site. Any type of Academic Dishonesty by a student may result in the student being expelled
from the course and the student receiving a grade of “F” in the course. This grade of “F” will
appear on the student’s official SPSU transcript. If the student has a repeated history of
Academic Dishonesty at SPSU then the student may also be expelled from the University.
Professional Behavior
All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior standards published in
the SPSU catalog.
Disability Statement
"A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling condition and needs
academic accommodations has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as having a
disability by scheduling an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as
possible." (SPSU Catalog). Contact the Coordinator as follows: Kalisha Thomas, 678-915-7244,
Building J, Room 253, kthomas2@spsu.edu.
Contact Information for Technical or Academic Issues
If you have a technical problem with this software, please visit the GeorgiaVIEW Online Support
Center for assistance. http://help8.view.usg.edu/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8075
If you have an academic issue then please ask your instructor for assistance.
Remember that I want you to succeed!
SYE 6025 –Engineering Economic Analysis (Required Course, no prerequisite, 3-0-3)
Examination of the principles and methods used in evaluating costs associated with development and
realization of engineering programs. This includes engineering cost estimating for determining
engineering development and total life-cycle costs, application of cost-benefit analyses and costeffectiveness analyses in the comparison of alternative design approaches, and an examination of various
engineering costing concepts such as "design-to-cost", "should cost", and "cost as an independent
variable".
SYE 6025 Engineering Economic Analysis
Spring 2014
Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Class:
Class Materials:
Office Hours:
Office:
Dr. Adeel Khalid
akhalid2@spsu.edu
(678) 915-7241
Tuesdays 6:00pm to 7:15pm
D2L https://spsu2.view.usg.edu
Tue, Thr 2:30PM – 4:30PM and by appointment
Q - 323
Textbook:
Engineering Economy, 15th Edition, by William G. Sullivan, Elin M. Wicks, C. Patrick Koelling,
Pearson Publication
Course Objective:
The course objective is to understand the principles of engineering economics and cost analysis
and to develop an awareness of contemporary economic analysis methodologies relevant to
systems engineering.
Opportunities to Excel:
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Mid term and final exams to demonstrate proficiency with basic time value of money
calculations. The exams are open-book take-home exams. They are hard and it will take
considerable time to complete.
A case study to demonstrate your ability to apply engineering economics principles. The
case study is a replacement analysis for your personal vehicle or a similar topic.
Weekly homework. Homework will involve problem solving. Doing homework regularly
will ensure that students understand the material. It will also help in the exams.
Grading:
Letter grades will be assigned based on a course average that is computed using the following
weights:
Percentage
Exam 1
30%
Case Study
20%
Exam 2
30%
Homework
20%
The cutoff values for each grade will be made when case study, research paper and exam scores
are recorded and the overall averages are calculated. Typically, an overall score of 90 or more in
the course will earn an A (4.0/4.0), 80 or more a B (3.0/4.0), 70 or more a C (2.0/4.0), and 60 or
more a D (1.0/4.0).
This is my general guideline for the grade expectations typically held for graduate classes:
A
Outstanding or professional quality work and excellent mastery of topics (e.g.
think independently about problems, apply skills to new problems)
B
Good quality work (few format errors, clear organization) and thorough mastery
of topics (e.g. recognize problem types; apply methods to problems without
errors)
C
Poor quality work and/or does not demonstrate graduate level understanding of
the material
Below C
Significant course work missing or inadequate so as not to demonstrate a
satisfactory mastery of topics
Professional Behavior: All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior
standards as contained under the Student Life Regulations of the Graduate Catalog of SPSU. This
includes all individual work being completed individually by the student registered for the course
and all sources acknowledged within all written work and communications.
Academic dishonesty:
SPSU has an Honor Code and a new procedure relating to when academic misconduct is alleged.
All students should be aware of them. Information about the Honor Code and the misconduct
procedure may be found at http://spsu.edu/honorcode/.
Some guidelines are listed below. Additional guidelines for individual assignments may be
explained with the assignment. If you have any questions, please ask me!
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Students may not work together on the exam.
Any resources used to complete the case study and research project (including significant
help from fellow students) must be properly cited.
Incidents of academic dishonesty will be investigated by the instructor. The instructor will decide
on appropriate actions depending on the severity of the infraction that can include the following: a
grade of “0” for the assignment, failure in the course, or recommendation for dismissal from the
program. All incidents will be documented in your departmental record.
Make-up Exams: In general there will be no make-up exam given. Please let me know in advance
of any exams that will be missed for an institute approved reason.
Re-grades: Requests for re-grades must be made in writing (be specific) between 24 hours and 1
week after an assignment or exam is returned.
Disability Statement
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are
encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at 678-915-7244 as soon as possible
to better insure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
SyE 6025 Tentative Course Schedule:
The following course schedule is tentative. Students are expected to do the reading assignment for
each class period before coming to class on that day. Late assignments will incur a 10% penalty
per day.
CLASS AGENDA
Date
SYE 6025
Topic
1/7 Module 1: Introduction
Assignment
Chapters 1, 2 (Skim)
Time Value of Money (TVM)
1/14 Module 2:Time Value of Money (TVM)
1/21
Net Present Value (NPV) Analysis
Module 3: Equivalence, MARR, and
Measures of Merit
1/28 Module 4: The Cost of Capital
2/4 Module 5: Comparison of Alternatives
2/11 Out of Class Exam--NO Live Classroom
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Ch. 13
Ch. 6
Exam due NLT midnight Eastern
Time , Sunday 2/16
Research Time (No Class Meeting)--Begin
preparation for Case Study.
2/18 Module 6: Inflation
Ch. 8 and Read the article on CPI
Market Basket
2/25 Module 7: Replacement Analysis
Ch. 9 and review Case Study
Requirements
3/4 Spring Break – No Class
3/11 Module 8: Cost Estimation
Ch. 3
Review Calculus and Probability
& Statistics Presentations.
3/18 Module 9: Depreciation and Income Taxes
3/25 Module 10: Breakeven and Sensitivity
Ch. 7
Ch. 11
Analysis
4/1 Research Time
4/8 Module 11: Risk and Uncertainty Analysis
Ch. 12
Case Study due BEFORE 11pm
Eastern Time, Wednesday 4/16.
4/15 Module 12: Benefit-Cost Ratio Method
4/22 Module 13: Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
Mon
Exam 2
4/28
Ch. 10
Ch. 14
Exam due NLT midnight Eastern
Time , Monday 4/28
All portions of the above are subject to change at the discretion of the professor. Updates will be posted in
GAView Vista. Revised 3/22/16
QA 6610 - Statistics for Quality Assurance (Required Course, no prerequisite, 3-0-3)
Descriptive statistics for discrete and continuous variables, probability distributions, confidence intervals
and hypothesis testing, elementary control charts for variables and attributes, the design of acceptance
sampling plans, analysis of variance, and regression and correlation analysis.
QA 6610 – Statistics for Quality Assurance
Fall Semester 2014
Instructor: Dr. Rhonda Freeman
Preferred Email Address: e-mail through D2L or rfreeman@spsu.edu
Office: M113B
Phone: 404-568-7504
Office hours on-campus: Wednesday 3:30-5:30
Office hours on-line: by appointment
How to Contact the Instructor
The best way to reach me between class periods is by e-mail through D2L. I will reply as quickly as
possible to questions sent over e-mail. If you would like to meet in person, it is best to e-mail me for an
appointment to be sure I am available to help you. Those with appointments will be given priority over
individuals who do not have appointments. I am also willing to meet students in our on-line classroom
throughout the week, as needed – just e-mail me for an appointment. On-line students may come to either
type of office hour.
Email Response Time
I commit to answering all emails sent in the correct format within 24 hours from the time you first
transmit the email, unless I let you know in advance of travel prohibiting me from doing so (or if I have
an emergency). This short response time includes weekends and holidays. Instructions for e-mail format
for technical questions are found in the ‘Start Here’ module, and are designed to increase efficiency of email communication for all of us. If for some reason you do not hear from me within 24 hours, please
verify the e-mail address and re-send the e-mail. Do realize that if you procrastinate or if you are unable
to find the time to work on an assignment until just before the assignment is due then I am not responsible
for answering your last minute questions just before the assignment submission deadline. When possible,
I reply much more quickly than 24 hours to student e-mails. I do realize that graduate students typically
work on their coursework in the evenings. I am typically on the computer Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday evenings until 9PM and should be able to answer questions quickly those evenings.
Course Prerequisites
None, but QA5000 is an excellent option for students who are concerned about their mathematical or
statistical background. Please let me know if you would like information about that bridge course.
Textbook
The textbook is ‘Statistics: Informed Decisions Using Data’ 4th edition by Michael Sullivan BUNDLED
WITH a MathXL access code. The ISBN code is 9780321919854 and it can be purchased through the
campus bookstore for $200 or through MyPearsonStore.com for $190 (free ship). Note that if you
purchase the textbook elsewhere (Amazon, for example) you would need to purchase the MathXL code in
addition for $60.50 at MathXL.com.
Calculators/Software
For the quizzes and exams, you will often want to use Excel (available in the computer labs). I will
demonstrate how to do some things in Minitab, as well, especially toward the end of the course. Quality
Assurance students will be required to purchase Minitab for future classes (6611,6612,6613) so may wish
to purchase it now to be able to use it for this course. Student licenses can be purchased inexpensively by
going to www.Minitab.com and following the links for students. You can also download a free 30-day
trial. If you are not planning to purchase Minitab, I recommend doing the free trial the last month of the
course, as that is when it will be most useful.
Course Description
The course will contain a study of descriptive statistics for discrete and continuous variables, probability
distributions, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing, elementary control charts for variables and
attributes, the design of acceptance sampling plans, analysis of variance, and regression and correlation
analysis.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to do the following:
1.
Given a scenario, the student will be able to develop measurable variables.
2.
Given a data set, the student will be able to identify and perform appropriate descriptive statistics
and interpret the results.
3.
Given a data set with two or more variables, the student will be able to determine if there is a
linear relationship, measure the strength of a linear relationship, and interpret the results.
4.
Given a population of data, the student will be able to select an unbiased sample.
5.
Given a set of data, the student will be able to identify the correct distribution, perform the
appropriate statistical analyses, and interpret the results.
6.
Given a data set on at least the interval scale the student will be able to construct a confidence
interval and interpret the results.
7.
Given two or more sets of data on at least the interval scale, the student will be able to perform
the appropriate hypothesis test and interpret the results.
Course Requirements
Live Class Schedule: The course will meet on Mondays at 6:00 in our Wimba Live classroom on the
dates indicated on the Course Schedule as posted on the Course Home Page.
Pre-recorded lectures: Each week there will be a video presentation to view BEFORE the live lecture.
During the live lecture, we will mainly work problems from the chapter material.
Discussion participation: I will post a “muddiest point” question each week to gage what is most
confusing to students and choose the problems that we will go over in class accordingly. If you
understand all the material in the module, you are encouraged to post a “tip” for the other students
instead, or answer another student’s question. Students must review the module materials and respond to
the muddiest point discussion question by Sunday at 11PM ET to receive full discussion credit.
(Muddiest points posted by 8PM ET will also be incorporated into the live session, so I strongly suggest
posting by 8PM.) I will post some responses to these muddiest points in the discussion forum and others
I will just address in class instead. If you feel after the live class that your muddiest point question has not
been addressed, please bring my attention to it again so that I can do so. Extra credit will be given
replying to other students’ questions in the discussion forum beyond your one required posting.
Module assignments: Each module has a graded assignment associated with it. These assignments are
interactive, and administered through MathXL, which offers a lot of support for learning. You may
attempt the homework assignments as many times as you wish, up until the due date (which will be at
11PM ET on the Friday following the class period the material is discussed unless otherwise noted in the
course schedule). Your lowest assignment grade will be dropped. (Note that D2L is down for
maintenance starting at 9PM several Fridays during the semester, so you may wish to have a link directly
to MathXL saved in your internet bookmarks.)
Exams: The two exams and final exam will be a mixture of fill in the blank (similar to your MathXL
assignments) and short-answer with partial credit. More information will be available closer to the exam
dates. I do not provide help on the material during the time the exam is available, so make sure that you
ask your questions in advance!
Grading Policy
Your final grade in this course will be determined using the following weights for each component of this
course:
Component
Weekly assignments (lowest dropped)
Discussion participation
First two exams, each 22.5%
Final exam (cumulative)
Attendance Policy
Weight
15%
10%
45%
30%
Attendance to the live portion of the course is STRONGLY recommended. Students who miss class for
any reason are NOT exempt from the material covered during the class period(s) the student misses. The
instructor is NOT responsible for assisting the student to catch up on class material when the student is
absent from class. I will attempt to “archive” the live presentations on-line for students to view.
Late Assignment Policy
The instructor does NOT accept late assignments or exams. You are responsible for ensuring that you
submit your exams correctly and that you attempt the homework with adequate time remaining.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ON-LINE CLASSES
Students who do well in online courses KEEP UP with the material. It is IMPERATIVE that you remain
organized and complete work on time.
Disruptive Behavior and Academic Dishonesty
From the SPSU Catalog: “A faculty member reserves the right to remove any student from his or her
course if the student’s behavior is of a disruptive nature or if there is evidence of academic dishonesty.”
Any type of Academic Dishonesty by a student may result in the student being expelled from the course
and the student receiving a grade of “F” in the course. This grade of “F” will appear on the student’s
official SPSU transcript. If the student has a repeated history of Academic Dishonesty at SPSU then the
student may also be expelled from the University.
Disability Statement
From the SPSU Catalog: “A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling
condition and needs academic accommodation has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as
having a disability by scheduling an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as
possible.”
Professional Behavior
All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior standards published in the SPSU
catalog.
Contact Information for Technical or Academic Issues
If you have a technical problem with this software, please visit the GeorgiaVIEW Online Support Center
for assistance. http://help8.view.usg.edu/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8075
If you have an academic issue then please ask your instructor for assistance.
SYE 6010 – Project Management Processes (Managing the Technical Effort Associated with System
Creation) (Required Course, no prerequisite, 3-0-3)
Integrated framework for project organization, planning and control focusing on project management
processes for large, complex programs to ensure cost-effective and quality outcomes for investments.
SYE 6010 Project Management Processes (Managing the Technical Effort
Associated with System Creation)
Spring 2015
Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Class:
Israel Rose
irose@spsu.edu
(678) 983-0626 (c)
Wednesday 7:30 - 8:45 PM
https://spsu.view.usg.edu/d2l/home/878837 (official classroom)
Class Materials: GeorgiaView D2L
https://spsu.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/878837/Home (official course site)
Office Hours:
By appointment only
Required Textbook:
Kerzner, Harold, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 10th
Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. (2009). ISBN 978-0-470-27870-3
Course Description:
The goal is to provide the student with a systematic approach to the essential principles, processes, and
practices associated with Project Management functions, including planning, scheduling, and controlling.
Since the project management approach requires departure from the traditional business organizational
form, the applicability and use of Project Management will be examined as a viable, albeit temporary,
organizational structure. Emphasis will focus on the use of an alternative management structure and
special management techniques geared toward obtaining better control and use of existing resources.
Course Objective:
The specific learning objectives are below.
1. Understand the project initiation process: selection of the best project, recognizing the benefits,
sanctioning the project, and assigning the project manager.
2. Understand the project planning process: defining the work requirements, defining the quality
and quantity of work, defining the resource needs, scheduling activities, and evaluation of risk.
3. Understand the project execution process: negotiating for team members, directing and
managing, and working to improve the team.
4. Understand the monitoring and control process: tracking progress, comparing actual versus
predicted outcomes, analyzing variances and impacts, and making adjustments.
5. Understand the project closure process: verifying work accomplishment, closing the contract,
closing out charge numbers, closing out the paperwork.
Reading: Students are expected to read the text and to remain current with the classroom
presentations.
Attendance: Attendance in the weekly lecture and discussion is strongly encouraged. Speakers and a
microphone will be required for the Horizon Live chats. Generally students who participate and keep
current with the course progress perform better on the exams. The lectures will be archived for
reference.
Homework Assignments: Homework for select weeks will be assigned to reinforce learning. Your
response to the homework assignments will be worth 10% of your final grade. Post your response to the
homework topics/problems in the “Dropbox” for corresponding assignment by replying to that week’s
discussion topics/problems. When assigned, the homework assignment will be due by 7:30 pm on the
day of the class.
Exams: There will be a midterm exam and a comprehensive final exam. The format for the exams will
be discussed before the first exam.
Grading: Letter grades will be assigned based on a course average that is computed using the following
weights:
Homework (3)
Quizzes (4)
Midterm Exam (1)
Final Exam (1)
Participation
Percentage
10%
40%
20%
30%
Encouraged
The cutoff values for each grade will be made when all assignments and exam scores are recorded and
the overall averages are calculated. Typically, an average of 90 or more for the course will earn an A
(4.0/4.0), 80 or more a B (3.0/4.0), 70 or more a C (2.0/4.0), and 60 or more a D (1.0/4.0).
A general guideline for the grade expectations typically held for graduate classes:
A
Outstanding or professional quality work and excellent mastery of topics (e.g. think
independently about problems, apply skills to new problems)
B
Good quality work (few format errors, clear organization) and thorough mastery of
topics (e.g. recognize problem types; apply methods to problems without errors)
C
Poor quality work and/or does not demonstrate graduate level understanding of the
material
Below C
Significant course work missing or inadequate so as not to demonstrate a satisfactory
mastery of topics
Academic Honesty:
All course participants (myself, teaching assistants, and students) are expected and required to abide
by the letter and the spirit of the SPSU Honor Code. If there is any way in which I can help you in
complying with the honor code, please do not hesitate to ask. I will do the same.
Additional guidelines for individual assignments will be explained with the assignment. If you have any
questions, please ask me! Penalties for academic dishonesty can include receiving a 0 on the
assignment or an F in the course. All incidents will be reported.
Make-up Exams: In general there will be no make-up exams given. Please let me know in advance of
any exams that will be missed for an institute approved reason.
Re-grades: Requests for re-grades must be made in writing (be specific) between 24 hours and 1 week
after an assignment or exam is returned.
ADA Compliance Statement: “If you have a documented disability as described by the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that may require you to need assistance
attaining accessibility to instructional content to meet course requirements, we recommend that you
contact the ATTIC at 678.915.7361 as soon as possible. It is then your responsibility to contact and meet
with your instructor. The ATTIC can assist you and the instructor in formulating a reasonable
accommodation plan and provide support in developing appropriate accommodations for your
disability. Course requirements will not be waived but accommodations will be made, when
appropriate, to assist you to meet the requirements”.
Tentative Course Schedule:
The following course schedule is tentative. Students are expected to do the reading and occasional
assignments (discussion topics) for each class period before coming to class on that day.
Date
1/07
1/14
1/21
Topic
- Module 1
- Course Overview & Introduction
- Module 2
- Concepts and Definitions
- Module 3
- Organizational Structures; Organizing and
Staffing
- Module 4
- Management Functions
1/28
2/4
- Module 5
- Conflicts in Projects
- Module 6
- Ethics
Reading
Chap. 1
Note
Chap. 2
- Personal Bio
Chap. 3
Chap. 4
Quiz #1 Available
Modules 1, 2, and 3
Chaps. 5 , 6,
& Hodgetts
article
Chap. 7
Quiz#1 Due
Part of
Chap. 8
Midterm Available–
Modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
&6
- Quiz 2 Available
Modules 4, 5, and 6
Quiz 2 Due
2/11
2/18
2/25
3/11
3/18
- Module 7
- Variables for Success
- Module 8
- Planning
- Module 9
- Analysis techniques – Simulation
- Module 10
- Pricing and Cost Estimation
Section 8.2
and Chap. 9
Chap. 11
Chaps. 12 &
13
Chaps. 14 &
15
Quiz #3 Available
Modules 7, 8, & 9
Quiz #3 Due
3/25
- Module 11
- Risk Management
- Module 12
- Quality Management
Chap. 17
- Module 13
- Leadership
- Module 14
- Current Research
Review (Final Exam Available After Class)
Final Exam
5.9, Part of
Chap. 5
Chap. 20
4/01
4/08
4/15
4/22
4/29
Homework 3 Due.
Quiz 4 Available
Modules 10, 11, 12
Quiz #4 Due
Due by 8:45 PM
SYE 6015 – Systems Analysis and Design (Required Course, Prerequisite: SYE 6005, 3-0-3)
Methods used to analyze and design complex systems that meet the needs of multiple stakeholders over
the system life cycle. Apply systems engineering design and analysis principles to the virtual design of a
contemporary complex system.
SYE 6015, Systems Analysis and Design
Summer 2013
Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Class:
Class Material:
Office Hours:
Dr. Adeel Khalid
akhalid2@spsu.edu
678-915-7241 (Email Preferred)
Wednesdays 6:00 to 8:30PM, and asynchronous
D2L http://www.spsu.edu/d2l/
By Appointment
Required Textbook:
Charles S. Wasson, System Analysis, Design, and Development – Concepts, Principles, and
Practices, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, (2006). ISBN – 13 978-0-471-39333-7
Course Description:
The purpose of this course is for the student to learn how to apply the basic methods used to analyze
and design complex systems that will meet the needs of multiple stakeholders over the system life
cycle. We will continue to develop the analytical thinking processes unique to the systems
engineering perspective. The course builds on and elaborates the concepts and principles studied
in SyE 6005. The goal is to make the systems engineering process and the responsibilities of the
systems engineer more concrete. Students will apply systems engineering design and analysis
principles to the virtual design of a contemporary complex system selected by the professor. Topics
covered will follow approximately the same order as used in the analysis, design and development
of an engineering system. Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to
support the successful creation of complex systems. The course will develop practical skills used
by systems engineers and managers and will be useful for discipline-oriented engineers who work
to develop complex systems.
Course Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. Represent and model analytically and graphically the functional, physical and operational
characteristics of complex systems.
2. Communicate their understanding of the role and relationships of the multiple functions
needed to design systems.
3. Identify and transform stakeholder needs into specifications and requirements.
4. Understand and apply principles of interface design.
5. Understand decision analysis and associated risks during each phase of system life cycle.
Course Topics
The lectures will cover all aspects/phases of complex systems creation and will include but not
be limited to the following topics:












Analysis and Definition of Needs and Operational Requirements
Definitions of System Boundaries and Interfaces
Identification of Constraints and Analysis of Context
Design Concept Exploration and Definition
Modeling Architectures
Technology/Engineering Development
Risk Analysis
Integration, Testing and Qualification
Production and Operations Support
Trade-off Analysis
Function Allocation
Managing Complexity
References:
The Engineering Design of Systems, Models and Methods by Dennis M. Buede, John Wiley and
Sons, 2000.
Systems Engineering, Principles and Practice by Alexander Kossiakoff and William N. Sweet,
John Wiley and Sons, 2003.
Grading: Your grade will be determined as follows:
Homework / Class Participation
Project
Exam 1
Exam 2
Percentage
10%
25%
30%
35%
Professional Behavior and Academic Integrity
All students are expected to abide by the professional and ethical standards established by SPSU.
The instructor reserves the right to remove any student from the course if their behavior is of a
disruptive and disrespectful nature or if there is evidence of academic dishonesty.
For assignments, take home tests and the project the rules are simple. You are to do your own
work. You are not to consult or share work with other students in this class, or in previous classes.
You can use any reference books you wish. Ultimately, students are responsible for familiarizing
themselves with the SPSU policy on plagiarism and academic honesty.
Make-up Exams: In general there will be no make-up exams given. Please let me know in advance of any
exams that will be missed for an institute approved reason.
Re-grades: Requests for re-grades must be made in writing (be specific) between 24 hours and 1 week
after an assignment or exam is returned.
Reading Assignments: Students are expected to read the text and to remain current with the classroom
presentations.
Attendance: Attendance in the weekly Horizon Live lecture and discussion is strongly encouraged.
Speakers and a microphone will be required for the Horizon Live chats. Generally students who participate
and keep current with the course progress perform better on the exams. The lectures will be archived for
reference.
Assignments and Discussions: Occasionally problems or questions will be assigned to reinforce material.
Assignment and Discussion responses will be graded as A, A- and B. When calculating your final grades,
A will equal 100%, A- will equal 90% and B will equal 80%.
Exams: There will be two exams in the semester (given in D2L). The format for the exams will be
discussed before the first exam.
Disability Statement:
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are
encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at 678-915-7244 as soon as possible
to better insure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Tentative Course Schedule:
The following course schedule is tentative. Students are expected to do the reading assignment for each
class period before coming to class on that day. The assignments listed below are expected to be submitted
before 6:00pm on Wednesday nights. 10% penalty will apply for late submissions. Assignments submitted
after 24 hours of due time will not be accepted.
Tentative Textbook Reading Assignments Schedule
Date
Topic
6/5
Chapters 1-5
6/12
Chapters 6-8
6/19
Chapters 9-12
6/26
Chapters 13-17
6/26 – 6/30
7/3
7/10
7/17
7/24
EXAM 1
Chapters 18-23
Chapters 24-27, 28-35
Chapters 36-42
Chapters 43-49
7/31
EXAM 2
Revised March 22, 2016
Project
Assigned
Project Due
(7/27)
This syllabus/schedule may be changed to suit the needs of the class. Remember your professor
wants you to succeed. Let us make it a great semester!
SYE 6035 –Modeling and Simulation (Elective Course, Prerequisite: QA 6610, 3-0-3)
The use of models and simulations to validate or predict expected performance, behavior, and interaction
of selected design elements in a controlled environment will be examined. This course will also present
guidelines for selecting and using models and simulations on projects. Various modeling and simulation
methods and tools will be examined and their value and applications probed for differing engineering
development needs.
SyE6035 Modeling and Simulation
Fall 2010 Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. David Gross
Email: dgross2@spsu.edu or
Class: Tuesday. 7:35 pm to 9:05pm
Phone: (678) 761-3711
Required Textbook:
Banks, J., Carson, J.S., Nelson, B.L., Nicol, D.M., Discrete-event System Simulation.
Prentice Hall, 5th Edition, 2009.
Kelton, W.D., Sadowski, R.P., Sturrock, D.T., Simulation with Arena. McGraw Hill, 4th
Edition, 2007.
Reference:
Law, A. M., Simulation Modeling and Analysis. McGraw-Hill, 4th Edition, 2007.
Course Description:
The course will examine the use of models and simulations to validate or predict expected
performance, behavior, and interaction of selected design elements in a controlled
environment. This course will also present guidelines for selecting and using models and
simulations on projects. Various modeling and simulation methods and tools will be discussed
and their value and applications probed for differing engineering development needs. Topics
will include basic simulation and system modeling techniques, random sampling procedures,
system evaluation, and output analysis. Emphasis will be upon hands-on simulation of various
systems using Arena, a PC-based graphical simulation program.
Course Objective:
Upon successful completion, the student should be able to:
1. Understand all of the important aspects of discrete-event simulation.
2. Utilize statistical tools for input data analysis, random variable generation, and output
data analysis.
3. Model complex, real-life systems using computer simulation methods.
4. Communicate simulation results through written reports and verbal presentations.
5. Appreciate the role of simulation modeling as a decision support tool in a systems
engineering effort.
Course Organization:
This course is an on-line course and is organized around weekly modules. WebCT Vista will
be utilized to post course materials, assignments, grades and other relevant information about
the course. Students are expected to log onto WebCT Vista frequently for course-related
discussions, announcements, etc. Login instructions can be accessed at
http://www.spsu.edu/webct/ . Each module in WebCT Vista contains notes and other
instructional materials on a specific subject, followed by a set of assignments aimed at
measuring students’ understanding of the topic covered. During the online meetings the
instructor will deliver lectures via live audio connection in a "Live Classroom" environment.
The lectures will emphasize the important concepts and selected techniques from the
textbooks. Students will have an opportunity to ask questions during these sessions. Students
are expected to complete reading assignments in the textbooks, and to read the supplemental
lecture notes found on the course web site. Detailed information on using WebCT Vista, Live
Classroom and other tools to be utilized in the instruction of the course will be covered briefly
in the first weekly module for the course.
Grading:
The following course requirements will be used for grading purposes.
1. Project report (written and oral):
2. Assignments:
3. Exams I and II:
30%
30%
40% (20% each)
Professional Behavior:
All students are expected to abide by the professional and ethical behavior standards
established by the Engineering Department and by Southern Polytechnic State University.
Contacting the Instructor:
If you need to contact the instructor, you may send the instructor an e-mail any time to the
email addresses above. Students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions
either via e-mail or during the lectures.
Attendance:
Students who miss lectures for any reason are not exempt from the material covered during the
class period(s) missed. Your attendance in class will not impact your course grade, unless you
are absent for a test, assignment, or other graded works. It should be noted that students who
do attend class on a regular basis normally perform better on tests and other graded
assignments.
Exams:
Both exams will be open book and open notes. Exams will not be online (or timed) so that
students will have some flexibility. Even though solving the exam questions will not require
more than a few hours, students will have at least one day to return the answers. Late exams
will not be accepted.
Assignments:
Homework and modeling assignments will be assigned weekly or bi-weekly. Assignments
will be posted on the course web site. Students will submit solutions as a single file (preferably
a Word document) by using the “Assignment” tool, and must follow any technical writing
requirements even though they need not be elaborate. All assignments will be due in class.
Missed assignments will be accepted up to one day late with a 10 point deduction. Any later
submissions will receive a grade of zero.
All assignments will be for individual completion. However, for the homework assignments
only, students can share ideas, discuss, or help each other. For this purpose, the discussion
board can be used. Any other type of collaboration (such as sharing written work, data or
computer files) is not permitted.
Project:
The project is a complete Arena simulation study of a system of your choosing (and approved
by the instructor). Your objective in this project is to integrate all simulation tools you will be
learning this semester to tackle a "real-life" problem. This includes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Defining the system to be simulated and stating the purpose of the study.
Collecting data on the system.
Coding and verifying the model in Arena.
Validating the simulation.
Studying the system using the simulation.
Your grade will depend on your approach to the problem, quality of your model formulation,
data analysis (both input and output), programming style, report writing, and oral presentation.
A draft project paper will be turned in two weeks before the actual due date. This draft paper
will also be graded. More information on the term project will be available in the “SyE6035
Course Information” organizer page.
CLASS AGENDA
Date
24 Aug
31 Aug
7 Sep
14 Sep
SyE6035
Fall 2010
Topic
Module 1: Course Overview & Introduction
Systems and System Environment
What is Modeling?
What is Simulation?
History of Simulation Software
Examples of Simulation Software
Module 2: Simulation Concepts
Components of a Simulation
Discrete-event Simulation
Event Scheduling
Simulation Examples
Module 3: Simulation Software
Introduction to Arena
Module 4: Probability and Statistics Review
Statistical Terminology
Discrete Distributions
Textbook Sections
Banks: Chapter 1, 4.1-4.2, 4.7-4.8
Kelton: Chapter 1
Banks: Chapter 2, 3.1
Kelton: Chapter 2
Kelton: Chapter 3
Banks: Chapter 5
Kelton: Appendix C
21 Sep
28 Sep
5 Oct
12 Oct
19 Oct
26 Oct
2 Nov
9 Nov
16 Nov
23 Nov
30 Nov
7 Dec
Continuous Distributions
Useful Statistical Models
Module 5: Basic Modeling in Arena
Input Modeling
Data Collection
Identifying Distributions
Parameter Estimation
Goodness-of-Fit Tests
Module 6:Random Numbers
Random Number Generation
Random Variable Generation
Tests for Randomness
Exam I
Submit by midnight 6 Oct
Grades posted by Midterm 7 Oct
Last day to withdraw
Module 7:Detailed Modeling in Arena
Module 8: Queuing Systems
Queuing Notation
Types of Queues
Measures of Performance
Project Proposals Due
Module 9: Output Analysis of Models
Measures of Performance
Confidence Interval Estimation
Output Analysis in Arena
Module 10: Verification and Validation
Input-Output Validation
Module 11: Intermediate Modeling in Arena
Entity Transfers
Module 12: Comparison and Evaluation of
Alternative System Designs
Comparison of Two System Designs
Comparison of Several System Designs
Project Paper Drafts Due
Module 13: Output Analysis for Steady-State
Simulation
Review
Project Papers Due
Project Presentations
Kelton: Chapter 4
Banks: 9.1-9.4
Banks: Chapter 7, 8.1
Kelton: Chapter 5
Banks: Chapter 6
Banks: 11.1-11.4
Kelton: Chapter 6
Banks: Chapter 10
Kelton: Chapters 7-8
Banks: 12.1-12.2
Exam II
Submit by midnight 9 Dec
Note: This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.
Banks: 11.5
SYE 6045 –Process Assessment and Improvement (Elective Course, no prerequisite, 3-0-3)
This course provides an operational understanding of the differences between process standards and
assessment standards where the latter provide a formal and structured means of examining a specific
process or focus area to determine process capability or process maturity in an enterprise. Both EIA/IS731-1, "Systems Engineering Capability Model", and Capability Maturity Model® Integration
(CMMISM) will be examined and the strengths and weaknesses reviewed with respect to consideration of
use on projects.
SyE 6045
Process Assessment and Improvement
Fall 2006
Instructor: Dr. Ruston M. Hunt
Office: M-110
E-mail: RHunt@spsu.edu
Phone: (770) 356-8846
Office Hours: Most days 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, call for an appointment
Course Description: This course looks at alternative approaches to process assessment and
improvement. The course begins with an in depth look at the capability maturity
approach. Students will then research alternative approaches including Lean, TPS, EIA 731, Six
Sigma, TQM, ISO 9000, Agile, IDEAL, ADDIE and DMAIC. These approaches will be
compared and contrasted. The goal is for students to develop sufficient understanding of the
strengths and weakness of these various approaches so as to be able to determine which
approach(es) would be most likely to lead to success in a given operational setting.
Text: CMMI Distilled: A Practical Introduction to Integrated Process Improvement, Second
Edition by Dennis M. Ahern, Aaron Clouse and Richard Turner". Addison Wesley, 2004,
paperback, ISBN 0-321-18613-3
Notes: This is an on-line class. All interactions with the instructor will be via the Internet. This
will primarily involve voice-over-Powerpoint lectures, Live Classroom presentations, and
discussion threads on WebCT/VISTA. Students must have a reliable Internet connection
(preferably high-speed) in order to be able to access class materials and submit
assignments. Students will need speakers or headphones in order to hear the auditory portion of
the materials. Students will also need a standalone microphone or a headset with a microphone
to be able to participate in class discussions and to contribute presentations to the class.
Assignments will typically be due Sunday by midnight. Assignments one day late (without prior
arrangement) will receive no more than half credit. Assignments more than one day late
(without prior arrangement) will receive no credit.
Students are expected to do their own work on all homework, projects and exams. Anyone
caught cheating or copying the work of anyone else may be expelled from the university as per
university policy.
Schedule
Date
8/22
Topic
Introduction to WebCT/Vista
8/29
Overview of Capability
Maturity approach
9/05
The Staged SE-SW Model
9/12
Appraisals for CMMI
9/19
9/26
10/3
10/10
10/17
10/24
10/31
11/7
11/14
11/28
EIA 731
Review project alternatives
Research
Discuss Choices
Research
Research
Student Presentations
Student Presentations
Student Presentations
Compile Executive
Comparisons
Discussion
12/5
Assignment
Learning Module #1 and
Read Chapters 1 & 2 in
CMMI Distilled
Learning Module #2 and
Read Chapters 3, 4 & 5 in
CMMI Distilled
Learning Module #3 and
Read Chapters 6 & 7 in
CMMI Distilled
Learning Module #4 and
Read Chapters 8,9 & 10 in
CMMI Distilled
Learning Module #5
Test on CMMI Distilled
Research
Finalize topic choices
Research
Research
Critique Presentation
Critique Presentation
Submit Critiques
Submit Executive
Comparison
Grading:
The first third of this course will consist of lectures and homework assignments covering the
textbook and CMMI. The last two thirds of the class will consist of student presentations on
alternative process improvement techniques. You will be required to critique each of the
presentations made by your colleagues. The final assignment is to analyze and synthesize the
information presented by all of the students to create a comparison of the alternative approaches
to Process Improvement.
Grades will be computed as follows;
20% Homework in Modules 1 thru 5
20% Test on CMMI
20% Presentation and supporting materials
20% Critiques of presentations
20% Comparison of alternative approaches to Process Improvement
SYE 6050 –Reliability and Sustainability (Elective Course, Prerequisite: QA 6610, 3-0-3)
Concepts for reliability and sustainability (maintainability) engineering and their integration into system
development will be examined. In addition, techniques for ensuring the integration of these factors into
core design decisions through specified requirements will be explored.
SYE 6050
Reliability and Sustainability
Fall 2013
INSTRUCTOR
Kamran S. Moghaddam, Ph.D., P.E.
Office: Q 319
Email: kmoghadd@spsu.edu
Phone: 678-915-4971
Office Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (or by appointment)
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Room: Wimba (On-line)
Class Hours: Wednesday, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
Class Material: GeorgiaVIEW Desire2Learn https://spsu.view.usg.edu/
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course provides fundamental concepts, theories, and applications of reliability and
maintainability engineering including different types of failure distributions, reliability of
systems, state-dependent systems, physical reliability models, design for reliability and
maintainability, data collection and empirical methods.
REQUIRED TEXT
An Introduction to Reliability and Maintainability Engineering, second edition
Charles E. Ebeling
Publisher: Waveland Press Inc., 2010
ISBN-10: 1577666259, ISBN-13: 978-1577666257
COURSE POLICIES
 Participation and Discussions: Students are expected to participate in discussions in our
online class and/or posted online discussions. Speakers and a microphone will be required
for the Horizon Live chats. Generally students who participate and keep current with the
course progress perform better on the exams.
 Exams: There will be two take-home exams for this course.
 Homework Assignments: Each assignment must be typed and submitted through
GeorgiaVIEW Desire2Learn as a Word File, Excel File, .pdf or some combination of those.
For problems done in Excel make sure that your answer is clearly noted, that the question
number is on the worksheet tab and that it is set to print on one page (or properly formatted
multiple pages). You may discuss assignments and obtain help from others, but the final
product must be your individual work. To be more precise, on discussion-type questions,
it is acceptable to discuss the topic with classmates, but not to give someone your complete
answer to read. With calculation-type questions, it is appropriate to get assistance in how
the problem is solved in general, but not to copy a classmate’s spreadsheet. That is, you
may not exchange electronic files.
 Project: A course project is required for successful completion of this course. Generally,
successful projects involve application of reliability principles to some type of “real-world”
problems. Your project will be graded on the basis of readability of the report and technical
accuracy. These reports should be written as a formal technical report to include executive
summary, section headings, proper table and figure headings, references, appropriate
appendices, etc; totally up to 8 pages (see “Technical Report Template” posted on
Blackboard). Project reports are due on Monday, December 2nd 2013 by 5:00 PM.
GRADING SCHEME
MIDTERM EXAM
FINAL EXAM
HOMEWORK
PROJECT
Grand Total
25%
25%
25%
25%
100%
Grand Total
90-100
80-89.9
70-79.9
60-69.9
59.9 and below
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you need accommodations because of a disability, or if you have emergency medical
information to share with the instructor, please contact the instructor after the first class
meeting or make an appointment to discuss your needs as soon as possible. These students are
also encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at 678-915-7244 to better
insure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
TRUST AND COLLABORATION
A note about our relationship throughout this semester and beyond; first, it is built on trust.
You must trust that I have put serious thought into course content, structure and presentation
of lectures, notes, homeworks and exams. In turn, I trust that the homeworks and exams which
you submit are your own and that they are done individually. For example, receiving help
during an examination or copying homework solutions from another student and submitting it
as your own is not allowed. Students agree that by taking this course all submitted
projects/reports may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to
www.turnitin.com or any other software/website for the detection of plagiarism.
SPSU has an Honor Code and a procedure for handling cases when academic misconduct is
alleged. All students should be aware of them. Information about the Honor Code and the
misconduct procedure may be found at http://www.spsu.edu/honorcode/.
TOPICS
1. Chapter 1 - Introduction to Reliability Engineering
2. Chapter 2 - The Failure Distribution
3. Chapter 3 - Constant Failure Rate Models
4. Chapter 4 - Time-Dependent Failure Models
5. Chapter 5 - Reliability of Systems
6. Chapter 6 - State-Dependent Systems
7. Chapter 7 - Physical Reliability Models
HOMEWORK
HW 1
HW 2
HW 3
HW 4
HW 5
8. MIDTERM EXAM: Wednesday, October 2nd, 6:00 PM
9. Chapter 7 - Physical Reliability Models
10. Chapter 8 - Design for Reliability
11. Chapter 8 - Design for Reliability
12. Chapter 9 - Maintainability
13. Chapter 10 - Design for Maintainability
14. Chapter 11 - Availability
15. Chapter 18 - Implementation
16. FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, December 4th, 6:00 PM
HW 6
HW 7
HW 8
HW 9
HW 10
SYE 6055 –System Engineering Project (Elective Course, Prerequisite: Consent of instructor, 3-0-3)
In this capstone class, students will be presented with an engineering problem statement constituting
acquirer needs and expectations. Multi-disciplinary teamwork will be required to achieve a solution to the
presented problem statement.
SYE 6055 System Development Workshop
Fall 2014 Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. David Gross
Email Address: dgross2@spsu.edu
Office Hours: By arrangement
Office: None
Phone: 404-790-6670
Contact Information for the Course
If the student needs to contact the instructor then please send the instructor email via the
Desire2Learn (GeorgiaView) page for the course. You may also use the e-mail address and
phone number noted above.
Response Time
All student emails will be answered within two business days from the time the student first
transmits the email. Weekends, holidays, or school breaks are not business days. If you do not
receive a response, you should assume it was not received and should resend.
Course Prerequisites:
Textbook:
1. NONE
Course Description
This workshop will require students to investigate a discipline-related topic in systems
engineering in the form of a capstone project. The general intent of the project is to
demonstrate the students’ knowledge of the integrative aspects of the systems engineering
process. The work performed in the project should draw upon skills and knowledge acquired in
the program. Students will be required to identify an engineering problem, often in their work
environment, and will use systems engineering methods to achieve a solution to the problem.
At the end of the study, each student will prepare a formal report describing the work
performed, resulting conclusions and recommendations. In addition, students will prepare a
presentation for the faculty on their project and its results. Students are expected to meet
professional engineering standards in their work and reports. The results of the projects will be
considered for submission to an academic conference or journal in the field.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion, the student should be able to:
1. Identify and formulate a problem appropriate for addressing with systems engineering.
2. Identify and justify specific systems engineering related techniques for specific systems
engineering problems.
3. Apply a spectrum of systems engineering techniques to resolution of a specific realworld problem.
4. Exercise peer review as a method of improving work quality.
5. Communicate clearly and formally via technical writing.
Course Schedule
Meets online once per week: Tuesdays, 6:00 to 7:15 pm, as modified by the SPSU academia
calendar. These sessions will be via Wimba classroom linked of the GeorgiaView Desire2Learn
course website (https://spsu.view.usg.edu/). The sessions will be recorded and archived.
Between sessions, students study the appropriate textbook chapters, references, and complete
assignments.
If the instructor does not join the class within 15 minutes of the scheduled start, class is
canceled for reasons out of the instructor’s control. The instructor will tape makeup sessions
and adjust deadlines to compensate. The instructor may record and post additional lectures as
needed to assist the class in understand the material. Students should watch the course
announcements for this and other important instructions.
Course Organization:
This course is an on-line course and is organized around weekly modules. Each module contains
presentations, notes and other instructional materials on a specific topic, and assignments
aimed at measuring students’ understanding of the topic.
Module 1 includes a calendar showing topics by week along with other dates of interest.
During the online meetings the class will deliver communicate via live video-audio connection in
a "Live Classroom" environment.
Detailed information on using the GeorgiaView Desire2Learn course website is available at
https://spsu.view.usg.edu/.
The course materials, including archives of the online sessions, are linked into the GeorgiaView
Desire2Learn course website (https://spsu.view.usg.edu/). Students are expected to log onto
frequently for course-related discussions, announcements, etc.
Grading Policy
Your final grade in this course will be determined using the following weights for each
component of this course:
Component
Weight Nature
Student Developed
“Essentials” Lecture
Project Preliminaries
Project Report
Project Presentation to Faculty
Totals
25% Open Book, Collaborative
25% Open Book, Individual
25% Open Book, Individual
25% In Person Presentation; audio with
supporting materials
100%
Each assignment will be made via online folders with a downloadable instruction file to be
completed and returned at the specified due date as noted on each assignment.
Note: the Project Preliminaries grade includes a proposal, weekly updates on progress, and
feedback for other student’s projects.
Late assignments will be accepted up to one week late with a letter grade deduction. Any later
submissions will receive a grade of zero.
Students are encouraged to share ideas, discuss, or help each other on the homework
assignments and projects via the discussion board. Any other type of collaboration (such as
sharing written work, data or computer files) is not permitted.
Extra credit work may be offered during the semester. Only students attending class will be
offered the opportunity for the extra points.
All work submitted should be in files name: course-assignment-yourname.filetype
Where:
 “course” is SYE-6055
 “assignment” is the name of the assignment, e.g., HW-1, Midterm
 “yourname” is your name
 And “filetype” is the usual extension for the file (e.g., “doc” for MS Word).
Work not using this naming convention will be penalized.
All assignments submitted by the student for grading will be returned to the student with a
grade and with comments within one week after the student submits the assignment, not
counting weekends, holidays, or scheduled breaks.
Make-Up Assignments
The instructor has the sole discretion of whether to permit make-up of missed assignments.
Students are required to notify the instructor as soon as possible via in-course e-mail of
situations requiring missed work. Ideally, such notification will be in advance. Any make-up
work approved may receive a reduced grade.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is strongly recommended. Students who miss class for any reason are not exempt
from the material covered during the class period(s) the student misses. The instructor is NOT
responsible for assisting the student catch up on class material when the student is absent from
class.
Your attendance in class will NOT directly impact your course grade, unless you are absent for a
test, quiz, lab assignment, or other graded work. It should be noted that students who do
attend class on a regular basis normally perform better on tests, quizzes, and other graded
assignments. However, simply being present in class does not guarantee that the student will
achieve a high grade in the course.
Calculators/Software
You will need access to a computer.
Disruptive Behavior and Academic Dishonesty
From the SPSU Catalog: “A faculty member reserves the right to remove any student from his or
her course if the student’s behavior is of a disruptive nature or if there is evidence of academic
dishonesty.” Plagiarism Detection: Students agree that by taking this course all required papers
may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of
plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com
reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the
Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com
site. Any type of Academic Dishonesty by a student may result in the student being expelled
from the course and the student receiving a grade of “F” in the course. This grade of “F” will
appear on the student’s official SPSU transcript. If the student has a repeated history of
Academic Dishonesty at SPSU then the student may also be expelled from the University.
Disability Statement
"A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling condition and needs
academic accommodations has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as having a
disability by scheduling an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as
possible." (SPSU Catalog). Contact the Coordinator as follows: Kalisha Thomas, 678-915-7244,
Building J, Room 253, kthomas2@spsu.edu.
Professional Behavior
All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior standards published in
the SPSU catalog.
Note: This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Any change will be
announced.
SYE 6065 –System Optimization (Elective Course, Prerequisite: SYE 5000 or equivalent, 3-0-3)
This course focuses on methods of operations research and their applications. Operations Research
methods include linear programs, network models, queuing models, markov chains, and heuristics.
Applications in inventory & production planning, transportation & logistics, and finance will be covered.
SYE 6065
Operations Optimization
Spring 2013
INSTRUCTOR
Kamran S. Moghaddam, PhD, PE, CQE
Office: Q 319
Email: kmoghadd@spsu.edu
Phone: 678-915-4971
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (or by appointment)
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Room: Blackboard Collaborate (On-line)
Class Hours: Wednesday, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
Class Material: GeorgiaVIEW Desire2Learn https://spsu.view.usg.edu/
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course provides formulation and solution of deterministic models of operations research
including linear, integer, dynamic, and nonlinear programming, transportation, assignment,
shortest route, and minimum spanning tree problems to address different types of applications
in the areas of engineering design, production planning and scheduling, inventory control,
logistics, and project management.
REQUIRED TEXT
Introduction to Operations Research, 9th edition
Hillier, F. S., and Lieberman, G. J.
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, New York, 2010
ISBN-10: 0077298349, ISBN-13: 978-0077298340
COURSE POLICIES
 Participation and Discussions: Students are expected to participate in discussions in our
online class and/or posted online discussions. Speakers and a microphone will be required
for the Blackboard Collaborate online classroom. Generally students who participate and
keep current with the course progress perform better on the exams.
 Exams: There will be two take-home exams for this course.
 Homework Assignments: Each assignment must be typed and submitted through
GeorgiaVIEW Desire2Learn as a Word File, Excel File, pdf or some combination of those.
For problems done in Excel make sure that your answer is clearly noted, that the question
number is on the worksheet tab and that it is set to print on one page (or properly formatted
multiple pages). You may discuss assignments and obtain help from others, but the final
product must be your individual work. To be more precise, on discussion-type questions,
it is acceptable to discuss the topic with classmates, but not to give someone your complete
answer to read. With calculation-type questions, it is appropriate to get assistance in how
the problem is solved in general, but not to copy a classmate’s spreadsheet. That is, you
may not exchange electronic files.
 Project: A course project is required for successful completion of this course that can be
completed in teams of 2 students. Generally, successful projects involve an application of
deterministic operations research to some type of “real-world” problems. Your project will
be graded on the basis of readability of the report and technical accuracy. These reports
should be written as a formal technical report to include executive summary, section
headings, proper table and figure headings, references, appropriate appendices, etc; totally
up to 8 pages (see “Technical Report Template” posted on Blackboard). Project reports are
due on Monday, April 29 by 5:00 PM.
GRADING SCHEME
MIDTERM EXAM
FINAL EXAM
HOMEWORK
PROJECT
Grand Total
25%
25%
25%
25%
100%
Grand Total
90-100
80-89.9
70-79.9
60-69.9
59.9 and below
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you need accommodations because of a disability, or if you have emergency medical
information to share with the instructor, please contact the instructor after the first class
meeting or make an appointment to discuss your needs as soon as possible. These students are
also encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at 678-915-7244 to better
insure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
TRUST AND COLLABORATION
A note about our relationship throughout this semester and beyond; first, it is built on trust.
You must trust that I have put serious thought into course content, structure and presentation
of lectures, notes, homeworks and exams. In turn, I trust that the homeworks and exams which
you submit are your own and that they are done individually. For example, receiving help
during an examination or copying homework solutions from another student and submitting it
as your own is not allowed. Students agree that by taking this course all submitted
projects/reports may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to
www.turnitin.com or any other software/website for the detection of plagiarism.
SPSU has an Honor Code and a procedure for handling cases when academic misconduct is
alleged. All students should be aware of them. Information about the Honor Code and the
misconduct procedure may be found at http://www.spsu.edu/honorcode/.
MODULES
HOMEWORK
Module 1: Chapter 1&2 - Introduction & Overview of the OR Modeling Approach
Module 2: Chapter 3 - Introduction to Linear Programming
Module 3: Chapter 3 - Introduction to Linear Programming
HW 1
Module 4: Chapter 3 - Introduction to Linear Programming
HW 2
Module 5: Chapter 4 - Solving Linear Programming Problems: The Simplex Method
Module 6: Chapter 4 - Solving Linear Programming Problems: The Simplex Method
HW 3
Module 7: Chapter 4 - Solving Linear Programming Problems: The Simplex Method
HW 4
Module 8: Midterm Exam - Wednesday, February 27, 6:00 PM
Module 9: Chapter 6 - Duality Theory and Sensitivity Analysis
Module 10: Chapter 6 - Duality Theory and Sensitivity Analysis
Module 11: Chapter 8 - The Transportation and Assignment Problems
Module 12: Chapter 8 - The Transportation and Assignment Problems
Module 13: Chapter 9 - Network Optimization Models
Module 14: Chapter 11 - Integer Programming
Module 15: Chapter 11 - Integer Programming
Module 16: Final Exam - Wednesday, May 1, 6:00 PM
HW 5
HW 6
HW 7
SYE 6070 –Logistics and Supply Chain Management (Elective Course, no prerequisites, 3-0-3)
This course focuses on methods of operations research and their applications. Operations Research
methods include linear programs, network models, queuing models, markov chains, and heuristics.
Applications in inventory & production planning, transportation & logistics, and finance will be covered.
SYE 6070
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Summer 2014
INSTRUCTOR
Kamran S. Moghaddam, PhD, PE, CQE
Office: Q 319
Email: kmoghadd@spsu.edu
Phone: 678-915-4971
Office Hours: By appointment
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Room: Blackboard Collaborate (On-line)
Class Hours: Tuesday, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Class Material: GeorgiaVIEW Desire2Learn https://spsu.view.usg.edu/
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course will focus on decisions vital to success in typical business environments
characterized by competition and scarce resources. Students will develop skills in applying a
variety of techniques to solve logistics and supply chain management problems. Topics
covered will include: information sharing and aligning incentives along the supply chain,
demand forecasting, strategic inventory decisions, transportation models, site selection, pricing
and revenue management.
REQUIRED TEXT
Supply Chain Management, 5th edition
Sunil Chopra, Peter Meindl
Publisher: Prentice Hall., 2012
ISBN-10: 0132743957, ISBN-13: 978-0132743952
COURSE POLICIES
 Participation and Discussions: Students are expected to participate in discussions in our
online class and/or posted online discussions. Speakers and a microphone will be required
for the Blackboard Collaborate online classroom. Generally students who participate and
keep current with the course progress perform better on the exams.
 Homework Assignments: Each assignment must be typed and submitted through
GeorgiaVIEW Desire2Learn as a Word File, Excel File, pdf or some combination of those.
For problems done in Excel make sure that your answer is clearly noted, that the question
number is on the worksheet tab and that it is set to print on one page (or properly formatted
multiple pages). You may discuss assignments and obtain help from others, but the final
product must be your individual work. To be more precise, on discussion-type questions,
it is acceptable to discuss the topic with classmates, but not to give someone your complete
answer to read. With calculation-type questions, it is appropriate to get assistance in how
the problem is solved in general, but not to copy a classmate’s spreadsheet. That is, you
may not exchange electronic files.
 Project: A course project is required for successful completion of this course. Generally,
successful projects involve application of mathematical modeling and analysis to some
type of “real-world” problems in logistics and supply chain management. Your project will
be graded on the basis of readability of the report and technical accuracy. These reports
should be written as a formal technical report to include executive summary, section
headings, proper table and figure headings, references, appropriate appendices, etc; totally
up to 12 pages (see “Technical Report Template” posted on Blackboard). Project reports
are due on Tuesday, July 15th by 5:00 PM.
GRADING SCHEME
DISCUSSIONS
HOMEWORK
PROJECT
Grand Total
20%
40%
40%
100%
Grand Total
90-100
80-89.9
70-79.9
60-69.9
59.9 and below
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you need accommodations because of a disability, or if you have emergency medical
information to share with the instructor, please contact the instructor after the first class
meeting or make an appointment to discuss your needs as soon as possible. These students are
also encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at 678-915-7244 to better
insure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
TRUST AND COLLABORATION
A note about our relationship throughout this semester and beyond; first, it is built on trust.
You must trust that I have put serious thought into course content, structure and presentation
of lectures, notes, homeworks and exams. In turn, I trust that the homeworks and exams which
you submit are your own and that they are done individually. For example, receiving help
during an examination or copying homework solutions from another student and submitting it
as your own is not allowed. Students agree that by taking this course all submitted
projects/reports may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to
www.turnitin.com or any other software/website for the detection of plagiarism.
SPSU has an Honor Code and a procedure for handling cases when academic misconduct is
alleged. All students should be aware of them. Information about the Honor Code and the
misconduct procedure may be found at http://www.spsu.edu/honorcode/.
MODULES
Module 1: Chapter 1 - Understanding the Supply Chain
Chapter 2 - Supply Chain Performance
Chapter 3 - Supply Chain Drivers and Metrics
DISCUSSION & HW
DIS 1
Module 2: Chapter 4 - Designing Distribution Networks
Chapter 5 - Network Design in the Supply Chain
DIS 2 & HW 1
Module 3: Chapter 6 - Designing Global Supply Chain Networks
DIS 3 & HW 2
Module 4: Chapter 7 - Demand Forecasting in a Supply Chain
DIS 4 & HW 3
Module 5: Chapter 8 - Aggregate Planning in a Supply Chain
Chapter 9 - Sales and Operations Planning
DIS 5 & HW 4
Module 6: Chapter 11 - Managing Economies of Scale in a Supply Chain
DIS 6 & HW 5
Module 7: Chapter 12 - Managing Uncertainty in a Supply Chain
DIS 7 & HW 6
Module 8: Chapter 14 - Transportation in a Supply Chain
DIS 8 & HW 7
SYE 6075 – Manufacturing Systems Planning and Design (Elective Course, no prerequisites, 3-0-3)
This course focuses on decisions important in production and warehousing environments. Production
topics include analysis of flows, bottlenecks and queuing, types of manufacturing operations, aggregate
production planning, lot sizes and lead times, and pull production systems. Warehouse topics include
design and analysis of warehouse layout, order picking strategies, warehousing inventories, and
integration of production and distribution systems.
SYE 6075 – Manufacturing Systems Planning and Design
Spring Semester, 2012
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
appointment
Phone #:
Email:
Dr. Renee J. Butler, Ph.D., P.E.
Q - 320
Tuesdays 1:00 – 3:30 pm, Wednesdays 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, and by
Texts:
Production and Operations Analysis, 6th edition, S. Nahmias, McGraw Hill
(2008). ISBN: 9780073377858
Please consider a used or electronic copy, we are only going to use this text for
half the semester.
678-915-5414
rbutler@spsu.edu
Warehouse and Distribution Science, version 0.95, Bartholdi and Hackman,
http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/~jjb/wh/wh-sci.html
Free online textbook.
Software:
MS Excel, MS Word, MS Powerpoint
Suggested Prerequisites:
 Statistics at the undergraduate level (specifically, familiarity with the normal distribution and the
ability to use it to calculate probabilities)
 A basic working knowledge of Excel (such as graphing and using basic formulas)
Course Description:
This course will cover production and distribution decisions, including inventory, analysis of flows,
bottlenecks, queuing, pull systems, warehouse layout, order picking strategies, and integration of
production and distribution systems.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the semester, students will be able to
 Analyze flows, bottlenecks and queuing to optimize production in a manufacturing system
 Understand the effects of lot sizes, lead times, and variability in production systems
 Perform analysis to manage shop floor control, production schedules, and capacity planning
 Understand current trends in the management & integration of production and distribution
systems.
Contact info/extra help: The best way to reach me between class periods is by e-mail to my direct
account (rbutler@spsu.edu) or through WebCT. I am on-line the much of the time and will reply as
quickly as possible to questions sent over e-mail. My posted office hours are listed above. In general, I
will be in my office the majority of the day Mondayss and Thursdays and am happy to meet with you in
person or discuss material over the phone; though it is best to e-mail me for an appointment to be sure I
am available to help you. If you would like to "meet" on-line at a different time, e-mail me for an
appointment. However, I typically do not log in over the weekends, so you may not receive a response
until Monday.
Lectures: We will use a combination of voice-over PowerPoint slides and live lectures in Wimba Live
Classroom. The voice-overs and any material for the live lectures are available in the “Learning
Modules,” which are setup one for each week. Please listen to the appropriate lecture, as outlined in the
course schedule, before coming to class. Class time will be used to present advanced topics and answer
questions. Class will be held from 6:00-7:30PM on Wednesdays in the Wimba Classroom. An archived
version of the classes will also be available on the Horizon web site by the next day following the chat.
However, I cannot guarantee against potential technology failure which could prevent archiving.
Class attendance: Attendance is strongly recommended. However, you may view class archives if you
are unable to attend class. The instructor is NOT responsible for assisting the student to catch up on class
material when the student is absent from class. The instructor is also not responsible for technology
failure that prevents archiving.
Grading: Students will earn a course grade according to the following weighting scheme:
Article Summary Presentations = 15%
Module assignments &/or case studies = 30% (reduced from 40%)
Article Discussions (in-class & online) = 10% (new)
Midterm Exam = 20%
Final Exam = 25%
The cutoff values for each grade will be made when all assignment scores are recorded and the
overall averages are calculated. At a minimum, an average of 90 or more for the course will earn
an A (4.0/4.0), 80 or more a B (3.0/4.0), 70 or more a C (2.0/4.0).
Article Summary Presentations: The format for the article summary presentations will be
discussed in class. Information is forthcoming on GeorgiaView.
Module Assignments and Case Studies:
 All assignments are due by 11:00 PM on Tuesday night, unless otherwise noted. I will
NOT accept late assignments without prior approval.
 Format: Each assignment must be typed and submitted through WebCT as a Word File,
Excel File, .pdf or some combination of those. For problems done in Excel make sure
that your answer is clearly noted, that the question number is on the worksheet tab and
that it is set to print on one page (or properly formatted multiple pages). Points will be
taken off if it is difficult to follow your workbook!
 You may discuss assignments and obtain help from others, but the final product must be
your individual work. To be more precise, on discussion-type questions, it is acceptable
to discuss the topic with classmates, but not to give someone your complete answer to
read. With calculation-type questions, it is appropriate to get assistance in how the
problem is solved in general, but not to copy a classmate’s spreadsheet. That is, you may
not exchange electronic files! ASK me if you have any questions.
Exams: The format for the exams will be discussed before the first exam. Information is
forthcoming on GeorgiaView.
Professional Behavior: All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior
standards as contained under the Student Life Regulations of the Graduate Catalog of SPSU.
This includes all individual work being completed individually by the student registered for the
course and all sources acknowledged within all written work and communications.
Academic Honesty: SPSU has an Honor Code and a new procedure relating to when academic
misconduct is alleged. All students should be aware of them. Information about the Honor Code
and the misconduct procedure may be found at http://spsu.edu/honorcode/. Penalties for
academic dishonesty can include receiving a 0 on the assignment or an F in the course. All
incidents will be reported.
Some guidelines are listed below. Additional guidelines for individual assignments may be
explained with the assignment. If you have any questions, please ask me!

Any resources used (including significant help from fellow students) must be
properly cited.

Plagiarism is defined as: another's work is deliberately used or appropriated
without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that
such work is the student's own. Any student failing to properly credit ideas or materials
taken from another has plagiarized.
Plagarism Detection: Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be
subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of
plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com
reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the
Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com
site.
Make-ups: In general, late assignments may be accepted for institute-approved, work-related, or
personal reason, please let me know as far in advance as possible.
Re-grades: Requests for re-grades must be made in writing (be specific about the issue)
between 24 hrs and 1 week after the assignment is returned.
ADA Accommodations: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need
accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at
678-915-7226 as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in
a timely fashion.
MGNT 6050 – Project Management (Required/Optional Course, Prerequisites: MGNT 5000 and
MGNT 5014 or an undergraduate course in management principles and an undergraduate course in
statistics, 3-0-3)
A study of project planning, organizing, controls concepts and techniques. Coverage will include projects
and specifications. Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) the Critical Path Method (CPM), the Program
Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), Gantt charting, and time/resource management.
Syllabus
MGNT 6050: Project Management
Course Description
A comprehensive study of project planning, organizing, and control concepts and techniques.
Coverage will include project plans and specifications, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), the
Critical Path Method (CPM), the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), bar
(Gantt) charting, and time resource management. The student will also be exposed to
organizational structures, leadership and management theory and practice, and conflict resolution
skills as these apply tot he management of projects.
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to: • Describe aspects of the project
management process
• Develop a work breakdown structure of a project
• Establish baseline plans for a project
• Use schedule and cost control techniques to manage a project • Evaluate progress on a project
• Distinguish characteristics of excellent project managers
Textbook
Project Management: A Managerial Approach, by Jack R. Meredith and Samuel J. Mantel, Jr.,
6th edition, 2006, John Wiley & Sons. In addition, other readings may be assigned during the
semester. You will also need to read the novel Critical Chain by Eliyahu M. Goldratt.
The textbook is available online at http://www.wiley.com/legacy/desktopeditions/busdecscience.html. It is available both electronically and in printed form and the electronic copy is
much less expensive.
Grading
Exams
Mid-Term Cases (Two)
Final Exam
Other Chapter Cases (Ten)
Discussion
Homework Problems
Total
Points
200
300
200
100
200
1,000
Letter grades are assigned as follows:
C Work does not meet the standards for a Masters-level course.
B Work is fully acceptable and completely meets all requirements for a Masters-level course.
A Work significantly exceeds all requirements for a Masters-level course and is clearly superior
to the work performed by other Masters students.
Exams
The midterm and a major part of the final exam are cases. These take-home exams will each consist
of two Harvard University cases. These must be purchased online and cost approximately $7.00
per case. The names of the cases and purchasing information will be made available to students at
the appropriate time.
In addition to the two cases, there will also be a final exam. This will consist of short answer and
essay questions. Students are expected to take the final exam on time and to turn in the cases on
time. Deadlines are enforced by WebCT and material will not be accepted late.
The mid-term and final exam cases must be turned in both to WebCT and to www.turnitin.com.
More information on www.turnitin.com is be provided in the Administration area of the course.
Plagiarism Prevention
This course use plagiarism prevention technology. Students will be submitting papers online
through a plagiarism prevention service. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole
purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.
Chapter Cases
Students are to turn in cases analysis on the cases listed in the schedule. All of these are from the
textbook. Cases must be typed and will not be accepted late. Chapter cases must be turned in both
to WebCT and to www.turnitin.com. More information on www.turnitin.com is be provided in the
Administration area of the course.
Homework
A couple of the chapters have homework problems assigned. These will be turned in for a grade.
Homework does not have to be typed, you may work it by hand and scan your work for posting in
WebCT if you like. Homework will not be accepted late.
Academic Integrity
Chapter cases, mid-term cases, and final exam cases are checked for plagiarism by turnitin.com.
In addition, students of this course are required to log into the Business Administration Academic
Resources and complete the Academic Integrity module with a score of 70 percent or better. This
is a self-registered course. Complete instructions are provided in the Administration area of the
course. The presentation can be viewed as many times as needed and the quiz can be retaken as
many times as needed to obtain the necessary score of 70 percent or better.
Student Responsibilities
All individual work you hand in is expected to be your own work. Discussing the course material
and concepts with others outside of class can be very helpful and is encouraged; however, you are
not to work together to do your individual homework or other individual assignments. Students
who cheat will be dropped from the course and failed.
Schedule
See separate attachment.
Changes
The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary. Should changes be needed, he will
announce those changes in class.
Disabilities
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are
encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at (678) 915-7226 as soon as
possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Dr. Obeidat Biographical Statement
Dr. Muhammad A. Obeidat is a Professor of Operations and Technology Management. His
research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, management science,
information systems, statistics, management of technology, quality management and control, and
project management. His research has been published in several journals, including International
Journal of Industrial Ergonomics , and Journal of Business Administration. He has worked and
consulted with several automobile vendor companies on productivity and process design and
layout. Dr. Obeidat is a member of the Decision Sciences Institute, and Production & Operations
Management Society. He is currently serving as Associate Editor of the International Management
Review Journal.
QA 6615 - Applied Systems Reliability (Elective Course, Prerequisite QA 6612, 3-0-3, cross-listed with
SYE 6050)
Analysis of appropriate probabilistic models for system reliability, including the exponential, Weibull,
normal, and lognormal distributions, life prediction techniques, reliability test program plans, failure
mode and effect analysis, Markov models, and maintainability concepts.
Syllabus
QA6615 Applied Systems Reliability
Fall 2011
Dr. Kenneth W. Jackson: M118
Phone: 678-915-3518
SPSU email: kjackso3@spsu.edu
Academic Background
Ph.D. ME, MSME, MSIE-OR: Georgia Institute of Technology,
BSME: Auburn University
Registered Professional Engineer-Georgia
Professional Background
Bell Laboratories: 25+ years in optical fiber communication systems product and manufacturing process
development.
Biographical Summary: See Web Page
Scheduled Office Hours:
Tentative Open Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00-2:30pm, 4:30-6:00pm, Wednesdays 1:00-3:00pm.
Course Communications/Correspondence:
Students should use WebCT Vista mail to communicate with the professor if possible. I will reply to brief
email questions, typically within 24 hours. If you wish to make a voice appointment with the professor
during office hours, then you should try to make the appointment by email 24 hours in advance. I will
confirm your appointment by email. Students, faculty and other individuals who have appointments will
have priority over individuals who do not have an appointment. I do not play phone tag too well. (Use
Web CT Vista Mail to assure timely response.) I will also try to accommodate scheduled voice
appointments outside pre-scheduled office hours.
We will use the Wimba Live Classroom environment for the online classes. The instructions describing
how to login to Wimba are on the Vista Web page. You will need a reasonably high-speed internet
connection and a microphone/headset combination to participate in the classes.
WebCT, Vista Version URL, User ID, and Passwords:
What is the URL to the Vista login page? http://spsu.view.usg.edu/
What is my Vista user ID?
Your new Vista user ID will be the same as your SPSU email prefix (everything before @spsu.edu). An
example of a user ID: “JohnDoe@spsu.edu”.
What is my Vista password? This will be your BANNER PIN.
Course Description
This objective of this course is to introduce the basic concepts of reliability and
maintainability/availability to quality professionals, systems engineers and technical managers. The
student will learn how the reliability characteristics of components, products and systems depend on time,
their environmental and operating conditions, and the system configuration. Specific failure time
distributions covered include the exponential, normal, lognormal, and Weibull. The student will learn to
use the software supplied with the text for reliability calculations and data analysis. Accelerated testing
methods, reliability growth testing, Markov models, and design considerations will be introduced. We
will cover parametric, nonparametric and the proportional hazards lifetime models to analyze and
interpret failure data and reliability management as time permits.
Course Outcomes
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


Understand and interpret the four basic reliability functions and given any one of them calculate
the other three.
Understand and apply the exponential, Weibull, lognormal failure time distributions to solve
reliability problems
Calculate the system reliability from a reliability block diagram
Apply Markov analysis to calculate the reliability of load sharing , standby and degraded systems
Understand the relationship among availability, maintainability and reliability and estimate repair
times.
Understand the principles and applications of accelerated reliability testing and growth curves.
Use software to identify failure and repair time distributions from test data



The prerequisite for the course is a working knowledge of the basic concepts of probability and statistics
and a familiarity with the use of Excel spreadsheets. The course also requires an elementary conceptual
understanding of calculus and how to compute simple derivatives and integrals. You may use handbooks
and tables of integrals as needed. Some students have found it useful to take an online refresher in
calculus concurrently.
Upon completion of the course, you will be familiar with how reliability, maintainability, and availability
relate to systems and the contemporary techniques that are used to design and produce reliable products
services and systems.
Homework/Assignments:
You are responsible for completing all homework/assignments in a timely manner. Problems/test
solutions are to be submitted in a single file (scanned ok) in pdf format. End of term papers are to be
submitted in Word format so I can make comments on your submission. You may also submit a pdf
version for archive/record purposes. Include your name, course and assignment name in the file name
(use meaningful abbreviations).
I select few if any of the assigned homework problems for grading. However, I typically include one or
more problems very similar to those assigned for homework on the exams. If you have questions on an
assignment that is to be submitted for grading, do not wait until just before it is due to try get help. Your
lack of planning cannot be made the professor’s emergency. I do not typically give make-up exams. There
will be some material covered that is not in the text for which you will be responsible.
Projects/research papers are to be submitted through turnitin.com, which uses plagiarism detection
technology. This technology is very good at detecting cut and pastes from off the Web so, do not do it.
Just because your paper get a “green light” from Turnitin does not mean you have properly documented
your reference material and your paper is free from plagiarism. Turnitin can be an excellent resource for
students to judge the degree to which their paper is original. Ultimately, all students are responsible for
familiarizing themselves with and complying with the SPSU policy on plagiarism and academic honesty.
Now most of what follows is common sense and I doubt that it applies to many. If you copy and paste,
patch paste or copy material from a previous paper without proper referencing the work, you will receive
an F on the assignment. If you copy a lot of material off the Web for a paper and put it in quotes and
reference it properly, you still may get a very low grade on the assignment because there was little that
you wrote yourself. I expect students to write in their own words 90%+ of any paper assigned. If you go
onto the Web and search/copy answers to questions on online exams you will also receive an F for that
exam and a note will be placed in your file.
International Students
In order to comply with US DHS residency rules, students here in the US on an F-1 or J-1 visa must go to
the IET office in the M Building to physically (collect/take) their midterm and final exams
Texts and Course Materials
An Introduction to Reliability and Maintainability Engineering 2nd Edition by Charles E. Ebeling
ISBN 1-57766-625-9 and accompanying software CD
Assessment and Grades: I expect your grade to be determined approximately as follows:
Assignments/Class Contributions about 10%
2 Exams about 70%
Final about 20%
Assessment of qualitative BOK material may be via a timed, online exam. If so I will let you know well
in advance. It is important that you check the grading of these type exams if given because it is relatively
easy for the grader to overlook something after looking at a screen for a long time.
Students with Disabilities
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should make an
appointment with the ATTIC (678-915-7361) to coordinate reasonable accommodations. The students
are also welcome to contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs.
Re-grading Policy
If I make a mistake in grading your take home exam, I will be happy to fix things provided you promptly
submit a re-grade request. You should state the reason you would like your work re-graded. If a test is
submitted for re-grading, I have the right to re-grade the entire test. However, if a mistake was made do
not hesitate to bring it to my attention.
Suggestions
This is an online graduate level course and as such, it requires more student independence,
resourcefulness and initiative than undergraduate courses. It is fast-paced and students need to hit the
ground running and not stop until it is over. It is very important to keep up and complete assignments on
time, especially the homework. If you miss a lecture, it is your responsibility to watch the archive, dialog
with the professor and catch up on material. Remember it is not fair or courteous to the other classmates
for a student to request that the professor to use class time to cover material from a lecture that you have
not attended or viewed from on the archives.
Professional Behavior
All students are expected to abide by the professional and ethical standards established by SPSU as well
as the policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. The instructor reserves the right to remove any
student from the course if their behavior is of a disruptive and disrespectful nature or if there is evidence
of academic dishonesty. You may find the following reference valuable for understanding and avoiding
plagiarism in you written work.
http://www.spsu.edu/honors/current_students/AvoidPlagiarism.pdf
General Definition of Cheating
Cheating . . . [is the act of] borrowing, purchasing, or otherwise obtaining work done by
someone else and submitting it under one's own name. [This could take several forms including,]
non-attribution, writing one's own paper but including passages copied exactly from the work of
another (regardless of whether that work is published or unpublished or whether it comes from a
printed or electronic source) . . . [and] patchwriting, writing passages that are not copied exactly,
but then have been borrowed from another source, with some changes. (Howard)
Other Comments
I expect a relaxed but intellectually challenging and professional course environment. Typically, courses
such as this include students at various stages of their professional careers. Accordingly, the discussions
should be a collaborative learning experience. A student who demonstrates a particularly good grasp of a
concept in the chats or discussions or who helps to clarify a difficulty expressed by another student can
get extra credit.
I will try to archive the class lectures so you can review what was covered if needed. The professor must
actively set a software switch at the beginning of each class to archive the lectures. You can help me
verify that this switch is set before we get started. The full functionality of the live classroom environment
is not available in archived lectures and it can be a bit slow.
I enjoyed a very long, satisfying and successful career in the fiber optics industry at Bell Telephone
Laboratories before I came to the university. My industrial background was in the engineering
development of fiber optic products for communication systems. I also worked on the SAFEGUARD
Antiballistic Missile System. I am convinced that our system typically works well over the long run for
those who work, who persevere and who are honest and driven to contribute. My goal is to help you master
the material needed to make life better for yourselves and others.
Distance learning can be highly effective for self-development and career advancement but requires
student initiative and resourcefulness. Distance learning is not new; even Deming took mathematics by
correspondence. He received a master’s degree in math and physics in 1927!
This syllabus/schedule may be changed to suit the needs of the class. Remember your professor
wants you to succeed. Lets make it a great semester!
Textbook Reading Assignments: Approximate/Tentative Schedule
Homework on Course Web Page
Week 2
08-21-11
Week 3
08-28-11
Week 4
09-04-11
Week 5
09-11-11
Week 6
09-18-11
Week 7
09-25-11
Week 8
10-02-11
Week 9
10-09-11
Week 10
10-16-11
Week 11
10-23-11
Week 12
10-30-11
Week 13
11-06-11
Week 14
11-13-11
Week 15
11-20-11
Week 16
12-04-11
Introduction Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Review and Exam 1
Chapter 5: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5
Chapter 6: 6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4
Chapter 7: 7.1,7.2,7.3
Chapter 8:
Omit 8.2.1, 8.2.3, 8.2.4
Review and Catch-Up
Exam 2
Chapter 9.1, 9.2, 9.2.1, 9.2.2
Chapter 11: 11.1, 11.2
Chapter 12
Use of Software
Mini paper due if assigned or
Final/Exam3
Wrap Up and Summary
QA 6722 - Human Factors in Quality Assurance (Elective Course, no prerequisite, 3-0-3)
Human Factors in QA is a comprehensive survey of human factors theory, research, and applications
which are of particular relevance to quality assurance. Emphasis will be placed on operator constraints in
the design of work processes, workplaces, and instrumentation.
QA 6722
Human Factors in Quality Assurance
Summer 2014
Instructor: Dr. Woodrow. W. Winchester, III
E-mail: wwinches@spsu.edu (Preferred and DO NOT E-mail through D2L)
Office: Q-130
Phone: (678) 915-3061
Office Hours: Upon Request
Course Description: A survey of human factors theory, research, and applications. We will look at
human factors issues associated with consumer products as well as industrial and military applications. In
addition to the assigned reading from the book there will be, on average two recorded lectures each week
for students to view on their own as well as a one-hour live chat session via Live Classroom. I rely
heavily on my personal experience over the last thirty years as an expert witness in product liability and
personal injury cases involving human factors issues.
Course Outcomes: At the conclusion of this course the student shall be able to;




Understand the terms of art in human factors,
Define and explain the characteristics of typical human factors problems,
Describe and differentiate the five levels of human factors issues as defined by Kim Vicente, and
Analyze a human factors problem from your own experience to identify likely problems and
propose solutions supported by research data.
Text: The Human Factor by Kim Vicente, Routledge, New York, 2004 (or newer editions)
Technical Requirements: You will need a headphone and microphone for class meetings in Live
Classroom.
Class Schedule: There are nine modules in this class to be completed; an introductory module and then
one course module for each week of the class. We will “meet” in the Live Classroom Tuesday nights
from 6:00 p.m. to roughly 7:30 pm beginning 5/20/14.
Format: This class is being delivered via GeorgiaView D2L and Live Classroom. You should already
have documentation on how to login to each of these systems. Assignments for each week will be
available in modules on GeorgiaView D2L. Live Classroom will be used for interactive discussions and
open Q&A. Attendance during Live Classroom sessions is not mandatory but, students will be
responsible for all material covered and including the possibility of extemporaneous assignments made in
the Live Classroom discussion. Live Classroom sessions will be archived and available for viewing at
any time after the class.
In general, each module will consist of a reading assignment, one or more pre-recorded voice-overPowerPoint lectures, a PDF of the PowerPoint slides, a discussion topic, a homework assignment to be
submitted for grading and a quiz over the reading assignment(s). The Live classroom chat sessions will
consist of Q&A that covers the assigned material and a presentation from my personal experience as a
human factors consultant over the last thirty years. Some of you may feel more comfortable participating
in the Live Classroom discussions while others may feel more comfortable participating in the threaded
discussions. It is your obligation (see the grading scheme below) to participate in one or both methods on
a regular and meaningful basis.
Logging in at least three times a week is minimally necessary to be productive and to interact with your
peers. My role will be one of facilitator for this interaction, so I will not be responding to every comment
in the threaded discussions. However, I will be looking in frequently during the week. Discussion posts
will be graded primarily for quality and timeliness. Posting to the discussion forums at the last hour of
the deadline does not give your classmates ample time to respond. The more effort exerted by all to
complete readings, meet the due dates and participate in the online discussions, the more meaningful and
dynamic the learning experience for all.
Grading: I will grade homework assignments and return them to you as quickly as I can; my target will
be to have feedback to you within one week. You will have to gauge your own participation throughout
the course. Observe what others are doing and make sure you are holding your own the way you would
in any work environment. I do not expect everyone to be above average on participation but you should
make sure that you are not two-sigma below the average. If you do not know what that means, ask one of
your MSQA classmates. If you are in the MSQA and you do not know what that means, consider a new
graduate program.
Course Grades:




20% Class Participation and/or Threaded Discussions
20% Quizzes on Reading Assignments
30% Homework
30% Project
Project: You will be expected to identify a significant human factors problem from your own
experience, analyze the problem and proffer a solution. We will talk about the project as we get in to
the material.
Assignments: All assignments will be submitted in GeorgiaVIEW D2L by the posted due dates. Please
do not submit any work via email. All due dates for activities are in Eastern Standard Time and in the
Georgia VIEWD2L Calendar. I am very understanding in regards to summer work and vacation travel. If
you are not going to be in class or must turn in an assignment late, you must let me know about it before
the fact. If you have not made prior arrangements with me to turn in an assignment late, I will deduct
10% from your grade. If we have already reviewed the assignment in Live Classroom, you may not
receive any credit.
Student Responsibility: Distance learning requires more individual discipline than traditional classes,
and requires that you have at least some control over your time and schedule. It is not easier or less time
than face-to-face courses. I expect that you will spend seven to eight hours per week on this class.
Turnitin: Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for
textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be
included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting
plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use
posted on the Turnitin.com site.
Students are expected to do their own work unless specified by the instructor. Anyone caught copying the
work of anyone else will receive a grade of F for the course and may be expelled from the university as
per university policy.
Netiquette/Communication Rules: Respect all who are participating in this learning community by:







honoring their right to their opinions
respecting the right of each person to disagree with others
responding honestly but thoughtfully and respectfully using language which others will not
consider foul or abusive
always signing your name to any contribution you choose to make
respecting your own privacy and the privacy of others by not revealing information which you
deem private and which you feel might embarrass you or others
being constructive in your responses to others in the class
being prepared to clarify statements which might be misunderstood or misinterpreted by others
One good way to avoid problems is to compose your postings off-line and reread them before sending
them. Something written in haste may not say what you really think after the heat of the moment has
passed.
Academic Honesty: “A faculty member reserves the right to remove any student from his or her course
if the student’s behavior is of a disruptive nature or if there is evidence of academic dishonesty.” (SPSU
Catalog)
Disability Statement: “A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling condition
and needs academic accommodations has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as having a
disability by scheduling an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as possible.”
(SPSU Catalog). The coordinator can be contacted at 678-915-7244
Resources: Remote access to Library Resources http://www.spsu.edu/library/Dl/dl.html
Contacts to get Help: For D2L Technical Support, go to http://help8.view.usg.edu or call
678-915-HELP For Live Classroom (Wimba) Technical Support, go to
http://www.wimba.com/services/support/
SYE 7803
Master’s Thesis
The program has not had a student request the Master Thesis Option therefore the course has never been
submitted for approval nor no syllabus developed.